texinfo/TODO

If you are interested in working on any of these, email bug-texinfo@gnu.org.

* Makeinfo:
  - HTML output is being actively worked on, and with luck will be in
    the next release.
  - A detexinfo program, like detex or delatex.  This command would
    strip all the texinfo commands out, and would be used as a filter on
    the way to a speller.  An option would be to NOT strip comments out.
    makeinfo --no-headers comes close.
  - If node name contains an @ command, complain explicitly.
  - Better ASCII output: convert menus to single table of contents,
    enumerate chapters and sections, convert cross-refs and indices to
    chapter/section references.  See:
       ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/gnu/djgpp/v2/faq201s.zip
  - Call Ghostscript to get ASCII output for the @image command.

* TeX:
  - Use @ as the escape character, and Texinfo syntax generally, in the
    table of contents, aux, and index files.  Eliminate all the crazy
    multiple redefinitions of every Texinfo command in different contexts.
  - Handle @hsep and @vsep in @multitables.

* General:
  - Better i18n support, including support for 8-bit input characters,
    and 8-bit output in info.  Perhaps have to use the ec fonts.
  - Support compressed image files, automatic generation of .txt
    or .jpg from .eps by Ghostscript.
  - Repeat TeX run until cross-references stabilize, not just twice.
    (Document this in manual and fix texi2dvi.)
  - Handle reference card creation, perhaps by only paying attention to
    sectioning and @def... commands.
  - Allow : in node names for info files, for names like `class::method'.
  - Get Info declared as a MIME Content-Type.

* Language:
  - @figure:
@figure [xref-label]
@figureinclude <filename>, [<height>], [<width>]
@figurehsize <dimen>
@figurevsize <dimen>
@caption ... @end caption
<arbitrary Texinfo commands>
@end figure
  - @flushboth to combine @flushleft and @flushright, for RFC's.
  - @part sectioning command.
  - Anchors a la HTML?
  - Allow subitems and `see' and `see also' in indices.
  - @exercise/@answer command for, e.g., gawk.
  - Allow @hsep/@vsep at @item, instead of just in template.
  - The dark corner symbol for the gawk manual.
  - Change bars.  This is difficult or impossible in TeX,
    unfortunately.  To do it right requires device driver support.

* Doc:
  - Include a complete functional summary, as in a reference card, in
    the manual.
  - Improve the manuals for makeinfo, standalone info, etc.
  - Page 39, need a new section on doing dedication pages. See gawk.texi
    for an example of doing it in both the tex and info versions.

* Info:
  - Search all nodes of dir file at startup, then can have
    INFO-DIR-SEPARATE-GROUPS and other such.
  - Better dir file merging.
  - Steal interface ideas from Lynx: TAB for navigating to next link
    within a page, number links, etc.
  - q within help should quit help like C-x 0.
  - Full-text search on all available info files.
  - Incorporate an X-based viewer, perhaps tkinfo:
    http://www.math.ucsb.edu/~boldt/tkinfo/.
  - Perhaps process Texinfo files directly instead of converting to Info:
    ftp://ftp.cs.berkeley.edu/ucb/people/phelps/tcltk/tkman.tar.Z
    + ftp://ftp.cs.berkeley.edu/ucb/people/phelps/tcltk/rman.tar.Z
    + Tcl/Tk 8.0 from ftp.smli.com in the /pub/tcl directory.
    From: phelps@ecstasy.CS.Berkeley.EDU (Tom Phelps)

* Install-info:
  - be able to copy the info file to compile-time $(infodir), to
    simplify by-hand installation.