Re: [emacs-wiki-discuss] Re: Nesting Sections in Muse.

[Trent Buck]

address@hidden (Björn Lindström) writes:

> "Phillip Lord" <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> I've knocked up this package which supports nested sections for
>> muse. At the moment, it only does unordered lists, but it's
>> relatively naturally extensible to ordered as well.
>>
>> For it to work properly, it really needs changes to core muse, and,
>> in particular, the publishing model, which means that all styles
>> would have to be supported (to differentiate, "start list", "list
>> item" and "end list").
>>
>> Would there be any interest in this? I'm quite happy to contribute
>> the work.
>
> It's a good inititiative, but making the syntax something like the
> following would be much more readable.
>
> - Level 1 a
> - Level 1 b
> -- Level 2 a
> -- Level 2 b
> --- Level 3 a
> -- Level 2 c
> -- Level 2 d
> - Level 1 c
> - Level 1 d

I think the most natural syntax would be

        - level 1
          - level 2
          - level 2
        - level 1
             - level 2 
             - level 2
        - level 1
           - level 2
              - level 3

           - level 2 even with blank lines on either or both sides.

           - level 2 even when it's a really long line that goes on and on and
             never stops and just keeps going and wraps around, as long as the
             wrapped lines don't start with a hyphen.

Using the parsing model as python -- you look at whether relative to the
previous line the leading space is INDENTED (increment level), OUTDENTED
(decrement level) or unchanged.

After all, this is how people write hierarchical lists when writing for humans
(e.g. in email, usenet).  Muse syntax is far and away the closest wiki syntax
I've seen to "natural writing" style (i.e. how I write on usenet :-) and I
think it would be a good idea for new features to follow the example.

One deficiency (if you see it that way) with this syntax is that you can't
"skip" levels -- i.e. have a level 3 element straight after a level 1 element.

-- 
Trent Buck, Student Errant