Conference vaxuum::document_ft

204.0. "Renumbering footnotes" by CLOSET::KAIKOW () Mon Apr 06 1987 17:07

It would be very useful if <footnote> and/or <footnote_text> had the smarts to 
do the following:

1. Automatically generate sequentially numbered footnotes on a page and
   within a table.

   For example, I might have 3 footnotes on a page which should be numbered
   1, 2 and 3 (or 7, 8 and 9).
   
   Perhaps <footnote>(numbered[(starting-value=n)]\text) would do?

   Where n is the starting value of the sequence.

   Going one step further we could allow any sequence that lists allow, e.g.

   <footnote>(alphalist[(starting-value=n)]\text)

2. Sometmimes a footnote is coded so close to the end of a page, you can't tell
   what page it will end up on. As a result you have to make an extra pass at
   renumbering the footnotes.

   As computers are supposed to free human beings for better things, like
   playing chess, it seems that the automatic renumbering  might be acomplished
   for the user.

   Perhaps <footnote>(m[(reset=n)]\text)
              and
       and <footnote>(numbered[(reset=n)]\text)

   Where m is the "normal" callout value which would get changed to n, if placed
   on the next page.

    
    Footnote enhancements, including automatic numbering, is on the
    list for the next version of DOCUMENT.
    
    patti