Re: using @titleplage in every format

[Gavin Smith]

On Mon, Feb 18, 2019 at 01:25:12PM +0100, Patrice Dumas wrote:
> For HTML there is already a way to use the titlepage, with 
>  USE_TITLEPAGE_FOR_TITLE
> 
> For docbook the semantic information is already used (I think), so no
> need to change.
> 
> Plaintext/Info should be changed to print the @titlepage at the right
> place.
> 
> My proposal is the following:
> Leave @top without argument.  That way TeX will ignore it.

Checking Texinfo's own manual, @top has an argument and is used as
"@top Texinfo".  I haven't checked but I suspect TeX would output a 
large heading from this.

> In general, output the titlepage after the first node, or at the
> beginning of @top.  For formats like docbook that are fully semantic,
> of for LaTeX which uses environments, follow the format conventions.
> @settitle is still useful for the HTML <title>, or in headings or such
> uses.

I like that @top is not wrapped in @ifnottex as this is confusing, 
especially when the @menu is not included inside the @ifnottex block.
If there was some way to simplify this it would be a good idea.

> The issue with that change is that it requires modifying existing
> manuals.  Another change is that the copying information will be at the
> beginning of the manual in every output, but this is probably a good
> thing.  If this is not wanted, it is still possible to have the
> @titlepage @insertcopying within an @iftex.

I'm worried that there will be too much information that the user finds 
irrelevant when they open an Info manual.

Also the title page may lack a short summary of what the manual is 
about, which may be present in the @top node.

> The typical document would become

If I understand correctly, is the only difference here that the @top 
node is not wrapped in @ifnottex?