Subject: Re: bug#52126: Problematic characters in info node names

From: Stefan Kangas <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 10:31:50 -0800

Eli Zaretskii <[email-masked]> writes:

>> I read in (info "(texinfo) Node Line Requirements") that:
>>
>>    * Unfortunately, you cannot reliably use periods, commas, or colons
>>      within a node name; these can confuse the Info reader.  Also, a
>>      node name may not start with a left parenthesis preceding a right
>>      parenthesis, as in '(not)allowed', since this syntax is used to
>>      specify an external manual.  (Perhaps these limitations will be
>>      removed some day.)
>
> This is mainly because of the stand-alone Info reader.  The Emacs Info
> mode copes with these characters in node names much better.
>
> So yes, it is desirable to avoid them, but it isn't a catastrophe if
> they are there.

I guess what I'm asking myself if its useful to keep this advice in
admin/release-process.

Personally, I have no strong opinion either way, but I note that
makeinfo seems to now claim to warn about any problematic cases.