[Zope] Alternate HTML Table implementation in STX

Robert Rockwell RobertR@intouchcorp.com
Fri, 19 Apr 2002 11:44:59 -0400


Hello,

This question is motivated by attempts to maintain some tabular lists in
Zwiki (v0.9.6 on Zope 2.5).

I've noticed that HTML tables can be described in wiki's using an STX
convention involving dashes (-) and vertical bars (|).  Although this
doesn't require HTML knowledge, it certainly requires skill on the author's
part to get it right.  For simple tablular lists of data, the extra
flexibility of this convention is more of an obstacle.

Does anyone know of simpler convention for describing columns of data?  I'm
thinking more along the lines of something like (now entering dream mode)

<DTML-TABLE>
Name; email; phone
Joe Smith; js@nowhere.comm; 555-1111
Sarah Conner; sc@adomain.nett; 555-5555
</DTML-TABLE>

which would render something like

|-------------------------------------------|
| Name         | email           | phone    |
|-------------------------------------------|
| Joe Smith    | js@nowhere.comm | 555-1111 |
|-------------------------------------------|
| Sarah Conner | sc@adomain.nett | 555-5555 |
|-------------------------------------------|

People have an easier time grasping the concept of editing comma delimited
lists than using the ascii drawing skills.

Due to constraints on my time, I would rather not do this with tables and
sql.

Thanks in advance,
--ira (via Bob's account)