Re: info invisible changes

[Kim F. Storm]

"Robert J. Chassell" <address@hidden> writes:

>     BTW, I was asked to implement image support in Info mode.  Has
>     anyone done some thoughts on how that should work ....
> 
> As a first step, please display the images in the Info file in the
> places corresponding to their locations in the Texinfo source, rather
> than in some other place.

Of course, I didn't even imagine there was any other place...

Actually, I'm basically looking for the specification of how images
are supposed to be embedded in or referenced by info files (as a
result of using @image); something like *Image: file. or whatever...?

Does any of the info files provided on, say, a redhat 7.3 system
include images in the info files (so I have something to test on) ?


> Also, when you implement images, please consider additions that may be
> made later:
> 
>   * An option to present the alternative text rather than the image so
>     that the blind can listen to it.  (By blind, I mean people who
>     listen to Info as they drive a car, the `situationally blind', as
>     well as the permanently blind).
> 
>     Note that Emacspeak works well and no longer requires special
>     text-to-speech hardware.  I run Emacspeak on this computer on
>     which I am writing this using its built-in audio device and free
>     software (the Debian `flite', `eflite', and `emacspeak' packages).
> 
>     The alternative text will come from the Texinfo source.  Such text
>     is already an optional argument to the @image command.

I agree, but where is that text available in the generated info file?

> 
>   * The caption text and figure reference for the image.  The TeX for
>     this could be taken from the botex.tex sources from 1985, since
>     that (print-only) predecessor to Texinfo possessed images with
>     captions and cross references to them.  But makeinfo and Info will
>     need new code to handle these features, and the @image command
>     will need additional options to hold them.

Suggest that to the texinfo team -- once it is there, we can start
working on emacs support for it.

> 
>   * An option to put a user-inspired border around images, with a
>     local variable, so you can specify it on a per-info file basis.
>   
>     Many images are plain and look terrible if shown flat against
>     whatever background your instance of Emacs is using.  (For
>     example, my current background is "DodgerBlue4"; to look good,
>     most images need to be set off from that background a little by
>     `picture frames' or borders.)
> 
Emacs already allows image borders, so an Info customization would be
ok here.

>   * An option to load a background as you might for HTML.  Although
>     people have complained heavily about Web pages that are unreadable
>     because of their backgrounds, some backgrounds do nicely and
>     should become a part of Emacs.  
> 
>     For examples, look at my Web site
> 
>         http://www.teak.cc
> 
>     [note the .cc extension] and at my neice's Web site
> 
>         http://www.goldenhillfarm.com
> 
>     in a Web browser, such as galeon, that shows backgrounds.
> 
>     In any event, I presume that Texinfo will eventually support
>     backgrounds for its HTML output; Info might as well be ready to do
>     the same.

Emacs does not support background images, and neither does texinfo in
info files, so I prefer to delay the implementation until the features
are available.

> 
>   * An option to increase or decrease the size of the image.
>     Different instances of Emacs use different resolution screens.  On
>     a high resolution screen, for example, it is hard to read a font
>     that is big enough on a low resolution screen.  It is the same
>     with images.  An image that looks great on a generic personal
>     computer screen looks too small on a high resolution personal
>     computer screen.
> 

Again, this seems to be generally useful.  Maybe a separate TODO
item which can then be utilized by info once it is available.


-- 
Kim F. Storm <address@hidden> http://www.cua.dk