Re: pxref

[Luc Teirlinck]

Eli Zaretskii wrote:

   That has the disadvantage that one needs to install 2 sets of manuals:
   one in XML for Emacs, the other in Info for the stand-alone reader and
   other Info readers out there (since on a typical multi-user machine,
   the admins cannot make sure only one reader is used).

I guess that if, some time in the future, Emacs were able to read the
XML format, info.el would need to remain in the Emacs distribution to
read Info files for which no XML version exists.  Since the XML format
would be available for those who find a modern browser look so very
important, info.el could then once again become free of unfixable bugs
and could once again be a true Info reader instead of a buggy would-be
formatter that attempts to do the impossible: format plain text.

Disk space is getting cheaper and cheaper so I guess most admins would
elect to install both.  But if some would only install the Info files,
users would still have access to exactly the same documentation.  The
only problem (if they consider it one) is that they get presented with
something that looks less "modern", less like a browser and less colorful.

To me it seems obvious that making Emacs able to read the Info files
in XML format would be very desirable.  The main problem right now is
simple: Emacs currently quite simply can not read the XML output.
Another problem could be that many Emacs maintainers do not know XML
or do not know it well enough.  (I myself do not know XML, although I
could always sooner or later learn it.)

Sincerely,

Luc.