Menu

#966 Quote blocks in Note and Citation Text

open
nobody
None
5
2008-04-12
2008-04-12
Victor H.
No

I'd like to suggest a feature that allows the user to create an embedded, offset quote block inside the Note and Citation Text boxes, similar to the way an academic journal or website handles embedded quotes from other works. This would make it easier for the reader to determine which words in a note block are my words and which words are quoted from another source. I'm currently handling this through various workaround methods such as "literal quotes" and keyboard characters that look semi-graphic such as [this], and putting those direct quotes inside the citation text box. Still, it's difficult to differentiate at a glance whether certain text is my own creation or that of another source.

A cleaner look would be provided by something like a vertical offset, a tab offset from the left, and a font change such as to Courier. The quote-box font could be a selectable item in the gedcom configuration. The offsets would be universal. The UI to accomplish this could be a check-box that is selectable in the Editing window.

This feature would allow the PGV user's quotes from another source to be visually apparent. It would also allow the PGV user to have a clean-looking "dialogue" with another source, in which the user's and the other source's comments are alternated.

An example from my own site is here; please click on the "Notes" tab: http://www.hawkofgeorgia.com/purplestar/individual.php?pid=I1917&ged=20061130v.ged

And here's an example I just found by trawling around. It's not the greatest, but if you scroll down to citation 14 you'll get visual idea: http://muse.jhu.edu/demo/southwestern_historical_quarterly/v110/110.1brinkman.html

Discussion

  • Anonymous

    Anonymous - 2008-04-12

    Logged In: YES
    user_id=1910459
    Originator: NO

    At one time it was possible to embed html code in the Notes fields, which looked great. It even let me present some data in a table format. I believe it was removed as it posed a fairly serious security risk though.

     
  • Victor H.

    Victor H. - 2008-04-13

    Logged In: YES
    user_id=1657960
    Originator: YES

    I use the custom html capability in the customizable blocks on my welcome page, and I love that capability, but I'm looking for something simpler and "canned" here for Notes and Citation Text fields. Perhaps a pre-set feature could avoid the security risks? I'm afraid I'm pretty naive on that stuff.

     

Log in to post a comment.

Want the latest updates on software, tech news, and AI?
Get latest updates about software, tech news, and AI from SourceForge directly in your inbox once a month.