[Lynx-dev] merge -dump and -source output?

[Greg Knittl]

Hi Lynx,

I'm running
Lynx Version 2.8.8dev.2 (25 Nov 2009)
libwww-FM 2.14, SSL-MM 1.4.1,, ncurses 5.7.20090803(wide)
Built on linux-gnu Jan  5 2010 06:23:04

I would write my personal documents in plain text except that I want
tables and to some degree lists. So I write (x)html in a text editor and
view it in a browser.

I would like to instead both edit and view the (x)html in a text editor.
In Lynx terms I would like to merge the -dump and -source streams as
much as possible on a line basis, then hide the source stream by folding
it out of sight in the editor (I use jEdit).

To update the document I open the fold containing the relevant source
and edit that source.

To refresh the document I strip the old generated text. I would like to
then pass the (x)html to Lynx and have Lynx generate a merged -dump and
-source stream.  I might then have to post-process the Lynx output to
set up the folding for the editor.

This extends my text editor into a poor man's whysiwyg html editor.

small table example

<table>
<tr><td>11</td><td>12</td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>22</td></tr>
</table>

Lynx output would appear as:

<table>
11 12
<tr><td>11</td><td>12</td></tr>
21 22
<tr><td>21</td><td>22</td></tr>
</table>

I think of this as similar to debug output from a compiler. In fact if
the Lynx -dump can output pointers to line numbers in the input file or
the source file then I could do my own merge. Perhaps there is already a
Lynx debug  parameter which will produce something like this. If not, I
understand that if I really want this I might have to write the function
myself.  Would you be willing to accept it as a valid feature request?
I.e. if I wrote it, would you integrate it into Lynx?  Do you think
there are better ways to skin this cat?

Thanks for your work on Lynx. I have used Lynx to convert a matrix of
numbers in an xhtml table to plain text and then used awk/sed to add up
the columns. Perhaps an extreme attempt to avoid using a spreadsheet.
However, if anyone appreciates the power of text, it would be a team
that writes a text browser!
-- 

thanks
Greg