User:Chapka/LOFE Updates

This page collects my proposed changes to the LOFE, to be considered once the new format is launched.

General Updates

Style Guide

A general DP Style Guide would help provide some consistency for not just the LOFE but all documentation, and even for things like Project Comments.

Simplify Greek examples

Right now all examples involving Greek show two separate examples, one for transliteration and one for transcription. Since nearly all projects now transcribe Greek using the Greek alphabet, I propose that we provide only one example, showing the text transcribed using the Greek alphabet, perhaps with a note saying: "This is the case whether the Greek is transcribed (as here) or transliterated."

The affected pages are Italics examples 39A/B, Boldface examples 8A/B, and Gesperrt examples 14A/B

Rename categories for consistency

Most categories are already plural ("Illustrations", "Tables"); I propose that we rename the remaining categories to plurals (e.g., "Index" to "Indexes".)

Reorder and combine categories

Now that the categories aren't bound to numbers, I propose that we consider the best order for the categories (for example, reordering them to keep all of the types of front and back matter together) and consider combining or reordering some of the categories (for example, combining Title Page and Front matter; combining Correspondence and Signatures; split out Dramatis Personae from Drama/Metrical Drama.

Regularise shared images

Several examples use the same images, or images from the same page, but in slightly different versions. Should these be standardised?

Revise the Drama examples

Right now the Drama examples show the _interrupted_ CHARACTER _model_ in stage directions; this is an added complexity for both the formatter and the post-processor. We should have a discussion about at least presenting an alternative model, and consider removing the statement in the current Examples that the broken-italics system is the "default."

Topics Needing Review

These are general topics covered on several pages that could benefit from being clarified or standardised.

Spacing of opening/closing no-wrap tags

The Examples consistently say that a blank line is optional between an opening blockquote and an opening nowrap. Should it be? Guiguts adds an extra space if there's a blank space between.

Relevant pages include:

• No-wrap/07A (closing footnote bracket)
• Block Quotes/10A
• Correspondence/01A "Currently (March 2011)"

Also, the Guidelines are inconsistent about how to handle an opening OOL tag at the top of a page:

• Block Quotes/12A says if it's continued, the blank line should go after the opening OOL tag.
• Index/03A says "Currently (April 2011)" OK to put blank line first or OOL markup first. (But F2s will consistently diff in my experience).

Attributions

• Italics/37A says it's (always) OK to put attribution in the same no-wraps.
• No-wrap/07A says some prefer separate no-wraps.

Move comments out of OOL markup lines

Sometimes, the LOFE comments appear on a line with an opening or closing no-wrap of block quote tag. We should avoid this, as comments on these lines are a problem for GuiGuts. Affected pages: Block Quotes/04A, 08A, 10A

Chapter Summaries

These need consistent treatment.

• Italics/46A shows summary block quoted because of hanging indent
• Quotes/04A says they're part of the heading, but need to be block quoted because they're not centred

Complete Sentences

Is/should there be a single "Complete Sentence" overview that is linked to from the many examples that just say "Complete sentence, period inside" or similar?

Illustrations Above Chapter Titles

108/08a shows how to do it--but then 108/09a says this is only one possibility and you should ask every time.

Page-Specific Issues

Italics

25A

The result here is right, but is the reasoning right? Consider rephrasing, and compare with Italics/38A which discusses a similar case very differently.

47A

"As shown in the first example"--in the current Guidelines this is the second example. The whole passage is a bit confusing and could be simplified.

51A

Confusingly phrased. Question marks go outside because "the italics are just for emphasis" and "are not questions."

Small Caps

14A

Add a sentence explaining what a drop cap is in case someone hasn't encountered one before.

15A

Current text uses quotation marks for primes (correct at the time)--fix? Also, it is acceptable to use one set of tags for Fig. and caption--still OK? "Marked for different reasons" suggests not--should be more explicit either way.

Gesperrt

00A

This first example, or the overview, would benefit from a brief definition of the terms Fraktur and Antiqua.

09A

I'm not sure what this Example is trying to say--perhaps some feedback from the German forum threads might help?

10A

Remove question mark and make more consistent with general list advice.

No-wrap

01A

The other examples that share this image have less information. Maybe revise this into multiple headings, make it standard, add links?

02A

"At least one line of a no-wrap block...must be left-justified." Is this true in every case? Could it be stated more clearly?

Block Quotes

06A

Says to leave a note for [**noindent] after a block quote--is this a guideline? Should we specify that it's optional?

08A

Implies that absent special instructions this wouldn't be a block quote--but there's extra space after, so it probably would?

10A

"A letter; enclose in Block Quotes"--is this a general rule?

12A

Small caps is fine either way--is this correct under the current guidelines? F2s still diff for it in my experience.

Index

04A

OK to not look at previous page and mismark sub-entry--still true?

Correspondence

00A

"[W]hite space and context may make [it] apparent" whether to treat a letter as a section or chapter--is this true, or should we always be asking?

01A/01B

These are identical except for one change made due to a special instruction, and they contain the same notes but phrased slightly differently. Confusing and unnecessary. Just give the standard version and ignore the special instruction that was given in 2011.

Front Matter

02A

No-wrap or blank line--is there a preference?

04A

Trim some white space from image?

07A

Discuss wrappable title?

08A

Say a bit more about the lists?

Ideas for new examples

Footnotes

• How to format a paragraph break at the beginning of a continued footnote. See https://www.pgdp.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=1385162#p1385162 and my response.

Poetry

• How to handle a possible (ambiguous) stanza break across a page or column--lots of examples in Wordsworth.