authorindex, miktex, and API error

[Ted Pavlic]

I think I found an error in the MiKTeX distribution, but I have no
idea exactly where the error is. It appears like it has SOMETHING to
do with bibtex... Specifically the bibtex that is called by
authorindex via Windows API.

If I run authorindex on a drive other than the drive where \texmf is
located, I get this strange error:

Z:\My Documents\School\MastersThesis>authorindex
optimal_foraging_theory
bibtex: Windows API error 161: The specified path is invalid.
BibTeX error. Aborting leaving all temporary files _autidx_.*

If I copy that "MastersThesis" directory to my "C" drive, I get this:

C:\Documents and Settings\pavlict.ECE\Desktop
\MastersThesis>authorindex optimal_foraging_theory
This is BibTeX, Version 0.99c (MiKTeX 2.5)
The top-level auxiliary file: _autidx_.aux
The style file: _autidx_.bst
Database file #1: optimal_foraging_theory.bib
Database file #2: _autidx_.bib

I thought this might have been a problem with some hard coding of
pathnames into authorindex.exe, so I installed the Perl script and
setup a BATch file to run it. Strangely, I get the same error on the Z
drive:

Z:\My Documents\School\MastersThesis>authorindex-perl
optimal_foraging_theory
bibtex: Windows API error 161: The specified path is invalid.
BibTeX error. Aborting leaving all temporary files _autidx_.*

and on the C drive:

C:\Documents and Settings\pavlict.ECE\Desktop
\MastersThesis>authorindex-perl opt
imal_foraging_theory
This is BibTeX, Version 0.99c (MiKTeX 2.5)
The top-level auxiliary file: _autidx_.aux
The style file: _autidx_.bst
Database file #1: optimal_foraging_theory.bib
Database file #2: _autidx_.bib

Note that bibtex works on both drives:

Z:\My Documents\School\MastersThesis>bibtex optimal_foraging_theory
This is BibTeX, Version 0.99c (MiKTeX 2.5)
The top-level auxiliary file: optimal_foraging_theory.aux
The style file: abbrvnat.bst
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch0_ack.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch0_vita.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch1_intro.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch2_model.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch3_optimization_objectives.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch4_optimization_results.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch5_conclusion.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_zapp_markov_encounter_sto_limits.aux
Database file #1: optimal_foraging_theory.bib
Warning--empty year in PP06
Warning--empty year in PP06
Warning--empty year in QAP06
Warning--empty year in QAP06
(There were 4 warnings)

and:

C:\Documents and Settings\pavlict.ECE\Desktop\MastersThesis>bibtex
optimal_forag
ing_theory
This is BibTeX, Version 0.99c (MiKTeX 2.5)
The top-level auxiliary file: optimal_foraging_theory.aux
The style file: abbrvnat.bst
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch0_ack.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch0_vita.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch1_intro.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch2_model.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch3_optimization_objectives.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch4_optimization_results.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_ch5_conclusion.aux
A level-1 auxiliary file: oft_zapp_markov_encounter_sto_limits.aux
Database file #1: optimal_foraging_theory.bib
Warning--empty year in PP06
Warning--empty year in PP06
Warning--empty year in QAP06
Warning--empty year in QAP06
(There were 4 warnings)

I thought someone here would be interested in that.

--Ted

[Ted Pavlic]

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

https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1739147&group_id=10783&atid=110783

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