@detailmenu for index location?

[Karl Berry]

I do not understand this entry in the automake NEWS file:

  - Output detailed menus in the Info version if the Automake manual,
    so that Emacs can locate the indexes.

Corresponding to this ChangeLog entry (I presume):

  2003-12-26  Alexandre Duret-Lutz  <address@hidden>
        * doc/automake.texi (@copying): Do not repeat the version.
        (Top): Use @insertcopying.  Add a @detailmenu, this works around
        Emacs 21's inability to lookup indices in sub-nodes (reported
        by Kevin Ryde).

My recollection is that @detailmenu is necessary for the purpose of
implicit node pointer creation by makeinfo, and nothing else.  I am
surprised to read that it makes any difference to the Emacs Info reader.

That seems like a bug in Emacs; there are lots of existing manuals which
don't use implicit node pointers, and they shouldn't need (and, more to
the point, don't have) @detailmenu.

Kevin, did you report this to the emacs folks?

The automake manual should use @detailmenu, though, since it does use
implicit pointers (which is recommended).

Thanks,
k