Link syntax (was: definition lists?)

[Jason Blevins]

Waylan Limberg wrote:

> On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 11:36 AM, Jason Blevins

> <jrblevin at sdf.lonestar.org> wrote:

> >

> > I couldn't find any discussion of it on the list, but here's the

> > changelog entry:

> >

> > 1.0.2b2 - 20 Mar 2005

> >

> >    +   Experimental support for [this] as a synonym for [this][].

> 

> Interestingly, this a completely different use for single-bracketed

> text than I use and see on a daily basis. As I mentioned before, I see

> it more as a shortcut footnote type syntax for links only when text is

> expected to be read in plain text format.


Thats a good point--I wasn't making the distinction before.  Using
numbers in brackets like so [1] is definitely a common notation for
footnotes.  I use it myself in emails but I didn't make the connection.
It's also common for math and engineering journals to use that notation
for references.

Interestingly, that's how peg-markdown (with extensions via -x) renders
footnotes.  Instead of the link being a superscript '1', you get '[1]'.
I actually like that better for the web I think.  Superscripts are nice
in print, but there you don't have to click on them.

-- 
Jason Blevins
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Economics, Duke University
http://jblevins.org/