Hello Nicolas,

To wrap my neurons around linking, I made a small test batch.
There appear to be several difference between the "old" HTML
export engine and the current version of the "new".

Testing org-to-HTML export:
   old: C-c C-e h      (org-export, in org-exp.el)
   new: M-x org-export-dispatch h  (in org-export.el)

Four input permutations:

1. [[directors]]
2. [[#directors]]
3. [[directors][Directors]]
4. [[#directors][Directors]]


As I see it (do let me know what I'm getting wrong!),
the old version gets all links right.

(But "old" makes one error(?) see next section.)

1. [[directors]]
   old: <a href="#sec-1">directors</a>
   new: <i>directors</i>

2. [[#directors]]
   old: <a href="#directors">#directors</a>
   new: <a href="#sec-1">Directors</a>

3. [[directors][Directors]]
   old: <a href="#sec-1">Directors</a>
   new: <i>Directors</i>

4. [[#directors][Directors]]
   old: <a href="#directors">Directors</a>
   new: <a href="#sec-1">Directors</a>


In no case is the output the same!

#4 would be most useful for my purposes, as it allows
identifying target links precisely.

--------------------------------------------------

Turning to the output for targets, the new version
does not close the <a> tag (as the old version does).
Other than that, "new" seems fine.

("Old" generates a <pre> section from the PROPERTIES drawer,
whether it is open or closed, with your encoding. Not my focus,
but is this an "old" bug?)

Org-mode input:
   * Directors
     :PROPERTIES:
     :CUSTOM_ID: directors
     :END:

HTML output:
old:
   <div id="outline-container-directors" class="outline-2">
   <h2 id="directors"><a name="sec-1" id="sec-1"></a>Directors</h2>
   <div class="outline-text-2" id="text-directors">

   <pre class="example">
   PROPERTIES
   :CUSTOM_ID: directors
   </pre>

new:
   <div id="outline-container-directors" class="outline-2">
   <h2 id="directors"><a id="sec-1" name="sec-1"/>Directors</h2>
   <div class="outline-text-2" id="text-directors">

   [no <pre> section]
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks again for moving this forward!

-BC
Org-mode: 7.8.11 (release_7.8.11-24-g4144c5)
Emacs: 24.1.50.1
Windows 7



----------------------------------------------------------------------
Full text excerpts follow:    input(org) / output(new) / output(old)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Input (org-mode)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

#+OPTIONS:   H:3 -:t *:t
#+OPTIONS:   num:nil  toc:nil
#+OPTIONS:   <:nil  timestamp:nil
#+OPTIONS:   author:nil  creator:nil

This is the first paragraph, before any links or sections.

First try, with only word {{directors}}: [[directors]]

Second, with word and hash {{#directors}}: [[#directors]]

Third, with word and target, {{directors}{Directors}}:
[[directors][Directors]]

Fourth, hash-word and target, {{#directors}{Directors}}:
[[#directors][Directors]]

A blank, spacer paragraph, before the target.

* Directors
  :PROPERTIES:
  :CUSTOM_ID: directors
  :END:

Just to end, a closing paragraph.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Output ("new" engine)   (Also: two extra blank-lines before each <p>):
----------------------------------------------------------------------

<p>
This is the first paragraph, before any links or sections.
</p>


<p>
First try, with only word {{directors}}: <i>directors</i>
</p>


<p>
Second, with word and hash {{#directors}}: <a href="#sec-1">Directors</a>
</p>


<p>
Third, with word and target, {{directors}{Directors}}: <i>Directors</i>
</p>


<p>
Fourth, hash-word and target, {{#directors}{Directors}}: <a
href="#sec-1">Directors</a>
</p>


<p>
A blank, spacer paragraph, before the target.
</p>

<div id="outline-container-directors" class="outline-2">
<h2 id="directors"><a id="sec-1" name="sec-1"/>Directors</h2>
<div class="outline-text-2" id="text-directors">


<p>
Just to end, a closing paragraph.
</p>
</div>
</div>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Output ("old" engine):
----------------------------------------------------------------------

<p>This is the first paragraph, before any links or sections.
</p>
<p>
First try, with only word {{directors}}: <a href="#sec-1">directors</a>
</p>
<p>
Second, with word and hash {{#directors}}: <a
href="#directors">#directors</a>
</p>
<p>
Third, with word and target, {{directors}{Directors}}: <a
href="#sec-1">Directors</a>
</p>
<p>
Fourth, hash-word and target, {{#directors}{Directors}}: <a
href="#directors">Directors</a>
</p>
<p>
A blank, spacer paragraph, before the target.
</p>

<div id="outline-container-directors" class="outline-2">
<h2 id="directors"><a name="sec-1" id="sec-1"></a>Directors</h2>
<div class="outline-text-2" id="text-directors">

<pre class="example">
PROPERTIES
:CUSTOM_ID: directors
</pre>


<p>
Just to end, a closing paragraph.
</p></div>
</div>

-------------------------------------------------[end]----------------




On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 5:08 AM, Nicolas Goaziou <n.goaziou@gmail.com>wrote:

> Hello,
>
[...]
>
Again, "#crandall" syntax should be used to target an headline with
> "crandall" as value for its custom-id property. See section 4.2 in the
> manual.
>
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------ ------->8---
> * BC Crandall
>  :PROPERTIES:
>  :CUSTOM_ID: crandall
>  :END:
>
>   [[#crandall][Description]]
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
>
> If you are linking to a target, simply call its name.
>
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------ ------->8---
> * <<crandall>>BC Crandall
>
>   A [[crandall][link]] to headline [[crandall]]
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
> Notice the difference between the link with or without a description.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> --
> Nicolas Goaziou
>