[ANN] Changes to lists

[Nicolas Goaziou <n.goaziou@gmail.com>]

Hello,

I would like to announce, and submit to discussion, some list code
upgrades. So, let me introduce the changes done in development branch:

* Major changes

  1) It is possible (again) to have indentation of text determine the
     current level of the list. But this time, the 3 main exporters
     handle it. In other words, you can have:

     - a list
       - a sub-list
       Some text belonging to main list.
       - and even another sub-list

     This is on by default (with org-list-ending-method set to 'both).

  2) There is now support for finite alphabetical lists, thanks to
     Nathaniel Naff. This is off by default and activated by the
     variable `org-alphabetical-lists'.

     This also recognizes counters like [@c] in addition to normal
     counters (i.e. [@3]). For now, counters only affect matching
     bullets, so [@c] have no effect on a numbered list. Though, they
     will during export, where [@c] is the same as [@3].

     In original patch, bullet type was passed to HTML and DocBook
     exporters. I removed that part of the code for various reasons:

     - It wasn't consistent across every exporter ;
     - While it sounds nice in HTML and, maybe, DocBook, it is,
       usually, a bad idea to enforce bullet types in LaTeX ;
     - It should be the job of style files ;
     - Org should otherwise provide, at least, roman numbering, in
       order to give a real choice to the user, as alphabetical and
       numbered ordered lists are somewhat limited with regards to
       what exporters standardly offer.

     Thus, setting a list to alphabetical bullets will not ensure
     export will have them too. To sum it up, alphabetical lists are
     some cosmetics applied to lists in an Org buffer only. Here
     comes:

     a. Some list with an alphabetical bullet
        W. [@W] Upper case letters are also allowed.

  3) As announced before, lists can now contain drawers, inline tasks,
     and blocks, themselves containing lists. Two variables (one for
     the Org buffer, and one for exporters) are controlling this:
     `org-list-forbidden-blocks' (by default no list can live in
     example, verse, and src blocks), and `org-list-export-context'
     (lists in valid blocks and in inline tasks will be exported by
     default).

     + an example of a list
       #+begin_center
       1. with another list
       2. in a block
       #+end_center
     + and now another item

     As a special case, inline tasks, though starting at column 0, are
     always considered part of the first item above in the list.
     Consider the following example, with (require 'org-inlinetask),
     and try moving first sub-item, or exporting:

     - A list with
       + A sub-list
*************** TODO Stuff waiting
                1. First good reason to delay the task
                2. Second good reason to delay it
*************** END
       + Another sub-item

  4) Improve `newline-and-indent' (C-j): used in an item, it will keep
     text from moving at column 0. This allows to split text and make
     paragraphs while not breaking list. For example, type C-j twice
     at ¦, then M-q:

     + I have this quite long item. Now I'd like to start a new
       paragraph there. ¦This should be the beginning of the new
       paragraph.

  5) Improve `org-toggle-item' (C-c -): used on a region, it will
     change the region into *one* item. With a prefix argument, it
     will fallback to previous behavior and make every line in region
     an item. It permits to easily add paragraphs inside a close list.
     For example, if you mark the paragraph below, and use C-c -, it
     will be added to the list above it:

     #+begin_quote
     1. A list strolling around

     A paragraph that should be included in the list. Just select it
     and use C-c -.
     #+end_quote


* Bug fixes

  There are also some bug fixes. To name the visible ones:

  - Fix for checkboxes and cookies handling.

  - Export correctly sub-lists counters in LaTeX.

  - List are sturdier with regards to Babel printing output inside
    them.

  - Fix list to subtree transformation (with C-c C-*), as much as
    possible. Indeed, there is no equivalency between these
    constructs, mainly due to major change #1.


* What now?

  While Bernt Hansen helped me a lot already, some more testing would
  be appreciated. The repository is at:

          git://github.com/ngz/org-mode-lists.git new-struct

  It supersedes "recursive-lists" branch, submitted to the ML a few
  weeks ago.

  I'm open to ideas, suggestions, and criticism.

  Regards,

-- 
Nicolas