From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Achim Gratz Subject: Re: Frontmatter / Text before first headline Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:46:42 +0100 Message-ID: <87y5sms86l.fsf@Rainer.invalid> References: <81lion57bd.fsf@gmail.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([140.186.70.92]:52582) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1RsfD0-0001Ah-6y for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:47:11 -0500 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1RsfCy-00022m-J3 for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:47:06 -0500 Received: from plane.gmane.org ([80.91.229.3]:46433) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1RsfCy-00022Y-Db for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:47:04 -0500 Received: from list by plane.gmane.org with local (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1RsfCu-00038K-Ol for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:47:00 +0100 Received: from pd9eb3679.dip.t-dialin.net ([217.235.54.121]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:47:00 +0100 Received: from Stromeko by pd9eb3679.dip.t-dialin.net with local (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:47:00 +0100 List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org Jambunathan K writes: > I have trouble understanding what the real purpose of the "text before > the first headline" is. "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less." -- Humpty Dumpty, "Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there" > It looks to me more like a placeholder for > capturing the "Frontmatter" [1]. > > I have also trouble understanding what the rightful position for it is: > > Should it be like: > (a) Title, Initial Text, TOC, Chapters > Or like > (b) Title, TOC, Initial Text, Chapters > > Currently org-latex does a (b). > > But if I look at an organization of a typical document, I am inclined to > think that it should be (a). It is also my contention that Table Of > Contents is relocatable only as a means to achieve (b). That would depend a lot on the type of document and the publishing culture it's intended for. If we're talking books, then things are even more complicated, as traditionally you'd have a bastard title(*) before the actual title page. The back of the actual title page (which would be page 3 if it were numbered) almost always has some text, most often the bibliographic entry. (*) The bastard title is a relict from those times when you bought your books as folded signatures as they were coming from the printer and you had to cut and bind the book yourself if you were going to the trouble and expense. The title page(s) and front matter would be printed after the rest of the book had already been off the press on their own signature (you wouldn't know the page numbers for the TOC otherwise). > I am wondering if you would be interested in formalizing frontmatter in > Org documents. Backends will then be obligated to render the front > matter headings as "centered text". I'm not sure why you'd insist on "centered". > - Title Page > ,---- Frontmatter > | - Copyright notice > | - Abstract > | - Preface > | - Acknowledgements > | - Dedication > | - Table Of Contents > | - List of Tables, Figures and Illustrations etc The title page is considered part of the front matter in traditional printing as it is printed on the same sheet as the rest of the front matter. Regards, Achim. -- +<[Q+ Matrix-12 WAVE#46+305 Neuron microQkb Andromeda XTk Blofeld]>+ Waldorf MIDI Implementation & additional documentation: http://Synth.Stromeko.net/Downloads.html#WaldorfDocs