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Conference vaxuum::document_ft

Title:DOCUMENT T1.0
Notice:**New notesfile (DOCUMENT.NOTE) now available (see note 897)**
Moderator:CLOSET::ADLER
Created:Mon Feb 09 1987
Last Modified:Thu Oct 31 1991
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:897
Total number of notes:4397

696.0. "A wish for future <LIST> and <LE>" by YUPPIE::COLE (I survived B$ST, I think.....) Tue Jul 21 1987 09:31

	I don't seem to find this here or in the DOCUMENT general Conference, 
so here goes.

	I would like to suggest for a future release the addition of 
unnumbered lists to the permitted users of the syntax:


		<LE>([CALLOUT])

only not print the list "number" in CALLOUT form, but in the same style as the 
rest of the text.

	My reasoning is thus:

	Some documents have nested numbered paragraphs which don't have 
"titles", but may indeed have higher levels that do have traditional titled 
headers.  The lower level paragraphs are also indented, for readability.  
Using list and list elements for the indentation would be fine, if the author 
could control the paragraph numbering.  My closest example to what I am 
talking about is from the Custom Services Terms and Conditions, which are 
represented in outline form below:


1.  SERVICES

   1.1 ..........................
       ..........................
       ..........................

   1.2 ..........................
       ..........................
       ..........................

   1.3 ..........................
       ..........................
       ..........................

2.  ACCEPTANCE

   2.1 ..........................
       ..........................
       ..........................

		.
		.
		.

4.  PAYMENT

   4.1 ..........................

         (a)   ..........................
               ..........................
               ..........................

         (b)   ..........................
               ..........................
               ..........................


   4.2 ..........................
       ..........................
       ..........................

   4.3 ..........................
       ..........................
       ..........................

		.
		.
		.
		ETC.

and one section evens goes to a third level on indentation.  I think possibly 
letters and proposals would also use this style at some time.

	Short of designing a new doctype, which is way over my head at this 
time, and unless I am overlooking something in the manuals, the <list> and 
<le>(...) method would appear to solve the problem.  I am just at the point of 
playing with the generated TEX files, but would like to avoid that as a long
term solution.  If anyone can give a better work-around, don't hestiate, I've 
been made to look stupider than this many time before!

	Otherwise, I LOVE this product.  I hope to get the Southeast District 
using it for proposals, work statements, specifications, etc. when it is 
released from SDC.
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696.1CUPOLA::HAKKARAINENThis too shall passTue Jul 21 1987 09:418
>only not print the list "number" in CALLOUT form, but in the same style as the 
>rest of the text.
    
    ?
    
    There is a callout list already. It's not clear to me what else
    you need.
    
696.2I never say it right the first time!YUPPIE::COLEI survived B$ST, I think.....Tue Jul 21 1987 12:1513
	My goal is to allow unnumbered lists to have "literals" specified in 
the <LE>(...) syntax, similar in function to the callout lists.  But I want the 
"literal" printed in the same font as the text in the list element, not 
bolded, or block.  I guess I could also request some changes to the <levelx> 
functionality but that seems conceptually tougher than the <list> method.

	I notice that lists are not indented until the second level, so that 
may be a "feature" that will have be overcome with a special design, which I 
perfectly understand, is the DOCUMENT philosophy, seperate style from content. 
I admit that I may be crossing that boundary a little in my request,  but 
heck, what else is this conference for!

	More comments welcome!
696.3It worked, after some editing...YUPPIE::COLEI survived B$ST, I think.....Wed Jul 29 1987 09:499
	As an update on my attempts to get the form I desired, I was able to 
jerry-rig the Tex file to do it, with actually little pain.

	I am also starting to get into document design, experimenting with 
font changes now, and may tackle the <LE>(...) problem soon.  I hope the .STT 
files are as easy to work with as the .DESIGN files!

	Let me AGAIN praise the DOCUMENT group for a GREAT product!  The 
documentation writers did a superb job!
696.4OOPS! YUPPIE::COLEI survived B$ST, I think.....Fri Jul 31 1987 14:328
	Disregard the last part about "working with the .STT files"!  I 
quickly discovered that that file shouldn't be tampered with!

	It appears that what I want to do is redefine the way callout numbers 
are fonted, just like I did with the rest of the text.  Anyone who knows how 
to do this, feel free to respond, but I will continue to explore on my own.

	Thanks!
696.5Global change possibleVAXUUM::SEGALMon Aug 03 1987 12:0811
    You can modify the font and delimiter for ALL callouts
    (in lists, references in text, and example markers) in a given
    doctype by modifying \calloutfont and \callledelim in the DESIGN
    file. This sample uses the default text font, and automatically
    inserts a period character after each callout list element:
    
    \let\calloutfont=\normaltextfontspecs
    \def\callledelim{.}% callout list element delimiter character
    
    Lee
    
696.6Thanks, it got part of the job done!YUPPIE::COLEI survived B$ST, I think.....Tue Aug 04 1987 11:527
	Yep, that worked for the font, but unfortunately, when I try to put 
more than one number in <LE>(...), or use alphas, the tag translator grabs it, 
and forces it back to numbers.

	Still looking for a way to avoid editing .TEX files!  Is there a way 
to define custom tags, or "enhance" the way certain standard tags are 
translated?
696.7wishlist-edCLOSET::ANKLAMMon Aug 10 1987 15:225
    
    The ability to control list element identifiers is already on the
    wish list. Numbering them is a new twist!
    
    -pa