Markdown-PHP and the single opening quote character

[Brian Forte]

Gentlefolk,

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the setup

CMS:                      WordPress 1.5.2
Markdown version:         1.0.1c
Markdown implementation:  PHP version by Michel Fortin
other active WP plugins:  none

URL: <http://betweenborders.com/reflections/field-notes-from-inside-a-car/>

______________________________________________________
the pre-processed text:

When my children were younger they would pass the time on long car 
journeys (ie anything more than a five minute trip) playing 
'spot-a-bug.'

It's a pretty simple game. You look for Volkswagens and, as soon as 
you see one, shout out 'spot-a-bug.' The first to do so wins the 
round. Keeping track of how many rounds you win was officially part 
of the rules but individual victories were much more important than 
extended counts.

Today both my kids are in high school and the game has changed. As we 
head in to school each morning, or around to their various 
after-school activities, I'm regularly assailed with cries of 'MLC.'

______________________________________________________
the post-processed html:

<p>When my children were younger they would pass the time on long car 
journeys (ie anything more than a five minute trip) playing 
&#8217;spot-a-bug.&#8217;</p>

<p>It&#8217;s a pretty simple game. You look for Volkswagens and, as 
soon as you see one, shout out &#8217;spot-a-bug.&#8217; The first to 
do so wins the round. Keeping track of how many rounds you win was 
officially part of the rules but individual victories were much more 
important than extended counts.</p>

<p>Today both my kids are in high school and the game has changed. As 
we head in to school each morning, or around to their various 
after-school activities, I&#8217;m regularly assailed with cries of 
&#8216;MLC.&#8217;</p>


Note the inconsistent transformation of opening quote marks. The string

     'spot-a-bug.'

in paragraph 2 is transformed as follows

     &#8217;spot-a-bug.&#8217;

While the string

     'MLC.'

in paragraph 3 is transformed as follows

     &#8216;MLC.&#8217;


Of the two I, hardly surprisingly, prefer the latter: &#8216; is the 
numerical entity for a typographically proper opening quote mark.

FWIW, further along in the article referenced above the string 
"[space]'" is twice transformed into "[space]&#8216;". And I can, of 
course, fix the problem by adding the appropriate entity to the 
ur-text.

But I'm curious to know if there's something I can do to make 
Markdown PHP always transform

     [space]'

into

     [space]&#8216;

TIA

Regards,

Brian Forte.
-- 
Brian Forte, <mailto:bforte at betweenborders.com>
Writer, editor, scripter, dangerous mind.