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Conference vaxuum::online_bookbuilding

Title:Online Bookbuilding
Notice:This conference is write-locked: see note 1.3.
Moderator:VAXUUM::UTT
Created:Fri Aug 12 1988
Last Modified:Mon Jul 15 1991
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:440
Total number of notes:2134

15.0. "Callouts with interactive examples" by CHUCKM::MURRAY (Chuck Murray) Wed Oct 05 1988 14:50

When callouts are used with interactive examples, the callout numbers
are difficult to recognize as such when they appear near user input,
since both the callout number and the user input appear as bolded.

For example, when the following interactive example is displayed by
the Bookreader, callout numbers 1, 2, and 4 look like they're merely
numbers entered by the user on the particular command line:

<CALLOUTS>
<interactive>
<s>($) <u>(BASIC/LIST/DEBUG SAMPLE) <CALLOUT>
<s>($) <u>(LINK/DEBUG SAMPLE) <CALLOUT>
<s>($) <u>(RUN SAMPLE)

<s>(              VAX DEBUG Version 4.n)

<s>(%DEBUG-I-INITIAL, language is BASIC module set to 'SAMPLE$MAIN') <CALLOUT>
<s>(DBG>)<u>(STEP 2) <CALLOUT>
   .
   .
   .

Are there plans to have the callout numbers be readily distinguishable from
the user input?  Or is there some workaround I could use?
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
15.1Workaround(s)?CHUCKM::MURRAYChuck MurrayWed Oct 05 1988 16:2141
Perhaps I can answer my own question...  Would a workaround be
to simply leave some space between the end of the user input and
the <callout> tag? I.e., would DOCUMENT and the Bookreader "do
the right thing" with the spacing? 

Example of leaving extra space after user input:

<CALLOUTS>
<interactive>
<s>($) <u>(BASIC/LIST/DEBUG SAMPLE)      <CALLOUT>
<s>($) <u>(LINK/DEBUG SAMPLE)       <CALLOUT>
<s>($) <u>(RUN SAMPLE)

<s>(              VAX DEBUG Version 4.n)

<s>(%DEBUG-I-INITIAL, language is BASIC module set to 'SAMPLE$MAIN') <CALLOUT>
<s>(DBG>)<u>(STEP 2)       <CALLOUT>
   .
   .
   .

Or, if that won't work, leave the extra space before the closing parenthesis
on the <U> tag. For example:

<CALLOUTS>
<interactive>
<s>($) <u>(BASIC/LIST/DEBUG SAMPLE     ) <CALLOUT>
<s>($) <u>(LINK/DEBUG SAMPLE      ) <CALLOUT>
<s>($) <u>(RUN SAMPLE)

<s>(              VAX DEBUG Version 4.n)

<s>(%DEBUG-I-INITIAL, language is BASIC module set to 'SAMPLE$MAIN') <CALLOUT>
<s>(DBG>)<u>(STEP 2      ) <CALLOUT>
   .
   .
   .

(I'd test these myself, but it's difficult and time-consuming given my setup,
and I thought the problem would be easy for someone who knows DOCUMENT and
the Bookreader better than I do.)
15.2VAXUUM::UTTMon Oct 10 1988 14:5513
    Unfortunately, there is no way to do reverse numbers with our current
    set of screen fonts and this will probably be the case for some
    time to come. In addition, the screen fonts only come in 5 sizes
    (10, 12, 14, 18, 24 pts; actually I think there's an 8 point, too,
    but that's way too small for our purposes), which limits a lot of
    formatting options.
    
    I will take a look at the callout font spec in the design file and
    try making it a bit larger. Meanwhile, you could try the workaround
    you suggest -- DOCUMENT should leave an extra space -- and see if
    the results are satisfactory.
    
    Mary