Hi,
I guess that what you are proposing is something like this:
=pod
=over
=item # Foo
=item # Bar
=back
=cut
Which would yield something like the following in a pod2text-like context:
1 Foo
2 Bar
Since the following, mis-numbered list,
=pod
=over
=item 1 Foo
=item 3 Bar
=back
=cut
Would generally give you:
1 Foo
3 Bar
The first option would be nice although I think that in terms of reading raw
Pod the normal style of using numbers is clearer.
Either way perlpodspec is clear about what is required: "Note that the
numbers must start at 1 in each section, and must proceed in order and
without skipping numbers".
>>"=item 1" equates to an <ol> list item.
>No, it's not, because it requires the POD generator to manually number
things.
In terms of pod generators yes but in terms of pod consumers the numbers
don't always have to be in order. For example in Html the <ol> doesn't
require the number and in most wiki consumers the actual number isn't used
either. Furthermore, Pod::Simple parses the number =items into sequentially
numbered items even if the user hasn't. So, if you were using a Pod::Simple
based parser you could number all of your items as 1 or 999 and it shouldn't
matter.
While we are on the topic (and this isn't directed to you Jerrad) I would
like to make a general observation that the syntax of =over =back lists is
too complicated. Both to write and to parse. Most wiki formats use simple
formats that can be just as expressive. For example the following mediawiki
nested list:
* Bullet item 1.0
## Number item 1.1
::; Foo
:::Definition item 1.2
::; Bar
:::Definition item 2.2
## Number item 2.1
* Bullet item 2.0
Is equivalent to the following Pod:
=pod
=over
=item *
Bullet item 1.0
=over
=item 1
Number item 1.1
=over
=item Foo
Definition item 1.2
=item Bar
Definition item 2.2
=back
=item 2
Number item 2.1
=back
=item *
Bullet item 2.0
=back
=cut
For me the wiki format is much clearer.
John.
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