[Doc-SIG] Footnotes with symbols (was: Reworking Footnotes)

[David Goodger]

Tony J Ibbs (Tibs) wrote:
> I have no problem with regarding footnotes as distinct from citations,
> and limiting them to numeric (although I've always like using little
> symbols when doing "real" text processing!).

That suggests a good idea: how about, in addition to auto-numbered
footnotes, we add "auto-symbol" footnotes? They'd have a syntax like::

    Here's an auto-symbol reference [*]_.

    .. _[*] Here's the footnote itself (modulo any syntax changes
       yet to come).

I like symbols for footnotes too. The Chicago Manual of Style lists the
following symbols for "Note Reference Marks" (section 12.51 in the 14th
edition): asterisk/star ("*"), dagger, double dagger, section mark,
parallels ("||"), number sign ("#"). For more symbols, it suggests using
doubles and triples of these symbols, ("**" etc.) in the same sequence, but
I'm sure we could come up with some more interesting glyphs.

More "gilding on the lily" perhaps, but I like it!

-- 
David Goodger    goodger@users.sourceforge.net    Open-source projects:
 - Python Docstring Processing System: http://docstring.sourceforge.net
 - reStructuredText: http://structuredtext.sourceforge.net
 - The Go Tools Project: http://gotools.sourceforge.net