Re: makeinfo does not produce first output file when multiple files passed

[Patrice Dumas]

On Thu, Jan 18, 2024 at 10:52:17AM -0500, No Wayman wrote:
> 
> $ cd ./emacs-eat
> $ makeinfo fdl.texi -o fdl.info gpl.texi -o gpl.info eat.texi -o eat.info
> 
> This results in the last two info files being created (e.g. gpl.info and
> eat.info in this example).
> The first file is not created regardless of the order they are passed.
> Passing a "null" first argument results in all three files being generated:
> 
> $ makeinfo /dev/null fdl.texi -o fdl.info gpl.texi -o gpl.info eat.texi -o
> eat.info
> 
> Is this a misunderstanding on my part, or should all three files be
> generated with the first makeinfo command in the reproduction case?

The -o options is supposed to be passed once, and it is used for the
first input file only.  In case there are multiple ones, only the last
one is used (this could change in the future).  So, in your case,
eat.info is used as output file for fdl.texi, then gpl.texi is processed
with the default output file name, which happens to be gpl.info and last
eat.texi is processed and the default output name is used too, which is
eat.info.

When you specify /dev/null as the first texinfo manual, the same happen,
but the first manual going to eat.info as specified by the last -o is an
empty manual read from /dev/null, and all the manuals geet their default
output names.

-- 
Pat