Re: [Docutils-develop] Custom node types (was Re: pdf writer)

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

Tony J Ibbs (Tibs) wrote:
> Thanks, David - that makes a lot of sense to me.

I'm very glad (and relieved) it did!  I'll migrate parts of the
discussion into the docs in time.

> I think that what you describe is indeed the correct way to go -
> something like (excuse the imprecision)::
> 
>   Python source  --> ||reader||    --> internal representation
> 
>   internal rep   --> ||transform|| --> abstract docutils tree
> 
>   abstract tree  --> ||stylists||  --> specific docutils tree
> 
> where the "abstract" tree contains Python specific nodes.

I'd put it more like this (expanding a bit)::

    Python source
    --> ||Reader (internal representation)||
    --> custom Docutils tree
    --> ||stylist transform||
    --> standard Docutils tree
    --> ||other transforms||
    --> standard Docutils tree
    --> ||Writer||
    --> final data format (HTML, PDF, etc.)

In other words, the Reader's "internal representation" is entirely
internal to the reader, and can be anything at all.  The PySource
Reader will emit a Python-specific custom Docutils tree.  The stylist
(transform) will convert this to a standard Docutils tree.  And so
on.

Different words expressing the same thing, I suspect.

So, how was the sun?

-- 
David Goodger  <go...@us...>  Open-source projects:
  - Python Docutils: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/
    (includes reStructuredText: http://docutils.sf.net/rst.html)
  - The Go Tools Project: http://gotools.sourceforge.net/