[Doc-SIG] PEP-0216

[Tony J Ibbs (Tibs)]

Tim Peters wrote:
> [Mark Hammond]
> > ...
> > I was saying something similar, but a little stronger: "we should
> > prove that StructuredText(NG) is _not_ suitable before looking at
> > alternatives".
>
> Exactly.  It's been in use for years, the last time around its
> creators expressed eagerness to compromise (if needed) to make
> everyon happier, yet nothing happened. Neither has a credible
> alternative appeared.  Enough is enough.

My feelings exactly. We *nearly* got something going last time round, which
got derailed for whatever reason (partly excessive pedantry, I suspect, mea
culpa amongst others). We can guarantee that no solution will satisfy
everyone (I can be awkward on demand if it looked like it would), so an
existing solution that gets most of the way and that we have some chance of
modifying if we're willing to help sounds like a Good Thing to me.

So I say "go for it". Let's make a statement.

Meanwhile, if people can be a *little* patient, I'm writing up a summary of
what the (in general, pedantic) worries about StructuredText were (NG
addresses some of them already), and also trying to firm up the *definition*
of StructuredText (the definition as written is a Bit Vague!). This is
likely to take another couple of days, because I have about one-and-a-half
hours free time a day (we have two small children and my partner commutes
two hours or more each way each day), and some of that time gets used for
things like ironing, reading, collapsing in front of the TV, and so on. I
would hope that this would act as a basis for "now we've got a
tool/specification, where would we like to take it".

BTW, it's not as if we're short of tools:

	StructuredText itself
	pythondoc (when Starship is up)
	Crystal
	Happy-Doc

all of which support at least *some* variant of StructuredText, I believe.
And we mustn't forget Ka-Ping Yee's wonderful htmldoc, for coping with
software that isn't marked up.

Tibs

--
Tony J Ibbs (Tibs)      http://www.tibsnjoan.co.uk/
Are we there yet?
My views! Mine! Mine! (Unless Laser-Scan ask nicely to borrow them.)