[Wikipedia-l] A vision for wiki syntax, documented

[Lee Daniel Crocker]

> (Jens Frank <JeLuF at gmx.de>):
> 
> <div style="float: right">
> [[Image:%%Image%%]]<BR>
> <center>
> ''%%Label%%''
> </center>
> </div>
> 
> In an article, it can be used by its name:
> 
> {{ImageFloatingRight
> Image=Eiffel tower.jpg
> Label=The Eiffel Tower in Paris
> }}

That's about 10 times more complex than

  {{floatright}}[[image:usa.png]]

but I am intrigued by the idea of parameterized transclusions.
Another, perhaps simpler, way to do it is to use existing link
syntax with an "include" namespace:

  [[include:snippet1 | val1 | val2 |
  namedvar1=val | namedvar2=val]]

> This is more flexible than just stylesheets:

Then you obviously don't know stylesheets well. Besides, they give
a much better separation of content and style, and are a performance
boost because the style code doesn't change among pages often, and
so doesn't have to be reloaded by the client.

> Possible later additions:
> - Factsheet wizard that users without HTML-Skills can use to generate 
>   the normal factsheet tables used in so many variants
> - Fill-in wizard that shows the rendered snipplet and has input fields
>   where the variables are. 

I'm not opposed to the ideas of GUIs in general either; but there's
a lot to be said for a content model and text-based interface simple
and universal enough to not require one.

-- 
Lee Daniel Crocker <lee at piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lee/>
"All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past,
are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified
for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC