Manage counters

[Richard Kimberly Heck]

On 10/13/20 1:43 AM, Daniel wrote:
> On 2020-10-13 00:24, Richard Kimberly Heck wrote:
>> On 10/12/20 4:58 AM, Daniel wrote:
>>> I think it's nice to have the inset available but its use is limited
>>> for me. In particular, it seems not a feature to "directly" change the
>>> counter of numbered elements. Here is what I mean: Say, I want to
>>> change the counter of a Numbered list (enumerate). In the attached
>>> document I try to reset a Numbered list counter with the inset but it
>>> doesn't work. This is because `\setcounter` comes either too early
>>> (outside of the enumerate environment) or too late (after `\item`). I
>>> think to work, `\setcounter` should be added '''at the beginning or
>>> the line''' where the counter inset is added as in the attached tex
>>> document.
>>
>> Scott pointed out the same issue. To make it work, you have to Insert>
>> List Preamble (an optional argument), and then you also have to modify
>> the layout for that argument to remove PassThru. (This is on the list a
>> couple weeks back.) Otherwise, you can't insert insets but only bare
>> text. It's not ideal but it's also not clear what else to do. Generally
>> removing PassThru seems wrong, since that's what one will ordinarily
>> want, I think.
>
> Somehow I could not get it to work by removing PassThru. But I suspect
> that the following two problems will remain:
>
> 1. The counter *in the Workarea* is not properly modified since the
> counter inset still comes after the list started.

That's likely true, but can probably be fixed somehow. I'll have to
investigate.


> 2. Changing the first element in a list works different from changing
> other elements in a list. Which is quite counter-intuitive.

I agree. It's not ideal how it works with lists. I didn't really have
lists in mind when designing this. (Scott's own use case is better
handled with enumitem's resume function, e.g.)


>> The idea of using the context menu, etc, is a good one, but it would
>> involve more work.
>
> I guess you mean "more work" as in more work than for the counter inset.
> My hopes are not high that I will be able to do it. I'll still try it at
> some point little bit. I hope I can learn a lot from the counter inset
> code.

I think this would have to be done by making the counter value a
paragraph parameter, like line spacing. That's where we store this kind
of thing. The option would be available in the dialog only when the
paragraph has an associated counter.


>>> I am also thinking of being able to set not only the value but the
>>> format, e.g. "(\roman{enumi})", of the counter, ideally via a nice UI
>>> with a couple of preset values.
>>
>> Here, I think it might be worth just having a module that made other
>> formats available. I have one for local use.
>
> It strikes me as a pretty basic feature that should be available
> module-less some day.

Possibly. But the difficulty is that this kind of case can be made for
many features. If all of them are available by default, then the result
is chaos. Modules were specifically designed to allow people to turn
things on and off as they need them or don't.

Riki