Let me go a bit further than my last posting. I'm currently looking at how a
text source capable of handling structured, formatted text could be
implemented. A text source usually has some basic methods: replace(), scan(),
read(), search() and setselection().
Given that such a textsource exist, it would be straightforward to create a
textsink that renders to any device. It would be interesting to make the
textsource extensible in the way that it could be used to store text that is
encoded in either html or latex.
A special feature that would be usefull is rendering hints embedded in the
source that is associated with a specific device and with a specific contex
(eg. the current right margin of the window).
There is much to consider here, if it is to be as flexible as needed. I have
been thinking about using a kind of inheritance scheme for paragraphs and
paragraph groups (excuse me if I'm not using the correct vocabulary), so that
a more structured approach than eg. Framemaker could be used.
In Framemaker, each paragraph is rougly independent, only the paragraph
numbering is dependant on other paragraphs. Consider a list group where any
type of paragraph could be embedded, but where any of these would be indented
(and possibly numbered, if requested) as specified by the list group. Another
use of groups would be to embed part of another document as a blockquote in a
given document. Inheritance of paragraph rendering would also be usefull in a
kind of html+ rendering extension language, eg. that the <address> paragraph
is an ordinary paragraph that is right justified.
I haven't seen this is any editor that I know of, so any references would be
appreciated. One might argue that this only is about indentation and
numbering, which can be handeled the old way. Even so, I'm trying to get some
spare time to implement it. If someone is interested in coworking, drop me a
line.
-- Torgeir @ http://www.ii.uib.no/~torgeir/