Re: [Groff] Manuals in pdf format

[Werner LEMBERG]

> In general it is good to follow rules, most of the time they are for
> our benefit.
> Sometimes circumstances change and rules need to be modified.
> This "i, ii, ..., 1, 2" system was all right in the age of paper
> 'cause any-one page had only one page number.
> In the age of pdf one has two numbers to describe the same thing.
> Clickable links are good, very good, two numbers for the same thing
> is perhaps not.

Hmmm.  Since PDF version 1.3, there is direct support for this: It is
possible to define a PageLabels dictionary.  To cite section 8.3.1
from the PDF reference, version 1.6:

  Each page in a PDF document is identified by an integer `page index'
  that expresses the page's relative position within the document.  In
  addition, a document may optionally define `page labels (PDF 1.3)'
  to identify each page visually on the screen or in print.  Page
  labels and page indices need not coincide: the indices are fixed,
  running consecutively through the document starting from 0 for the
  first page, but the labels can be specified in any way that is
  appropriate for the particular document.  For example, if the
  document begins with 12 pages of front matter numbered in roman
  numerals and the remainder of the document is numbered in arabic,
  the first page would have a page index of 0 and a page label of `i',
  the twelfth page would have index 11 and label `xii', and the
  thirteenth page would have index 12 and label `1'.

  For purposes of page labeling, a document can be divided into
  `labeling ranges', each of which is a series of consecutive pages
  using the same numbering system.  Pages within a range are numbered
  sequentially in ascending order.  A page's label consists of a
  numeric portion based on its position within its labeling range,
  optionally preceded by a `label prefix' denoting the range itself.
  For example, the pages in an appendix might be labeled with decimal
  numeric portions prefixed with the string `A-'; the resulting page
  labels would be `A-1', `A-2', and so on.

Apparently, texinfo doesn't support this yet.  xpdf doesn't support
this either (in version 3.00) -- but acroread does.  For example, if
you select page `13' in acroread, you actually go to the page labeled
`13' which is physical page 36 or so.  To go to page `xiii', you have
to type `xiii' in the `go to Page' dialogue.

So my question: Is anybody from the texinfo team going to add this?
At least I ask to put it on the TODO list.


    Werner