Re: @itemize @asis is not well supported

[Patrice Dumas]

On Mon, Mar 04, 2024 at 03:59:26PM +0100, Bruno Haible wrote:
> @itemize @asis
> seems to work in HTML and info mode only, not in TeX mode.
>
> ...
> 
> Here are four good reasons for supporting @itemize @asis:
> 
>   * @table @asis is supported, see [1]
>       "You may use the @asis command as an argument to @table.
>        @asis is a command that does nothing: ..."
> 
>   * In HTML and info modes, 'makeinfo' does not produce an error for
>     @itemize @asis.
> 
>   * Several packages use @itemize @asis in their documentation: [2]
> 
>   * The workaround, which is to use @w{} instead of @asis, is hard to find 
> [3].

@itemize @asis is definitely not the same as @table @asis.  Indeed,
@table argument is applied to the @item argument, while @itemize
argument precedes the @item argument.  It is already possible to use an
empty @asis as @itemize argument, with braces, like

@itemize @asis{}

This seems to me to be a better use to advocate, in particular to avoid
the idea that @itemize @asis could be similar to @table @asis.  And also
to avoid the idea that an @-command on @itemize line is special.
Indeed, the @itemize argument is prepended to @item arguments and should
be as regular Texinfo as can be, in my opinion.

It would even make sense, in my opinion, to demand in the Texinfo manual
to have @itemize argument @-commands have braces, even when they are
commands that generate a mark, to make clear that it is to be considered
like regular Texinfo code. (No warning/error in the default case, in
that case for at least 20/30 years, though...).

Regarding the lack of error by makeinfo, I would tend to consider that
makeinfo is incorrect, I think that there should at least be a warning
message if there is an @-command in @itemize argument that is not a mark
command, usually takes braces and so not have braces on the @itemize
line.

-- 
Pat