[patch] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[patch] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Juan Manuel Macías]

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Hi,

I would like to propose this patch to add some LaTeX attributes to verse blocks,
especially to be able to apply certain features from the verse.sty package, which is an
extension (widely used in Humanities) of the standard LaTeX 'verse'
environment (see https://www.ctan.org/pkg/verse).

These attributes would be:

- `:lines' to add verse numbers, according to any numbering sequence

- `:center' to apply the optical centering of the poem, which is a typographic convention
  whereby a poem or a group of verses is centered (as a 'block') on the page, taking the width of the
  longest verse as a reference. In fact, optical centering is the correct arrangement of
  verses in a document.
  
- `:versewidth' which expects a literal string that is the longest verse of the poem,
  required when applying the `:center' attribute.

As I said, these three attributes require the LateX package verse.sty. A fourth `:options'
attribute would be used to add arbitrary code within the verse environment.

Consider this complete example with Shakespeare's first sonnet:

#+begin_src org
  ,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :center t :options \small :lines 5
  ,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :versewidth Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
  ,#+begin_verse
  From fairest creatures we desire increase,
  That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,
  But as the riper should by time decrease,
  His tender heir mught bear his memeory:
  But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
  Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
  Making a famine where abundance lies,
  Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
  Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament
  And only herald to the gaudy spring,
  Within thine own bud buriest thy content
  And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.
  Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
  To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.
  ,#+end_verse
#+end_src

when exporting to LaTeX we get:

#+begin_src latex
\settowidth{\versewidth}{Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,}
\begin{verse}[\versewidth]
\poemlines{5}
\small
From fairest creatures we desire increase,\\
That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,\\
But as the riper should by time decrease,\\
His tender heir mught bear his memeory:\\
But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,\\
Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,\\
Making a famine where abundance lies,\\
Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.\\
Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament\\
And only herald to the gaudy spring,\\
Within thine own bud buriest thy content\\
And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.\\
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,\\
To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.\\
\end{verse}
#+end_src

In an attached image I send a screenshot with the typographic result

And finally, this is the patch I would propose

#+begin_src diff
diff --git a/lisp/ox-latex.el b/lisp/ox-latex.el
index 2a14b25d5..bc6b64e78 100644
--- a/lisp/ox-latex.el
+++ b/lisp/ox-latex.el
@@ -3506,6 +3506,16 @@ channel."
   "Transcode a VERSE-BLOCK element from Org to LaTeX.
 CONTENTS is verse block contents.  INFO is a plist holding
 contextual information."
+(let*
+      ((lin (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :lines))
+       (opt (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :options))
+       (cent (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :center))
+       (attr (concat
+	      (if cent "[\\versewidth]" "")
+	      (if lin (format "\n\\poemlines{%s}" lin) "")
+	      (if opt (format "\n%s" opt) "")))
+       (versewidth (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :versewidth))
+       (vwidth-attr (if versewidth (format "\\settowidth{\\versewidth}{%s}\n" versewidth) "")))
   (concat
    (org-latex--wrap-label
     verse-block
@@ -3513,7 +3523,9 @@ contextual information."
     ;; character and change each white space at beginning of a line
     ;; into a space of 1 em.  Also change each blank line with
     ;; a vertical space of 1 em.
-    (format "\\begin{verse}\n%s\\end{verse}"
+    (format "%s\\begin{verse}%s\n%s\\end{verse}"
+	      vwidth-attr
+	      attr
            (replace-regexp-in-string
             "^[ \t]+" (lambda (m) (format "\\hspace*{%dem}" (length m)))
             (replace-regexp-in-string
@@ -3524,7 +3536,7 @@ contextual information."
     info)
    ;; Insert footnote definitions, if any, after the environment, so
    ;; the special formatting above is not applied to them.
-   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info)))
+   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info))))
#+end_src

Regards,

Juan Manuel

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[PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Juan Manuel Macías]

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(Sorry, due to a mistake, the text of my message did not appear in my previous email)

Hi,

I would like to propose this patch to add some LaTeX attributes to the verse block,
especially to be able to apply certain features from the verse.sty package, which is an
extension (widely used in Humanities) of the standard LaTeX 'verse' environment.

These attributes would be:

- `:lines' to add verse numbers, according to any numbering sequence
- `:center' to apply the optical centering of the poem, which is a typographic convention
  whereby a poem or a group of verses is centered on the page, taking the width of the
  longest verse as a reference. In fact, optical centering is the correct arrangement of
  verses in a document.
- `:versewidth' which expects a text string that is the longest verse of the poem,
  required when applying the `:center' attribute.

As I said, these three attributes require the LateX package verse.sty. A fourth `:options'
attribute would be used to add arbitrary code within the verse environment.

Consider this complete example with Shakespeare's first sonnet:

#+begin_src org
  ,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :center t :options \small :lines 5
  ,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :versewidth Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
  ,#+begin_verse
  From fairest creatures we desire increase,
  That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,
  But as the riper should by time decrease,
  His tender heir mught bear his memeory:
  But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
  Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
  Making a famine where abundance lies,
  Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
  Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament
  And only herald to the gaudy spring,
  Within thine own bud buriest thy content
  And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.
  Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
  To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.
  ,#+end_verse
#+end_src

when exporting to LaTeX we get:

#+begin_src latex
\settowidth{\versewidth}{Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,}
\begin{verse}[\versewidth]
\poemlines{5}
\small
From fairest creatures we desire increase,\\
That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,\\
But as the riper should by time decrease,\\
His tender heir mught bear his memeory:\\
But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,\\
Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,\\
Making a famine where abundance lies,\\
Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.\\
Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament\\
And only herald to the gaudy spring,\\
Within thine own bud buriest thy content\\
And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.\\
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,\\
To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.\\
\end{verse}
#+end_src

In an attached image I send a screenshot with the typographic result

And finally, this is the patch I would propose

#+begin_src diff
diff --git a/lisp/ox-latex.el b/lisp/ox-latex.el
index 2a14b25d5..bc6b64e78 100644
--- a/lisp/ox-latex.el
+++ b/lisp/ox-latex.el
@@ -3506,6 +3506,16 @@ channel."
   "Transcode a VERSE-BLOCK element from Org to LaTeX.
 CONTENTS is verse block contents.  INFO is a plist holding
 contextual information."
+(let*
+      ((lin (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :lines))
+       (opt (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :options))
+       (cent (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :center))
+       (attr (concat
+	      (if cent "[\\versewidth]" "")
+	      (if lin (format "\n\\poemlines{%s}" lin) "")
+	      (if opt (format "\n%s" opt) "")))
+       (versewidth (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :versewidth))
+       (vwidth-attr (if versewidth (format "\\settowidth{\\versewidth}{%s}\n" versewidth) "")))
   (concat
    (org-latex--wrap-label
     verse-block
@@ -3513,7 +3523,9 @@ contextual information."
     ;; character and change each white space at beginning of a line
     ;; into a space of 1 em.  Also change each blank line with
     ;; a vertical space of 1 em.
-    (format "\\begin{verse}\n%s\\end{verse}"
+    (format "%s\\begin{verse}%s\n%s\\end{verse}"
+	      vwidth-attr
+	      attr
	    (replace-regexp-in-string
	     "^[ \t]+" (lambda (m) (format "\\hspace*{%dem}" (length m)))
	     (replace-regexp-in-string
@@ -3524,7 +3536,7 @@ contextual information."
     info)
    ;; Insert footnote definitions, if any, after the environment, so
    ;; the special formatting above is not applied to them.
-   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info)))
+   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info))))
#+end_src

Regards,

Juan Manuel

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Re: [patch] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[TEC]

Hi Juan,

Since you've resent this in a second email, let's discuss this patch
there.

As such, I'm marking this patch as closed.

--
Timothy.

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[TEC]

Hi Juan,

Thanks for your patch. 

This looks like a fairly sensible addition. Two comments from me:

1. I'm not sure that "options" is a good name for arbitrary LaTeX which
   is included inside the verse block. Perhaps something like "insert"
   or "include", etc. may be a better fit.
2. It's considered generally nice to document features like this :) The
   two documents which I'd think to note this in are ORG-NEWS and the
   manual (docs/manual.org).

All the best,

Timothy.

Juan Manuel Macías <maciaschain@posteo.net> writes:

> (Sorry, due to a mistake, the text of my message did not appear in my previous email)
>
> Hi,
>
> I would like to propose this patch to add some LaTeX attributes to the verse block,
> especially to be able to apply certain features from the verse.sty package, which is an
> extension (widely used in Humanities) of the standard LaTeX 'verse' environment.
>
> These attributes would be:
>
> - `:lines' to add verse numbers, according to any numbering sequence
> - `:center' to apply the optical centering of the poem, which is a typographic convention
>   whereby a poem or a group of verses is centered on the page, taking the width of the
>   longest verse as a reference. In fact, optical centering is the correct arrangement of
>   verses in a document.
> - `:versewidth' which expects a text string that is the longest verse of the poem,
>   required when applying the `:center' attribute.
>
> As I said, these three attributes require the LateX package verse.sty. A fourth `:options'
> attribute would be used to add arbitrary code within the verse environment.
>
> Consider this complete example with Shakespeare's first sonnet:
>
> #+begin_src org
>   ,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :center t :options \small :lines 5
>   ,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :versewidth Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
>   ,#+begin_verse
>   From fairest creatures we desire increase,
>   That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,
>   But as the riper should by time decrease,
>   His tender heir mught bear his memeory:
>   But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
>   Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
>   Making a famine where abundance lies,
>   Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
>   Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament
>   And only herald to the gaudy spring,
>   Within thine own bud buriest thy content
>   And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.
>   Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
>   To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.
>   ,#+end_verse
> #+end_src
>
> when exporting to LaTeX we get:
>
> #+begin_src latex
> \settowidth{\versewidth}{Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,}
> \begin{verse}[\versewidth]
> \poemlines{5}
> \small
> From fairest creatures we desire increase,\\
> That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,\\
> But as the riper should by time decrease,\\
> His tender heir mught bear his memeory:\\
> But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,\\
> Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,\\
> Making a famine where abundance lies,\\
> Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.\\
> Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament\\
> And only herald to the gaudy spring,\\
> Within thine own bud buriest thy content\\
> And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.\\
> Pity the world, or else this glutton be,\\
> To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.\\
> \end{verse}
> #+end_src
>
> In an attached image I send a screenshot with the typographic result
>
> And finally, this is the patch I would propose
>
> #+begin_src diff
> diff --git a/lisp/ox-latex.el b/lisp/ox-latex.el
> index 2a14b25d5..bc6b64e78 100644
> --- a/lisp/ox-latex.el
> +++ b/lisp/ox-latex.el
> @@ -3506,6 +3506,16 @@ channel."
>    "Transcode a VERSE-BLOCK element from Org to LaTeX.
>  CONTENTS is verse block contents.  INFO is a plist holding
>  contextual information."
> +(let*
> +      ((lin (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :lines))
> +       (opt (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :options))
> +       (cent (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :center))
> +       (attr (concat
> +	      (if cent "[\\versewidth]" "")
> +	      (if lin (format "\n\\poemlines{%s}" lin) "")
> +	      (if opt (format "\n%s" opt) "")))
> +       (versewidth (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :versewidth))
> +       (vwidth-attr (if versewidth (format "\\settowidth{\\versewidth}{%s}\n" versewidth) "")))
>    (concat
>     (org-latex--wrap-label
>      verse-block
> @@ -3513,7 +3523,9 @@ contextual information."
>      ;; character and change each white space at beginning of a line
>      ;; into a space of 1 em.  Also change each blank line with
>      ;; a vertical space of 1 em.
> -    (format "\\begin{verse}\n%s\\end{verse}"
> +    (format "%s\\begin{verse}%s\n%s\\end{verse}"
> +	      vwidth-attr
> +	      attr
> 	    (replace-regexp-in-string
> 	     "^[ \t]+" (lambda (m) (format "\\hspace*{%dem}" (length m)))
> 	     (replace-regexp-in-string
> @@ -3524,7 +3536,7 @@ contextual information."
>      info)
>     ;; Insert footnote definitions, if any, after the environment, so
>     ;; the special formatting above is not applied to them.
> -   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info)))
> +   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info))))
> #+end_src
>
> Regards,
>
> Juan Manuel

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Juan Manuel Macías]

Hi Timothy,

TEC <tecosaur@gmail.com> writes:

> Hi Juan,
>
> Thanks for your patch. 
>
> This looks like a fairly sensible addition. Two comments from me:
>
> 1. I'm not sure that "options" is a good name for arbitrary LaTeX which
>    is included inside the verse block. Perhaps something like "insert"
>    or "include", etc. may be a better fit.
> 2. It's considered generally nice to document features like this :) The
>    two documents which I'd think to note this in are ORG-NEWS and the
>    manual (docs/manual.org).


Thank you very much for your response and your comments.

I agree to name "Insert, include, etc." the attribute to include
arbitrary LaTeX code, better than "options".

Of course, I can add the necessary documentation to the files you tell
me. As I am new to submitting patches, I don't really know how to
proceed: do I have to send you the new version of the patch, with the
documentation? Should I send a new email with all of it to this list?

Best regards,

Juan Manuel 

> All the best,
>
> Timothy.
>

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[TEC]

Juan Manuel Macías <maciaschain@posteo.net> writes:

> Thank you very much for your response and your comments.

Seriously, thanks for the patch. I think the ML is usually a bit more
responsive, but it seems to be a bit quiet at the moment.

> I agree to name "Insert, include, etc." the attribute to include
> arbitrary LaTeX code, better than "options".

Glad my feedback seems to have gone down well :). If the only likely use
of this is adjusting the font, perhaps for the sake of consistency we
can match the behaviour of tables, which take a :font LaTeX attribute?

> Of course, I can add the necessary documentation to the files you tell
> me. As I am new to submitting patches, I don't really know how to
> proceed: do I have to send you the new version of the patch, with the
> documentation? Should I send a new email with all of it to this list?

Thanks for asking. Sometimes it seems the maintainers take the trouble of
adding an ORG-NEWS entry or minor touching ups to the patch, but I think
it's nice to leave as little for them to do as possible :)

Announce changes in: etc/ORG-NEWS
Document new/different behaviour in: doc/org-manual.org

I think Markup for /Rich Contents > Paragraphs/ may be the right place
to add a description of this functionality --- verse blocks are
discussed around line 10750.

Regarding how patches on this ML work, this is what I've observed:
- Initial version of patch submitted, with justification/explanation
- Feedback may be given
- Revisions of the patch are attached in replies to feedback
- Process repeats until everyone's happy
- Patch is merged

i.e. it all tends to happen in the same thread.

Hope this helps,

Timothy.

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Juan Manuel Macías]

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Hi,

I am attaching a new version of my patch for adding LaTeX attributes to
verse blocks. Following the kind suggestions from Timothy, I have also
documented this new features that I propose. I don't know if I have done
it correctly and in the right place...

A short reminder: `lines', `versewidth', and `center' require loading
the LaTeX package verse.sty (https://www.ctan.org/pkg/verse), which is
an extension of the standard LaTeX `verse' environment, and that adds
many features for typesetting poetry. `lines' deals with the marginal
verse numbering; `versewidth' and `center' are related to the optical
centering of the poem. The fourth attribute is to include arbitrary
LaTeX code within the verse environment, so I have provisionally named
it `latexcode'.

Of course, Feedback is welcome.

Regards,

Juan Manuel


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diff --git a/doc/org-manual.org b/doc/org-manual.org
index b015b502c..fe21b5aca 100644
--- a/doc/org-manual.org
+++ b/doc/org-manual.org
@@ -13870,6 +13870,54 @@ The LaTeX export back-end converts horizontal rules by the specified
 -----
 #+end_example
 
+*** Verse blocks in LaTeX export
+:PROPERTIES:
+:DESCRIPTION: Attributes specific to special blocks.
+:END:
+
+#+cindex: verse blocks, in @LaTeX{} export
+#+cindex: @samp{ATTR_LATEX}, keyword
+
+The LaTeX export back-end accepts four attributes for verse blocks:
+=:lines=, =:center=, =:versewidth= and =:latexcode=. The three first
+require the external LaTeX package =verse.sty=, wich is an extension
+of the standard LaTeX environment. The purpose of these attributes is
+explained below.
+
+- =:lines= :: To add marginal verse numbering. Its value is an
+  integer, the sequence in which the verses should be numbered.
+- =:center= :: With value =t= all the verses on the page are optically
+  centered (a typographic convention for poetry), taking as a
+  reference the longest verse, which must be indicated by the
+  attribute =:versewidth=.
+- =:versewidth= :: Its value is a literal text string with the longest
+  verse.
+- =:latexcode= :: It accepts any arbitrary LaTeX code that can be
+  included within a LaTeX =verse= environment.
+
+A complete example with Shakespeare's first sonnet:
+
+#+begin_src org
+,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :center t :latexcode \color{red} :lines 5
+,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :versewidth Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
+,#+begin_verse
+From fairest creatures we desire increase,
+That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,
+But as the riper should by time decrease,
+His tender heir mught bear his memeory:
+But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
+Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
+Making a famine where abundance lies,
+Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
+Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament
+And only herald to the gaudy spring,
+Within thine own bud buriest thy content
+And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.
+Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
+To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.
+,#+end_verse
+#+end_src
+
 ** Markdown Export
 :PROPERTIES:
 :DESCRIPTION: Exporting to Markdown.
diff --git a/etc/ORG-NEWS b/etc/ORG-NEWS
index 5e5f1954d..47e0ec40e 100644
--- a/etc/ORG-NEWS
+++ b/etc/ORG-NEWS
@@ -149,6 +149,19 @@ Example:
 A new =u= mode flag for Calc formulas in Org tables has been added to
 enable Calc units simplification mode.
 
+*** LaTeX attributes for verse blocks
+
+The LaTeX export back-end now accepts four attributes for verse
+blocks:
+
+- =:lines=, for marginal verse numbering;
+- =:center= and =:versewidth=, for optical centering of the verses;
+- =:latexcode=, for any arbitrary LaTeX code that can be included
+  within a LaTeX =verse= environment.
+
+The three first require the external LaTeX package =verse.sty=, wich
+is an extension of the standard LaTeX environment.
+
 ** Miscellaneous
 *** =org-goto-first-child= now works before first heading
 
diff --git a/lisp/ox-latex.el b/lisp/ox-latex.el
index fb9fc3cd6..0931b7e9c 100644
--- a/lisp/ox-latex.el
+++ b/lisp/ox-latex.el
@@ -3506,6 +3506,17 @@ channel."
   "Transcode a VERSE-BLOCK element from Org to LaTeX.
 CONTENTS is verse block contents.  INFO is a plist holding
 contextual information."
+  (let*
+      ((lin (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :lines))
+       (latcode (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :latexcode))
+       (cent (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :center))
+       (attr (concat
+	      (if cent "[\\versewidth]" "")
+	      (if lin (format "\n\\poemlines{%s}" lin) "")
+	      (if latcode (format "\n%s" latcode) "")))
+       (versewidth (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :versewidth))
+       (vwidth (if versewidth (format "\\settowidth{\\versewidth}{%s}\n" versewidth) ""))
+       (linreset (if lin "\n\\poemlines{0}" "")))
   (concat
    (org-latex--wrap-label
     verse-block
@@ -3513,19 +3524,20 @@ contextual information."
     ;; character and change each white space at beginning of a line
     ;; into a space of 1 em.  Also change each blank line with
     ;; a vertical space of 1 em.
-    (format "\\begin{verse}\n%s\\end{verse}"
+    (format "%s\\begin{verse}%s\n%s\\end{verse}%s"
+	      vwidth
+	      attr
 	    (replace-regexp-in-string
 	     "^[ \t]+" (lambda (m) (format "\\hspace*{%dem}" (length m)))
 	     (replace-regexp-in-string
 	      "^[ \t]*\\\\\\\\$" "\\vspace*{1em}"
 	      (replace-regexp-in-string
 	       "\\([ \t]*\\\\\\\\\\)?[ \t]*\n" "\\\\\n"
-	       contents nil t) nil t) nil t))
+	       contents nil t) nil t) nil t) linreset)
     info)
    ;; Insert footnote definitions, if any, after the environment, so
    ;; the special formatting above is not applied to them.
-   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info)))
-
+   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info))))
 
 \f
 ;;; End-user functions

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TEC <tecosaur@gmail.com> writes:

> Juan Manuel Macías <maciaschain@posteo.net> writes:
>
>> Thank you very much for your response and your comments.
>
> Seriously, thanks for the patch. I think the ML is usually a bit more
> responsive, but it seems to be a bit quiet at the moment.
>
>> I agree to name "Insert, include, etc." the attribute to include
>> arbitrary LaTeX code, better than "options".
>
> Glad my feedback seems to have gone down well :). If the only likely use
> of this is adjusting the font, perhaps for the sake of consistency we
> can match the behaviour of tables, which take a :font LaTeX attribute?
>
>> Of course, I can add the necessary documentation to the files you tell
>> me. As I am new to submitting patches, I don't really know how to
>> proceed: do I have to send you the new version of the patch, with the
>> documentation? Should I send a new email with all of it to this list?
>
> Thanks for asking. Sometimes it seems the maintainers take the trouble of
> adding an ORG-NEWS entry or minor touching ups to the patch, but I think
> it's nice to leave as little for them to do as possible :)
>
> Announce changes in: etc/ORG-NEWS
> Document new/different behaviour in: doc/org-manual.org
>
> I think Markup for /Rich Contents > Paragraphs/ may be the right place
> to add a description of this functionality --- verse blocks are
> discussed around line 10750.
>
> Regarding how patches on this ML work, this is what I've observed:
> - Initial version of patch submitted, with justification/explanation
> - Feedback may be given
> - Revisions of the patch are attached in replies to feedback
> - Process repeats until everyone's happy
> - Patch is merged
>
> i.e. it all tends to happen in the same thread.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Timothy.
>

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Bastien]

Hi Juan,

Juan Manuel Macías <maciaschain@posteo.net> writes:

> I am attaching a new version of my patch for adding LaTeX attributes to
> verse blocks. Following the kind suggestions from Timothy, I have also
> documented this new features that I propose. I don't know if I have done
> it correctly and in the right place...

thanks a lot -- we need to wait for the FSF copyright assignment
process to be finished in order to accept this patch.

I'm copying Eric, a poweruser of the LaTeX backend, so that he can
perhaps comment on the general usefulness of this addition.

The patch lacks a commit message - see this explanations:
https://orgmode.org/worg/org-contribute.html#commit-messages

Let us know if you need more directions and how to produce a patch
that we can more easily apply.

Thanks!

-- 
 Bastien

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Timothy]

Hi Juan,

Sorry it's still taking a while for your patch to be looked at.
Assuming it does get merged, it would be good to check if you'd be
willing to write a manual entry to accompany this (in a separate patch
works).

Thanks again for the patch,

Timothy.

Juan Manuel Macías <maciaschain@posteo.net> writes:

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Juan Manuel Macías]

Hi Bastien,

Thank you very much again for your kind suggestions. 

Bastien writes:

> I'm copying Eric, a poweruser of the LaTeX backend, so that he can
> perhaps comment on the general usefulness of this addition.

I think these additions (line numbers, optical centering of the poem,
etc.) can be useful (IMHO) for the correct representation of poetry
(generally in Humanities), since the verse.sty package is a sort of
'unofficial' replacement for the standard LaTeX verse environment, which
has certain limitations.

> The patch lacks a commit message - see this explanations:
> https://orgmode.org/worg/org-contribute.html#commit-messages

Sorry again for not including a commit message. If the patch it is
finally accepted, I can submit a new version that includes a commit
message (and a few minor fixes I made to the code).

Best regards,

Juan Manuel 

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Eric S Fraga]

(resent: some receiving server complained about multiple recipients blah
blah so I am testing with just the org mode mailing list as the
recipient; apologies for noise if you receive this twice)

On Saturday,  1 May 2021 at 12:58, Bastien wrote:
> I'm copying Eric, a poweruser of the LaTeX backend, so that he can
> perhaps comment on the general usefulness of this addition.

"poweruser" :-)

In any case, I think something is needed because =verse= stands out as
being impossible to customize.  Even special blocks will process a
:options LaTeX attribute, allowing quite a bit of customization.

What is being proposed looks reasonable to me.  I don't use =verse= very
often but have used it now and again and I can particular see the need
for numbering and centring, in particular.

Is the verse package loaded automatically already?  I did not see any
change in the patch to that aspect and when I export a simple test, the
package is not loaded.
-- 
: Eric S Fraga via Emacs 28.0.50, Org release_9.4.5-405-g0a689b

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Juan Manuel Macías]

Hi Eric and all,

Thank you for your comments.

Eric S Fraga writes:

> What is being proposed looks reasonable to me.  I don't use =verse= very
> often but have used it now and again and I can particular see the need
> for numbering and centring, in particular.

Indeed, optical centering is the correct typographic representation for
poetry and poetry quotes. There would only be a couple exceptions: a)
Certain types of avant-garde poetry (whose representation on paper is
usually freer) and b) those poems whose verses spill over the margins
and span several lines (in such case, the attribute :versewidth would
have to take the value \textwidth, and then the verse package takes care
of adjusting the overflowing part of the verses).

Here I have uploaded two very illustrative examples of optical
centering, two pages from a Tolkien book (/The Monsters and the Critics
and Other Essays/) and another page from a book that I recently
typesetted (here also includes verse numbering):

https://imgur.com/a/cGi4CpD

> Is the verse package loaded automatically already?  I did not see any
> change in the patch to that aspect and when I export a simple test, the
> package is not loaded.

For now, you need to load the verse package or add it to
org-latex-packages-alist...

Best regards,

Juan Manuel 

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Timothy]

Eric S Fraga <e.fraga@ucl.ac.uk> writes:

> Is the verse package loaded automatically already?  I did not see any
> change in the patch to that aspect and when I export a simple test, the
> package is not loaded.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was something in-between loading the
kitchen sink and manually adding packages*... [ foreshadowing ;) ]

--
Timothy

* My prototype is now rather stable and I like the interface, I'm just
  wondering if I should generalise it for arbitrary backends or keep it
  as LaTeX-only, but don't let me take this thread on a tangent over
  this. I just thought it was worth mentioning.

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Tim Cross]

Timothy <tecosaur@gmail.com> writes:

> Eric S Fraga <e.fraga@ucl.ac.uk> writes:
>
>> Is the verse package loaded automatically already?  I did not see any
>> change in the patch to that aspect and when I export a simple test, the
>> package is not loaded.
>
> Wouldn't it be nice if there was something in-between loading the
> kitchen sink and manually adding packages*... [ foreshadowing ;) ]

Will be interesting to see what you are 'foreshadowing'.

Personally, I find the current options pretty flexible with
'org-latex-classes and support for the macro like placeholders
[PACKAGES, DEFAULT_PACKAGES, EXTRA and their negators] and the ability
to add packages with LATEX_HEADER and LATEX_HEADER_EXTRA file options.
I'm often quite surprised how little people seem to take advantage of
'org-latex-classes and the LATEX_CLASS; file option to define custom
document formats. You can easily define an 'empty' class which only
includes packages you add with LATEX_HEADER: or LATEX_HEADER_EXTRA for
example. 

It is with 'tweaking' Latex packages I've seen people get into trouble.
There can often be some unexpected results when you fail to load or load
packages in a different order. Testing is notoriously difficult as you
also need a lot of different test input data to get good coverage and
adequately test the impact changes to loaded Latex packages causes.
Without detailed knowledge of the latex based exporters, it isn't always
obvious how/where specific Latex packages are used. It would be
important to ensure any mechanism designed to make it easier to
customize what packages are loaded that we don't also end up generating
more bug rports about broken export formatting. 

-- 
Tim Cross

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Juan Manuel Macías]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1203 bytes --]

Hi all,

Here I am attaching a new version of the patch that includes a commit
message.

I put here an example for those who want to try it, a fragment of a
poem by W.H. Auden.

Best regards,

Juan Manuel

#+begin_src org
  ,#+LaTeX_Header: \usepackage{verse}
  ,#+ATTR_LATEX: :center t
  ,#+ATTR_LATEX: :versewidth Teach the free man how to praise.
  ,#+ATTR_LATEX: :lines 5 :latexcode \small
  ,#+begin_verse
  Earth, receive an honoured guest:
  William Yeats is laid to rest.
  Let the Irish vessel lie
  Emptied of its poetry.

  In the nightmare of the dark
  All the dogs of Europe bark,
  And the living nations wait,
  Each sequestered in its hate;

  Intellectual disgrace
  Stares from every human face,
  And the seas of pity lie
  Locked and frozen in each eye.

  Follow, poet, follow right
  To the bottom of the night,
  With your unconstraining voice
  Still persuade us to rejoice;

  With the farming of a verse
  Make a vineyard of the curse,
  Sing of human unsuccess
  In a rapture of distress;

  In the deserts of the heart
  Let the healing fountain start,
  In the prison of his days
  Teach the free man how to praise.
  ,#+end_verse
#+end_src

https://juanmanuelmacias.com/


[-- Attachment #2: 0001-Add-LaTeX-attributes-for-verse-blocks.patch --]
[-- Type: text/x-patch, Size: 4774 bytes --]

From 337014731e89f7f28873b8f5d9a917901e810c95 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Juan Manuel Macias <maciaschain@posteo.net>
Date: Sat, 8 May 2021 09:03:10 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Add LaTeX attributes for verse blocks

---
 doc/org-manual.org | 48 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 lisp/ox-latex.el   | 20 +++++++++++++++----
 2 files changed, 64 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/org-manual.org b/doc/org-manual.org
index ab12fa70a..c752ce46d 100644
--- a/doc/org-manual.org
+++ b/doc/org-manual.org
@@ -13861,6 +13861,54 @@ The LaTeX export back-end converts horizontal rules by the specified
 -----
 #+end_example
 
+*** Verse blocks in LaTeX export
+:PROPERTIES:
+:DESCRIPTION: Attributes specific to special blocks.
+:END:
+
+#+cindex: verse blocks, in @LaTeX{} export
+#+cindex: @samp{ATTR_LATEX}, keyword
+
+The LaTeX export back-end accepts four attributes for verse blocks:
+=:lines=, =:center=, =:versewidth= and =:latexcode=. The three first
+require the external LaTeX package =verse.sty=, wich is an extension
+of the standard LaTeX environment. The purpose of these attributes is
+explained below.
+
+- =:lines= :: To add marginal verse numbering. Its value is an
+  integer, the sequence in which the verses should be numbered.
+- =:center= :: With value =t= all the verses on the page are optically
+  centered (a typographic convention for poetry), taking as a
+  reference the longest verse, which must be indicated by the
+  attribute =:versewidth=.
+- =:versewidth= :: Its value is a literal text string with the longest
+  verse.
+- =:latexcode= :: It accepts any arbitrary LaTeX code that can be
+  included within a LaTeX =verse= environment.
+
+A complete example with Shakespeare's first sonnet:
+
+#+begin_src org
+,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :center t :latexcode \color{red} :lines 5
+,#+ATTR_LaTeX: :versewidth Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
+,#+begin_verse
+From fairest creatures we desire increase,
+That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,
+But as the riper should by time decrease,
+His tender heir mught bear his memeory:
+But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
+Feed’st thy light’st flame with self-substantial fuel,
+Making a famine where abundance lies,
+Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
+Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament
+And only herald to the gaudy spring,
+Within thine own bud buriest thy content
+And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.
+Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
+To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.
+,#+end_verse
+#+end_src
+
 ** Markdown Export
 :PROPERTIES:
 :DESCRIPTION: Exporting to Markdown.
diff --git a/lisp/ox-latex.el b/lisp/ox-latex.el
index c3fc83b1b..0376dffd1 100644
--- a/lisp/ox-latex.el
+++ b/lisp/ox-latex.el
@@ -3513,6 +3513,17 @@ channel."
   "Transcode a VERSE-BLOCK element from Org to LaTeX.
 CONTENTS is verse block contents.  INFO is a plist holding
 contextual information."
+  (let*
+      ((lin (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :lines))
+       (latcode (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :latexcode))
+       (cent (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :center))
+       (attr (concat
+	      (if cent "[\\versewidth]" "")
+	      (if lin (format "\n\\poemlines{%s}" lin) "")
+	      (if latcode (format "\n%s" latcode) "")))
+       (versewidth (org-export-read-attribute :attr_latex verse-block :versewidth))
+       (vwidth (if versewidth (format "\\settowidth{\\versewidth}{%s}\n" versewidth) ""))
+       (linreset (if lin "\n\\poemlines{0}" "")))
   (concat
    (org-latex--wrap-label
     verse-block
@@ -3520,19 +3531,20 @@ contextual information."
     ;; character and change each white space at beginning of a line
     ;; into a space of 1 em.  Also change each blank line with
     ;; a vertical space of 1 em.
-    (format "\\begin{verse}\n%s\\end{verse}"
+    (format "%s\\begin{verse}%s\n%s\\end{verse}%s"
+	      vwidth
+	      attr
 	    (replace-regexp-in-string
 	     "^[ \t]+" (lambda (m) (format "\\hspace*{%dem}" (length m)))
 	     (replace-regexp-in-string
 	      "^[ \t]*\\\\\\\\$" "\\vspace*{1em}"
 	      (replace-regexp-in-string
 	       "\\([ \t]*\\\\\\\\\\)?[ \t]*\n" "\\\\\n"
-	       contents nil t) nil t) nil t))
+	       contents nil t) nil t) nil t) linreset)
     info)
    ;; Insert footnote definitions, if any, after the environment, so
    ;; the special formatting above is not applied to them.
-   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info)))
-
+   (org-latex--delayed-footnotes-definitions verse-block info))))
 
 \f
 ;;; End-user functions
-- 
2.26.0

Re: [PATCH] A proposal to add LaTeX attributes to verse blocks

[Bastien]

Hi Juan,

Juan Manuel Macías <maciaschain@posteo.net> writes:

> Here I am attaching a new version of the patch that includes a commit
> message.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the patch did not contain a commit
message, so I added it.

Applied in master, together with an entry in etc/ORG-NEWS.

Thanks,

-- 
 Bastien