Re: Ascii FAQ numbering system

Hi Everyone,

I've just had an idea of how to do the ascii numbering system

Idea is, it is really a tree written out in linear form.

So, it will be easy to make the tree itself into an ascii numbering system.

Now, one needs to be able to continue the system into the entries,
and there is an easy way to do that too.

As before, one needs to give details, but the system will be really simple
in use.

Short expo:

$.$.$
as the first line of text.

$.$.trines
as the section header

See $$.trines$
to refer to it

See $$MargoSchulter$Neo Gothic (gentle intro)$$

to refer to another faq, where the title

$Neo Gothic (gentle intro)$
is the short one you see in the tree

To refer to a section within another faq:

See $$MargoSchulter$Neo Gothic (gentle intro)$.trines$

to refer to a section in another faq.

In html
$.$.$
as the first line of text.

Use the html header 1, 2, 3
type headings for the sections.

Use same method as before to refer to another faq.

Use
$.unison vectors
to make a bookmark in your faq that anyone else
can link to.

Details:

.................In plain text files................

If you want your entry to be automatically numbered in the ASCII FAQ
place
$.$.$
as the first line of text.

Then whenever you want a new section header, add a new line immediately
before the title of the section, as
$.$.$...name
with the number of $.s giving the number of levels in the numbering system.

e.g.

$.main
A gentle introduction to neo-Gothic progressions (1)
.....
$.$.trines
Trines, quads, and intonational flavors
....
$.$.$.most proximal
Part 1 of 2: Most proximal quads

Now if you want to refer to one of the sections, do it as

See $$.trines$

I.e.
$$.bookmark name$

Be sure to include the . in $$.trines, as that makes it clear
you are referring to another section in the same faq, rather
than another faq.

Also be sure to double the initial $$ to show that it is a link.
Notice the final $ as well.

To refer to an entry in another faq, do it as

See $$Joseph Pehrson$19-tET notations$$

i.e.

$$author$title$$

Notice the final $$

The up to date FAQ will have the author listed for each entry, at the head
of the page, so that you can do this.
(any objections to that?)

The title is the title as shown in the tree.

To refer to a section within another ascii faq, use

See $$MargoSchulter$Neo Gothic (gentle intro)$.trines$

I.e.
$$author$tree title$bookmark$

You can read the bookmark by looking it up in the draft tree.

If you do need to use a line beginning
$.$.$...
(perhaps in an ascii diagram)
switch it off with

$$off

then back on again with
$$on

This can be done at any point, and the lines
$$on
$$off
will be removed completely from the final version, so there will be
no extra blank lines.

Similarly
$.trines
will be removed, leaving extra lines, when the next line is
made into a section heading as, say

In the html version of your document, your section headers will be made
into the various header levels for html, and your references will
be made into links to the section headers.

So in the final FAQ,

$.$.trines
Trines, quads, and intonational flavors
becomes
.....1.1 Trines, quads, and intonational flavors

.....................in html..........................

If you want your entry to be automatically numbered in the ASCII FAQ
place
$.$.$
as the first line of text.

This means, first line of visible text in the document.

Now, make sure you use the Header 1, Header 2, Header 3,... styles
for section headings.

Now the program can treat any header 1 text as a section header
for the top level in the numbering system for your file.

Header 2 text will be for the next level,
and so on.

Since header 1 is rather large, you can start with header 2 if you
prefer, or header 3 or smaller.

You can still use the ascii method too.

E.g. to refer to another entry in the faq, either use the url, or probably
_better_, refer to it as

See $$MargoSchulter$Neo Gothic (gentle intro)$.trines

In your html you can also use bookmarks in the usual way.

In the ascii conversion, a link to a bookmarks will be
converted to reference to the ascii header for whatever section it is in.

If you want one of your bookmarks to be referrable from
any other faq, then make a new line of text immediately before it.

E.g.
$.unison vectors

Then anyone else who wants to refer to that section can refer to it
using

See $$your name$your faq$.unison vectors$

as before.

You can also use it yourself within your own faq, using See $$.unison vectors$$

As before, the $$. at the beginning indicates that it is a reference to
a section in the same faq, rather than one in another faq.

The bookmarks will work in the "on site" faq whenever it is next
refreshed.

To see them, in order to link to them, you look at the "working draft" faq.

Robert

Robert,

OK. I like it because I imagine it enables a
cross-compatible ASCII/HTML cross-referencing and indexing
system.

The individual faq authors can learn the system if they
want, or they can write in plain ASCII or HTML and leave
the technical details to the editor, or perhaps some sort
of official cross-link maven can insert it for them.

It's likely that some people will misspell or misreference
things a tiny bit and so I expect others will jump in and
help out, fixing up things as necessary.

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I've just had an idea of how to do the ascii numbering system
>
> Idea is, it is really a tree written out in linear form.
> So, it will be easy to make the tree itself into an ascii
> numbering system.

Makes sense to me.

I think once we see it in action with some working
examples it will not be too hard. As long as it results
in a simple and easy to navigate ASCII version I'm all for
it!

--
By the way, have you thought about how to handle
revision control? If all sorts of people can
update the faq entries then different people
might be changing the same file then they all go
to put it back and only the last person in gets
to see his changes. Also, what if the editor makes
changes to a file, but then the original author
uploads his old version to which he has been making
changes? Using SCV control software I think is
too much to ask the list to learn. A possible solution
would be that changes and additions to faq entries
should be routed through the original author or
his designate (such as the editor). Oh I don't know.
I don't see any easy answer. What do you think?

- Jeff

--- In tuning@y..., "J Scott" <xjscott@e...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_19715.html#19717

A possible solution
> would be that changes and additions to faq entries
> should be routed through the original author or
> his designate (such as the editor). Oh I don't know.
> I don't see any easy answer. What do you think?
>
> - Jeff

Hi Jeff...

This seems to make a lot of sense. In other words, ONLY the original
author of each FAQ entry would make changes on his own entry. Other
people shouldn't be allowed to do that... They can comment,
naturally, on the list concerning the entry, but they shouldn't make
any changes.

Similarly, I believe John deLaubenfels should be the ONLY person to
work with the DATABASE and organize the trees. That seems like a
reasonable role for a FAQ "EDITOR." So John won't really be very
involved in editing the INDIVIDUAL FAQ entries... only the FINAL
ORGANIZATION. This will cut down a LOT on the work John has to do!

I agree very much with Robert Walker that we should let the, er,
"peculiarities" of each FAQ submitter shine through. If it's
understandable, there is no reason to make the whole thing in
"Standard English." That's a bit like making all music fit 12-tET!!!
:)

So, John's work will be cut down substantially... He only organizes
the DATABASE tree, and won't even have to EDIT the copy that resides
in the FILES section.

So, not everything will be perfect. Big deal. The idea is to get
something out there for commentary...

I understand from Robert's post, that he has figured out how to do
the ASCII tree organizing! It uses the "$" sign, or several of them
for levels. I don't fully understand it yet, nor do I need to... but
as long as the convention is established, and we know how to do it,
that's all that's needed.

Oh... incidentally, John deLaubenfels has a considerable amount of
computer expertise, so I am certain that he will EASILY understand
the systems proposed by Robert Walker once Robert slows down a bit
and
clarifies them.

Right now the "excitement" is setting it all up and looking at ALL
the options, which is what we're seeing in some of Robert's posts at
the moment.

It's gonna' be great!

_______ ____ _____ __
Joseph Pehrson