Re: [ANN] ASCII back-end for new export engine

[tsd@tsdye.com (Thomas S. Dye)]

Nicolas Goaziou <n.goaziou@gmail.com> writes:

> Hello,
>
> tsd@tsdye.com (Thomas S. Dye) writes:
>
>> I think that your understanding of the new exporter architecture is
>> intimate and secure.  I'm happy to follow your lead here.
>
> I know for sure my way around the new exporter, but my LaTeX skills
> aren't on par with that knowledge.
>
> Anyway, I've pushed a commit which tries to create smart links.
>
> Basically, links without a description pointing to an headline will be
> turned into \ref{headline-label}, unless headline's numbering is off, in
> which case they become \hyperref[headline-label]{headline-title}.
>
> Nothing is changed for links providing their own description, and links
> not pointing to headlines.
>
> That should remove the need for a variable.
>
> What do you think about it?
>

Yes, this seems to work nicely.  Thanks!

You mentioned unnumbered headlines.  I wonder, would it be possible (or
useful) to have the num: option take an integer (like toc:)?  As I
understand it now, its value is either nil or not nil.  It doesn't
manipulate \secnumdepth, but instead uses \section*, etc.  In LaTeX,
section* means not only that the section isn't numbered, but also that
it doesn't go into the table of contents.  There are many times when it
is useful to put unnumbered sections in the table of contents.

I've been doing #+LaTeX_HEADER: \setcounter{secnumdepth}{1}, and this
works fine.  However, it would be nicer to do num: 1.

A way to set individual headings as numbered or unnumbered would be
deluxe.  Perhaps this is possible, but I haven't found it?


>> It looks like a terrific example of the power of your parser.
>
> No, its (albeit useless) power is revealed by the fact that "\n:t" is
> now supported in LaTeX (and ASCII). Such a feat was close to impossible
> with the previous engine.
>
> More seriously, being recursive, the new engine can export thinks like
> "some *text /with nested/ emphasis*" and even "*/important/*".
>

It looks like there will need to be many changes to the documentation.

> And, more importantly, it is mostly made of independent parts, for
> easier maintenance. For example, if I want to fix or improve links in
> e-latex back-end, I know I have to start diving in
> `org-e-latex-link'. That function may call other internal functions,
> but, at least, I have a starting point. That will also be true for any
> other back-end to come.
>
>
> Regards,

All the best,
Tom

-- 
Thomas S. Dye
http://www.tsdye.com