Re: [xml2rfc] assuming that period (.) ends a sentence is sometimes wrong

[Paul Kyzivat <[e-mail]>]

On 2/28/21 2:51 PM, Brian E Carpenter wrote:
> On 01-Mar-21 06:54, John R Levine wrote:
>>> Provided it doesn't also lose alternative Unicode whitespace characters,
>>> using   is an option. In a pinch we could have an element to mark
>>> the end of a sentence (<s/>).
>>
>> At the end of every sentence? That's, uh, quite a stretch. Are we sure
>> this problem is worth that much effort by every author?
> 
> Since we're designing on the hoof here, I suggest you'd need a construct like
> <literal value="Philip R. Zimmermann"/>.
> 
> But much simpler to scrap the double space rule.

Two things are being muddled here:

1) two spaces at end of sentences in .txt output;

2) how two distinguish sentence endings by xml2rfc in xml input.

There has been *some* discussion of using two spaces in the input for 
(2), but it doesn't work that way now and there are many issues in 
changing it to work that way. It isn't evident to me that it is a 
serious proposal.

*If* we had a reliable method for (2) then I doubt there would be much 
issue with (1). The problem is that the existing method for (2) isn't 
reliable.

I haven't checked, but I presume the current problems (2) are also 
exhibited in html output.

ISTM that the real question is whether authors will be willing to 
manually annotate the xml input to indicate sentence endings. I haven't 
seen any proposal mentioned that I would willingly use on a regular 
basis. I would rather suffer with the existing heuristic.

	Thanks,
	Paul