On Thu, 16 Apr 2009, Ben Finney wrote:
Note that, like Manoj, I'm suggesting only a *subset*, not the full specification.
Well, in this thread we had several suggestions reaching from complete change to different format up to "not in detail specified" subsets of other formats. IMHO this does not bring us foreward a single step. If we want to move foreward we have to make sure that we will not be forced to touch every single package because such an intend will be bound to fail and every minute spended in discussion here is simply wasted. So if you suggest a subset of a specification please state clearly which subset and whether it works with currently existing descriptions. I'd volunteer to set up a doodle poll with suggestions. If you make a suggestion please answer the following question: A. Does the suggestion enable parsing logical structures like two level itemize lists? (This is what I want to approach and what is IMHO needed) B. Does the suggestion enable keeping the majority of description untouched and enables keeping the currently existing tools? (This is important to gain any acceptance) If one of the question above is answered with "no" please mention whether you are volunteering to do the work which is needed to port the existing stuff to match your suggestion. Currently I would feed the poll with 4 suggestions: 0. Keep anything as unstructured as it is. Answer to A: no Answer to B: yes 1. Use '*' for first order item lists, '-' for second order item lists and use ' ' (exactly two spaces) before the '*' and ' ' (exactly four spaces) before the '-'. After '*' and '-' exactly one space should be used and continued lines should start in the same column as the text starts above. Answer to A: yes Answer to B: yes 2. Use '*' for first order item lists, '-' for second order item lists. Spacing does not matter as long as continued lines will start in the same column as the text above. Answer to A: yes Answer to B: yes 3. Use any character of ('*', '-', '+') to start a list and mark the level of the list by strictly following spacing rules and use ' ' (exactly two spaces) before the selected character for starting first order list and ' ' (exactly four spaces) before the character for starting second order list. After the marker symbold exactly one space should be used and continued lines should start in the same column as the text starts above. Answer to A: yes Answer to B: yes If you want to make further suggestions just append this list. I'll start a doodle poll next Monday. Depending from the outcome of this poll I will submit a patch for "6.2. Best practices for debian/control". Does this sound reasonable? Kind regards Andreas. -- http://fam-tille.de -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-devel-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org