Re: enriched-mode and switching major modes.

[Richard Stallman]

    I would expect Emacs to compute the numbers automatically, so that
    inserting an item into the middle would recompute the numbers.  To me,
    this means it makes no sense to make the numbers themselves accessible
    via Lisp.

Generating characters such as these numbers at display time would be
a fine method in some other program that does not have the Lisp level.
It would be absurd in Emacs.  These digits have to be in the buffer
when Lisp programs look at the buffer.

They could be updated automatically at certain times, normalized as it
were, but they must be real text.

    I would also expect the line spacing between the items to vary
    depending on the style sheet.  That is, Lisp shouldn't see two newline
    characters after "multi-line.", but just the end of the first item.

It would be useful to put two newlines there if that is possible.

      Does it really make sense to insert more spaces in front of "it"
    just because the user has changed the style sheet of the document to
    specify that enumerations should use bold numbers?

Yes.

      Additionally,
    depending on the exact text, making the numbers wider could mean that
    the "when" does not fit on the line anymore.  Making the newlines
    accessible via Lisp would mean that Lisp would suddenly see a newline
    in front of "when", instead of after "when".

Yes, just as if you were to type M-q.