Re: Changes to Texinfo DTD

[Oliver Scholz <epameinondas@gmx.de>]

Nic Ferrier <nferrier@tapsellferrier.co.uk> writes:

> Stefan Monnier <monnier@IRO.UMontreal.CA> writes:
>
>> > 1. use a command line XSLT processor (such as xsltproc, part of
>> >    GNOME's libxsl project) to turn the XML into plain text (or
>> >    specifically marked up text). 
>> 
>> The original reason for discussing such things is that the Info format
>> has serious limitations w.r.t. additional markup.
>> 
>> "Markup" in this context in the Emacs viewer means "text-properties"
>> or "overlays", neither of which can be provided directly from a process's
>> output, so it would just bring us back to square one: which text
>> representation top use for the markup (either HTML-like or
>> ANSI-escape-sequences-like, or something else).
>> 
>> I'm not necessarily opposed to using an external tool, but it won't solve
>> the problem at hand.
>
> I thought I remembered that you could generate saved files with
> embedded text properties (they're lisp expressions aren't they?)

Well, the canonical way to save embedded text properties is with M-x
enriched-mode. Or otherwise with the framework provided by format.el
or with (info "(elisp)Saving Properties"). This is technically what I
proposed for Emacs.

But yes, there is a print and read syntax for strings with text
properties: 

(let ((str "#(\"Lirum larum.\" 0 12 
	     (fontified t font-lock-face (variable-pitch :foreground \"Blue\")))"))
  (insert (car (read-from-string str))))

So if it is possible to generate this with XSLT it could be done with
XSLT only. Mostly, at least.

[I'd just like to point out that improving the info file format and
serving info files over the web are two orthogonal issues. It might
be good two use two different approaches to these different goals.
However, if it is feasible to have the same technical solution for
both, then this is fine for me and I'll shut up.]

    Oliver
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