authorindex bug fix on Windows (API error and PATH separator)

This is from a USENET news thread. I repost it here so that it gets indexed by more search engines.

This is a summary of the bug and resolution listed in MiKTeX bug #1739147:

This bug is not limited to MiKTeX. It is a general authorindex problem that can occur on any Windows machine.


When authorindex runs on a NETWORK drive (and other times?) this error occurs:

=====
bibtex: Windows API error 161: The specified path is invalid.
BibTeX error. Aborting leaving all temporary files _autidx_.*
=====

This error is a Windows specific problem in the "authorindex" Perl script. The resolution, by Christian Schenk:

=====
Date: 2007-06-21 13:26
Sender: csc (Christian Schenk)
Logged In: YES
user_id=67066
Originator: NO

Thank you. The bug is in the authorindex.pl script on lines 215 and 276:
the Unix path separator (:) is used when the environment variable
BSTINPIUTS/BIBINPUTS is set. This does not work under Windows. Please
replace ".:" with ".;" on both lines.
=====

In MiKTeX, this script is located at:

\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.6\scripts\perl\authorindex\authorindex.pl


Eventually, authorindex will need to be modified so that ";" is used as the PATH separator for Windows and ":" in UNIX. Meanwhile, those getting the error above should manually make this change.

--Ted

Thesis, Defense, and Source Available

I packaged it all up, documented it, and made it available on-line. Hopefully having a whole LaTeX thesis source on-line will be helpful to someone. This thesis has multiple indices (people and topic), glossaries, and all sorts of PDF hyperlinking and referencing. It uses packages like authorindex, hyperref, index, and natbib. I hope it serves as a good example for putting together a digital book.

• Research Page
  
  • Optimal Foraging Theory Revisited thesis
  • Optimal Foraging Theory Revisited defense presentation
    (best viewed in latest Adobe Acrobat)
• Thesis LaTeX Source Directory


• OhioLink Entry

Archives are also stored in the source directory. The defense presentation is best viewed in latest Adobe Acrobat as it makes use of a number of very modern PDF features. The presentation is built with LaTeX using powerdot.

The source directory also includes a modified osudissert96-mods.sty and the standard osudissert96.cls file, which is part of the osudissert96 (info, source) package. The modifications:

• Force title to uppercase to match updated submission rules.


• Additional hyperref support: If phantomsection defined, will add phantomsection in dedication page.


• Additional hyperref support: alphanumeric page numbers on title page to prevent page name conflicts.

Just so everyone knows, the two acceptable graduate unit names for the OSU ECE department are

• Graduate Program in Electrical & Computer Engineering


• Electrical & Computer Engineering Graduate Program