[Doc-SIG] References in the same line as the target text

[Simon Budig]

[sorry, this was intended to go to doc-sig as well]

David Goodger (goodger@users.sourceforge.net) wrote:
> Simon Budig wrote:
> > I have now implemented  reference__ __<uri> and `refe rence`__
> > __<uri>. they are analogous to anonymous links.
> 
> Did you allow for long URIs split over lines?  This would have to be
> allowed::
> 
>     reference__ __<http://this.is.the.beginning
>     .of.a.very.long.uri.com/index.html#and-here-is
>     -even-more>

I implemented this now (I was not aware that this is possible).
It does not yet generate a warning when there are additional spaces
in the URL though.

> > I also implemented reference_ _<uri> and `refe rence`_ _<uri>
> > analogoes to named links, this is some kind of closure of the syntax
> > (mathematically speaking... :-)
> 
> Where the target name is implied.  Yes, I suppose it follows.
> 
> > I am currently not sure if the possibility to wrap before long URLs
> > is worth the added line noise by doubling the underscores. I think
> > reference_<uri> resp. reference__<uri> might be acceptable too.
> 
> Without the spaces & matching underscores the syntax would be too
> subtle I think.  And allowing for line-wrapping is important.

Hmm. Isn't the possibility to break URLs with a newline enough and would
reduce the need for the additional space in the markup? You could do
`long text followed by a long URL that might make it necessary`__<http://
to.break.the.URL.at/the/end/of/the#line>

I think that the advantage of this definitely is that it would indicate
the tight connection between the text and the argument. The separation
with a space looks a bit as if this were two totally independant
syntactic constructs (which it isn't because __<this.url> would not be
recognized.

If you think that reference_<uri> is to subtle, we could make it more
explicit with_<<double angle brackets>>. I also thought about adding
an additional underscore__<like/this> for named and three
underscores___<like/this> for anonymous inline targets. However, this
could lead to confusion because "__" would be used for anonymous links
and named inline links. Could lead to confusion.

Bye,
        Simon
-- 
      Simon.Budig@unix-ag.org       http://www.home.unix-ag.org/simon/