Re: texinfo 7.0.3; the main menu is missing in HTML output.

[Gavin Smith]

On Mon, Aug 07, 2023 at 09:16:36PM +0000, Alan Mackenzie wrote:
> Hello, help-texinfo.
> 
> In texinfo-7.0.3, my main menu (a long menu starting with @menu and
> ending with @end menu) is not getting output in my HTML output.  This is
> failing to happen even with an older version of my .texi file which
> previously generated an HTML main menu under an earlier version of
> texinfo.
> 
> On page "menus" in the texinfo manual appears:
> 
>     "Menus" contain pointers to subordinate nodes.  In Info output, you use
>     menus to go to such nodes.  Menus can be used in HTML output but are not
>     used in the default case.  Menus have no effect in printed manuals and
>     do not appear in them.  Menus are ignored in DocBook output.
> 
> which I find confusing.  The first occurrence of "use" is talking about a
> user using a menu whilst reading an Info document.  The next sentence,
> sadly in the passive voice, says "Menus ... in HTML output ... are not
> used in the default case".  What does this sentence mean?  Who or what is
> doing this "using" and what is the nature of this use?

Yes, the passive voice can be confusing and this text could be reworded.

To get the menus output in HTML, use the FORMAT_MENU variable.  It
would look like "texi2any -c FORMAT_MENU=menu my-manual.texi".

> 
> Does this sentence mean that @menu ... @end menu by default produces no
> output in HTML?  After a long frustrating search, I could find no
> directions to override this default, if that's what it means.
> 
> Please help me get my main menu back again in HTML!
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> -- 
> Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).
>