[Moin-user] Trying to achieve a visual effect similar to definition lists

Kenneth McDonald kenneth.m.mcdonald at sbcglobal.net
Fri Aug 19 15:59:48 EDT 2005


This message will make a lot more sense if you view it in a  
monospaced font :-)

I'm trying to achieve a certain visual effect that associates  
paragraphs with words/short phrases. I'm looking to be able to write  
markup such that, after translation to HTML and wrapping, I get  
something that looks EITHER like an HTML <DL> type construct:


---------------
Moin:  A Wiki written in Python.

Python: A powerful scripting language written by Guido van
     Rossum. It's been used for many, many things, and is
     fantastically better than another language that starts with
     a 'P' and ends with a 'l'. :-)

Wiki Site: A collaborative site. Wiki members (or anyone,
     depending on how the wiki is set up) can go into the wiki
     and add or modify content.
---------------


OR, like the format below i.e. left edges of paragraphs line up  
(which won't be the case if you're viewing using a variable-width font!)


---------------
Moin:      A Wiki written in Python.

Python:    A powerful scripting language written by Guido van
            Rossum. It's been used for many, many things, and is
            fantastically better than another language that starts with
            a 'P' and ends with a 'l'. :-)

Wiki Site: A collaborative site. Wiki members (or anyone,
            depending on how the wiki is set up) can go into the wiki
            and add or modify content.
---------------


In all of the above, the key word/phrase will highlighted. The idea  
is that it should be visually easy for the user to scan for something  
that sounds like what they are looking for, and then focus on the  
paragraph to find out if it really is what they're looking for.

I can't achieve the second effect with a table, because if something  
like 'Wiki Site' is in a cell, it tends to get wrapped to


---------------
Wiki
Site
---------------


which really breaks the visual flow.


The closest I've come (which is OK--I just happen to be nitpicky  
about my visuals) is using multiple levels of list indentation to  
achieve this:


---------------
Moin:
     A Wiki written in Python.

Python:
     A powerful scripting language written by Guido van
     Rossum. It's been used for many, many things, and is
     etc.
---------------


The main thing I don't like about this is that it takes more room,  
and makes definitions where the paragraph stays on one line (as in  
for Moin:) look a little odd. Something like:

---------------
Moin: A Wiki written in Python.
---------------

is better

On the other hand, using a single level of list indent 'hides' (OK,  
makes less obvious) the keywords, when paragraphs wrap, i.e.

---------------
Python: A powerful scripting language written by Guido van
Rossum. It's been used for many, many things, and is etc.
---------------


As I've said, this isn't critical (neither in the sense of being  
necessary, nor in the sense of being critical of Moin). But isn't it  
fun to push the envelope?


Thanks,
Ken




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