Re: [Docutils-users] table notes

[David G. <go...@py...>]

My distinction between titles and captions comes straight from `The
Chicago Manual of Style`: tables have titles above, figures have
captions below. The HTML <caption> tag seems to be the result of
conflation, shown in the first link you provided:

    The HTML Table Caption element (<caption>) specifies the caption
(or title) of a table

For table notes, I suggest simply adding them into the table itself.
This can be done now.

It's *possible* that Docutils could accommodate "table notes" [1]_,
but it would require specification (e.g. are they repeated when a
table is broken across pages, like a header? are they always at the
bottom of tables, even very long ones? etc.) and, of course,
implementation. I personally remain unconvinced.

.. [1] But **not** a table legend; that still makes no sense to me.

David Goodger
<https://david.goodger.org>

On Fri, 17 May 2019 at 08:38, Alan Isaac <ala...@gm...> wrote:
>
> I will try to keep it in mind when talking about reST,
> but I find your distinction between titles and captions to be
> unfamiliar.  E.g., the following usage is more familiar to me:
> https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/caption
> https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/figcaption
>
> However, in this query my interest is (as in the Subject) how
> to handle table notes.  My observation is that just as figures
> allow figure notes (as part of the "legend" content), a table could
> similarly allow table notes.  These are a *very* often needed feature
> -- so much so, that tables without notes are often unacceptable.
> I've attached an "in the wild" example.  My query is whether
> docutils could consider accommodating such optional content
> for tables, paralleling the feature in figures.
>
> Cheers, Alan
>
>
> On 5/16/2019 10:09 PM, David Goodger wrote:
> > The table directive as implemented doesn't allow for a legend, just a
> > title. I can't think of why a table would need a legend, and I've
> > never seen one in the wild.
> >
> > Note: figures have captions (below), tables have titles (above).
> > They're not the same thing, and shouldn't be conflated.
> >
> > David Goodger
> > <https://david.goodger.org>
> >
> > On Thu, 16 May 2019 at 16:59, Alan Isaac <ala...@gm...> wrote:
> >>
> >> I'm looking at the documentation at
> >> http://docutils.sourceforge.net/docs/ref/rst/directives.html#table
> >> On my reading, it does not allow for the equivalent of the "legend"
> >> content in a figure.  What am I overlooking?
> >>
> >> Thanks, Alan Isaac
> >>
> >>
> >> On 5/16/2019 4:37 PM, David Goodger wrote:
> >>> That's what the "table" directive is for:
> >>> http://docutils.sourceforge.net/docs/ref/rst/directives.html#table
> >>>
> >>> David Goodger
> >>> <https://david.goodger.org>
> >>>
> >>> On Thu, 16 May 2019 at 15:03, Alan Isaac <ala...@gm...> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> In published work, tables and figures often require
> >>>> explanatory notes.
> >>>>
> >>>> In rst there appears to be an odd difference in structure between
> >>>> tables and figures.  A figure is understood to have three possible
> >>>> types of content, and image, a caption, and what is called a "legend"
> >>>> (which can hold explanatory notes).
> >>>>
> >>>> A table does not do this, but it could.
> >>>> Might this be considered as a possible enhancement?
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks, Alan Isaac
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
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