The following Texinfo examples were processed into
the shown Info output using:
makeinfo /path/to/file/containing/example
where makeinfo has the following version:
makeinfo (GNU texinfo) 4.13
Also, the examples (including blank lines) are indented
by 2 spaces relative to the surrounding non-example text
and offset from the surrounding non-example text by one
blank line.
###################
#### Example 0 ####
###################
@setfilename test.info
A
@example
B
@end example
C
@bye
produces:
This is test.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from test.texinfo.
A
B
C
Is there a particular reason why the `...@bye' line yields a
blank line? Why not just output nothing at all, thereby
producing this:
This is test.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from test.texinfo.
A
B
C
which no longer has the last blank line (though, note that
the last line still ends with a newline).
###################
#### Example 1 ####
###################
@setfilename test.info
@macro Example
@example
@end macro
@macro endExample
@end example
@end macro
A
@Example
B
@endExample
C
@bye
produces:
This is test.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from test.texinfo.
A
B
C
Now, compare that output to the output of Example 0:
This is test.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from test.texinfo.
A
B
C
The macros have introduced whitespace, namely a blank line
between `A' and `B' and a blank line between `B' and `C'.
Is this not a bug? Is it not at least inconsistent behavior?
According to:
info texinfo 'Defining Macros'
we have:
You use the Texinfo `...@macro' command to define a macro, like this:
@macro MACRONAME{PARAM1, PARAM2, ...}
TEXT ... \PARAM1\ ...
@end macro
...
The newlines after the `...@macro' line and before the `...@end macro' line
are ignored, that is, not included in the macro body. All other
whitespace is treated according to the usual Texinfo rules.
This suggests that it is a bug.
###################
#### Example 2 ####
###################
@setfilename test.info
@macro Example
@example
@end macro
@macro endExample
@end example
@end macro
A
@Example
B
@endExample
C
@bye
produces:
This is test.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from test.texinfo.
A
B
C
As you can see, the blank lines were copied from the input to the output;
however, this contradicts the Texinfo manual as quoted earlier:
The newlines after the `...@macro' line and before the `...@end macro' line
are ignored, that is, not included in the macro body. All other
whitespace is treated according to the usual Texinfo rules.
Perhaps the manual should read:
The newlines after the `...@macro' line are ingnored (that is, they are
not included in the macro body). Similarly, newlines before the
`...@end macro' line are ignored unless they are within an unended
environment within the macro body. All other whitespace is treated
according to the usual Texinfo rules.
But wait!
###################
#### Example 3 ####
###################
@setfilename test.info
@macro b
@example
B
@end example
@end macro
A
@b
C
@bye
produces:
This is test.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from test.texinfo.
A
B
C
Again, compare that to the output of Example 0:
This is test.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from test.texinfo.
A
B
C
The macro has introduced whitespace, namely a blank line
between `B' and `C'; I don't have a rationalization
for this one.
###################
#### Example 4 ####
###################
@setfilename test.info
@macro b
B
@end macro
A
@example
@b
@end example
C
@bye
produces:
This is test.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from test.texinfo.
A
B
C
which is as expected; the Examples 3 and 4 suggest that
there is a bug triggered when `...@example' (and possibly
other) environments are used within macro bodies.
Sincerely,
Michael Witten
