[Doc-SIG] auto-numbered footnotes
David Goodger
dgoodger@bigfoot.com
Thu, 09 Aug 2001 23:30:44 -0400
Garth T Kidd <garth@deadlybloodyserious.com> wrote on 2001-08-09 9:58 PM:
> * Let's say we want to use non-URI link targets as automatically
> numbered footnotes, which I think is pretty nifty. Explicitly
> named footnotes are still perfect_ for citing references, but
> authors are freed from the tyranny of having to avoid footnote
> number collisions.
>
> .. perfect: Perfection is great! And, since this link target
> doesn't have anything resembling a URI in it, it's an auto
> numbered footnote, right?
Wrong! Too ambiguous.
For auto-numbered footnotes, how about something like::
Auto-numbered footnote ref: []_.
.. _[] Here's the footnote. Of course, the order is all-important
here. However, it's impossible to refer to this footnote a
second time.
Or we could define a new syntax variant::
Auto-numbered footnote ref: [#name]_.
.. _[#name] Here's the footnote. The order is no longer
important. And, we can refer to this footnote as
``name_``.
The second idea seems to work well.
> * Therefore, we need a way for applications to specify a resolver
> function to the parser.
I *don't* think so.
[on indirect links]
> That would
> let me refer to a section called ``Extremely Long Heading``
> as ``ELH_`` as follows::
>
> See ELH_ for more details.
>
> .. _ELH: `Extremely Long Heading`_
I've thought these over, and I don't see them happening. If you need another
way to refer to a part of the current document, just put in another target::
.. _ELH:
Extremely Long Heading
======================
...
If it's to an external link, just duplicate the target::
.. _link name number 1: http://somehost.somecompany.com
.. _link1: http://somehost.somecompany.com
> + I'm still going on about indirect links, even though I suspect
> that they're already in the spec. I lack the time right now to
> wade through and check. Bueller?
Suspicions incorrect.
Don't be like Ferris; do your homework!
--
David Goodger dgoodger@bigfoot.com Open-source projects:
- Python Docstring Processing System: http://docstring.sourceforge.net
- reStructuredText: http://structuredtext.sourceforge.net
- The Go Tools Project: http://gotools.sourceforge.net