Re: lynx-dev Spacing cleanups and nits

[David Combs]

> From address@hidden Thu Dec 10 18:02:21 1998
> Date: Thu, 10 Dec 1998 16:35:07 -0500
> From: Chuck Martin <address@hidden>
> 
> On Thu, Dec 10, 1998 at 10:17:49AM -0800, David Combs wrote:
> 
> > The reason to place TWO spaces after a sentence-ending-char (period,
> > bang, question-mark, etc) is that many EDITORS -- emacs for sure, maybe
> > also vi, not sure there) use that as a way of knowing WHERE a sentence
> > ENDS, so their commands "go fwd one sentence" can work.
> 
> Yes, vi does that too.
> 
> > Also, two spaces is EASIER TO READ, when your eyes are scanning
> > fast, in the source-text, eg when fixing or adding to the doc.
> 
> That's even true at my normal reading speed.  Especially if a sentence
> ends with an abbreviation, in which case a single space often causes
> me to read past the period as if the sentence hasn't finished yet, until
> my brain stops me and says, "That didn't make sense," and then I have to
> backtrack and read it again.
> 
> > Just my two bits.  Am sure no one will agree.  Oh, well...
> 
> I agree completely.  One thing I've noticed about lynx that I wish was
> done differently is that rendered documents don't put two spaces after a
> period at the end of a sentence even if they're present in the source.
> It seems to me that more than one space after a period should be
> collapsed to *two* spaces instead of one.  Also, a period followed by
> whitespace (including newlines) and then an uppercase letter should be
> assumed to be the end of a sentence, and two spaces placed at that
> point if the uppercase letter ends up on the same line in the rendered
> document.
> 
> Chuck

Looks like some of us want two spaces generated by the html, and
some others want only one.

SUGGESTION: An OPTION, so we can choose whichever scheme makes
it EASIER FOR US TO READ THE OUTPUT.

I mean, the only reason we use (and love) lynx is that it makes
us more effective at using our scarce time.  Using lynx enables
us, due to its incredible speed, to throw up a HUGE amount of
text onto the screen, that presumably we want to scan through
or even read as fast as possible.

WHATEVER will make that process easier for the individual user,
with his individual preferences for text format, can only
make lynx serve us all even better than it does already.

Given that consideration, the cost of yet another option,
at least THIS option, is pretty low, considering the payback.

David