sphinx-doc / sphinx-doc/sphinx

PDF metadata uses non-standard `&` to separate authors (if `\and` was used in `latex_documents`)

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builder:latex help wanted type:enhancement
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Here is the relevant code:
https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/blob/364f54cb5597bc6e5b619742492b4cae3067012f/sphinx/texinputs/sphinxmanual.cls#L44-L48

However, Adobe Pro apparently uses ; to separate author names. And it looks as if it also parses ,. I don't have access to such software so I can not check and my information is second-hand.

Some time recently, LaTeX package hyperref modified the behavior of its option pdfusetitle to recognize \and keyword in \author{....} input and to transform it into ; . See here.

Sphinx behavior perhaps is not quite a bug, the problem is at the time I introduced the & I has searched for some official clear guidelines on PDF author data, in case of multiple authors, and failed to find one.

I propose to adopt the ; separator.

Suggestions welcome! If no one opposes I wlll do the change in time for 2.3.0 2.4.0

Relates: #6875

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Research direction

Start with sphinx/texinputs/sphinxmanual.cls at lines 44–48 and review how the author metadata is assembled when latex_documents uses \and. Compare the current separator with hyperref's pdfusetitle behavior and verify the resulting PDF metadata; done means multiple authors use the agreed semicolon separator.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
latex
Domain
documentation
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
42/100

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