POLL: Typographer on or off

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1

Typographer is a markdown tool that prettifies text such as —for - - , “ ” for " " and so on.

I turned it off this morning to prevent it to change in the event that someone posts code as regular text instead of using the code block tool.

In case you didn’t notice, it’s the control </> in the editor tool bar.

Should we keep it disabled or should we promote using the code block tool?

Some code here

A quote here

Regular text

  • Keep typographer disabled
  • Enable typographer; educate people to use code blocks tool
0 voters

Thank you

2

As an FYI, from https://markdown-it.github.io/ here is what I can tell typographer impacts:

## Typographic replacements

(c) (C) (r) (R) (tm) (TM) (p) (P) +-

test.. test... test..... test?..... test!....

!!!!!! ???? ,,  -- ---

"Smartypants, double quotes" and 'single quotes'

would give the following

© © ® ® ™ ™ § § ±

test… test… test… test?.. test!..

!!! ??? , – —

“Smartypants, double quotes” and ‘single quotes’

@Cecile correct me if there are other substitutions taking place

I'll let everyone make their own minds and answer the poll.

4

@Cecile I think in the original post (Script not parsing valid JSON), the user tried using the </> button, as the

indent preformatted text by 4 spaces

indicates. Kevin simply did not get what he was expecting out of the button. To some, it is counter-intuitive to insert the content, select it and then click on the button. Many users would expect an opening marker and a closing marker with the cursor set in between, waiting for their input. In that sense, I guess it does require some form of training.

5

I like the tool. I want to keep it.

malcolm

6

@Malcolm, make sure to cast a vote in the poll and not only add a comment. (You may already have voted, then disregard my reply)

7

@Malcolm, just checking: you know that there are just a few substitutions it handles and the rest of the markdown is still handled right?

Out of curiosity, when is it you last used it?

8

User used the quote tool: see difference below

This is done by selecting the whole phrase afterwards and clicking quote

This is done by selecting the whole phrase afterwards and clicking code

This is done by typing the “>” first and then the text
note you have to put a “>” at the beginning of a new phrase following a hard line break

This is done by typing the ` before and after typing code

9

@Cecile sorry to disagree, the user did not use the quote tool. The text "indent preformatted text by 4 spaces" gets inserted automatically when you are at the beginning of a line, have no selection and click on the code button.

If you have something on the same line your cursor is on then it inserts "Preformatted text" where that is selected for you to replace the text.

So the user did the first, but left the text there and proceeded to insert his own text below, explaining why that text was not formatted.

10

Thank you for clarifying. But I am trying what you are saying and it works for me if I tap the tool before starting to type

Test one tap

Text

`Test two taps`

Text

Even  if I deselect, erase or reselect and overwrite, or move the cursor outside the selection

Testing return Inside a pair of diacritics all stays on one line

Testing returns

Working on my iPhone atm

11

Yes, if you replace the text it inserts, it will always work. People who see the inserted text as a opening/closing marker won't replace it, they will write under it. That why I say its behavior is not universally understood.

12

I say leave it off. Em dashes and smart quotes are incredible nuisances that only cause pain in developer forums.

Leaving off makes the editor more forgiving, which is a net win.