Changes between Initial Version and Version 1 of TracDev/Proposals/AdvancedWikiFormatting

Timestamp:

Jun 8, 2009, 4:19:32 PM (15 years ago)

Author:

Christian Boos

Comment:

some of my ideas for WikiFormatting extensions and improvements

TracDev/Proposals/AdvancedWikiFormatting

@@ +1 @@
+[[PageOutline(2-3)]]
+= Trac Wiki Syntax enhancements =
+
+== Simple Tables ==
+
+Simple tables in Trac are really too primitive.
+Some simple enhancements that would greatly enhance their expressiveness could be made.
+
+=== support for <th> ===
+This is #3347.
+
+The syntax would be:
+{{{
+||= header =||= another header =|| not a header ||
+||= line xx=|| data1 || data2 ||
+}}}
+
+=== support for column span ===
+I have a patch, but #T1293 suggests that the preferred syntax would be to have an ''even'' number of pipes, e.g. `||||` and `||||||` to indicate a span of 2 and 3, instead of `|||` and `||||`.
+
+=== long columns ===
+Then, simple tables are not that readable when there are multiple cells with long content.
+It would be better to be able to have one cell per line, without triggering the creation of a new row. The \ continuation character come to mind:
+{{{
+|| this is column 1 [http://trac.edgewall.org/newticket new ticket] || \
+|| this is column 2 [http://trac.edgewall.org/roadmap the road ahead] || \
+|| that's column 3 and last one ||
+}}}
+
+=== even longer columns ===
+
+Now for complex content, it would be extra-cool to be able to embed ''any'' wiki content in a cell.
+That can be achieved at little cost, as usual by using processing instructions.
+We'd need to add `!#th` and `#!td`, and find a way to trigger the creation of new rows.
+Besides rich content, this also offers an alternative syntax for [#supportforth] and for [#supportforcolumnspan], as well as giving the possibility to specify the `rowspan`.
+
+== Enhanced lists ==
+
+There are two enhancements that come to mind:
+ - no leading spaces
+ - 1) style numbered items
+ - o style numbered items
+
+i.e.
+{{{
+- this is a list
+- next item
+
+ o  this is a list
+ o  that's another list
+
+1) Point 1
+
+2) Point 2
+}}}
+
+Also, points 1) and 2) should be part of the ''same'' list (=> slight difficulty for the VerticalHorizontalParsing, need to consider empty lines as potential "no-ops" in some situations).
+
+== Enhanced headings ==
+
+The automatic ids generated for headings are not readable.
+We should replace spaces by hyphens, at the very least. 
+Compatibility with the old compact style could be achieved by using the `name` attribute, whereas `id` would be used for the new, more readable style.
+
+In the line of Trac:WikiCreole support, we should not require closing `=*...`. Starting with an `=` sign should be enough.
+
+
+== Enhanced processors ==
+
+We could do with a more compact syntax for WikiProcessors.
+The #! stuff doesn't need to be on a standalone line, it should be possible to stuff it on the same line as the `{{{` prefix.
+e.g.
+`{{{#!div ...`
+maybe even `{{{ div ...` if possible (probably not).
+
+Also, not only the `div` but any other processor should be able to get extra properties (key=value pairs, like for divs).
+
+That will be needed by the !#th and !#td processors, in order to handle rowspan, colspan, and maybe alignment attributes.
+
+== Camel Case ==
+
+The MoinMoin style internal free link has been introduced to cope with wiki words with appended content, like when writing `["WikiProcessor"]s`. First, the implementation is restricted: it doesn't allow for a lhref equivalent, `["WikiProcessor" the wiki processors]` (#T7695). What if we would instead re-use the lhref regexp, in the quoted case? It would be equivalent to making the ''wiki:'' prefix the default namespace. The advantage would be that ''any'' word could be wikified that way.
+ - `["checking"]` -> ["checking"]: works already
+ - `["checking" the check]` -> ["checking" the check]: doesn't work
+
+For pure CamelCase words, the MoinMoin style of using empty code spans {{{``}}} as a separator also works in Trac: CamelCase``s.
+
+== Alternative forms of linking == #linking
+
+ - #T7386 <http://something>
+ - Creole-style (MoinMoin supports it now)  `[[<link>|blah blah]]`
+ - `[=#anchor <label>]` creation, see #6413
+