Revised 2005 proposal for meta-data

[Ian Barland]

> From: "Andrea Censi" <andrea at censi.org>

> Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 08:10:00 -0500

> Subject: Re: Revised 2005 proposal for meta-data

> 

> I tried to summarize:

> 

> In a paragraph:

> - MUST  be escaped: \ ` { [        (or else they trigger things)

> - MIGHT be escaped:

>   -  `+ * -` (only if ambiguous with list)

>   -  `.`     (only if ambiguous with numbered list)

>   -  `_`     (only if ambiguous with emphasis)

>   -  `!`     (only if ambiguous with image)

>   -  `#`     (only if ambiguous with header)

>   -  `(`     (only if ambiguous with link def)

>   - } ] )    (for consistency with other rules)

> 

> In a quoted value:

> - MUST  be escaped: \ ' " `

> - MIGHT be escaped:

>   -  ` {} [] () + * - !   # (for consinstency with other rules)

> 

> Inside brackets,

> - MUST  be escaped: \      and the matching bracket

> - MIGHT be escaped:

>   -  ` {} [] () + * - !  |  # (for consinstency with other rules)

> 

FWIW, you can simplify this slightly by getting rid of the "might be
escaped" list -- just decree "*any* (punctuation) character might be
escaped" (using a backslash)[^1].  Almost for free, this lets people quote a
space ("\ " would be marked down to "&nbsp;"), as well as quote a newline: a
backslash at the end of a line would translate naturally to "<br/>".

This rule simpler for both markdown-users and markdown-implementers.
(Though it highlights the question of what a backslash as the last character
would mean.)

[1] Even further, you could allow non-punctuation to be escaped.  Though it
might surprise users who write a back\slash only to have markdown seem to
mysteriously erase that character.

--Ian