Embedded Citation Wish

[Michael Hannah 0]

As a "wish" item I would like to see embedded source citations resolve two minor problems:

1) defining embedded citation detail as excluded when the Source Number is omitted is not possible,

2) embedded citation detail that begins with a number when the Source Number is intended to be omitted either considers that number as a Source Number or produces an error.

 

Embedded Source Citations are documented in HELP under the topics "Memo" and "Citation" and specifies that various parts of the [CIT:]num:surety;detail[:CIT] construct are optional.

"The colon and surety value may be omitted..." [CIT:]num;detail[:CIT]

"The semicolon and citation detail may also be omitted..." [CIT:]num:surety[:CIT] or [CIT:]num[:CIT]

"Finally, the Source Number may be omitted...and no entry will be made to the bibliography." [CIT:]detail[:CIT]

 

It is the last optional construct that causes problems.

 

The documentation does not mention using an exclusion marker for embedded citations, but if a Source Number is included and is preceeded with a single exclusion marker (a dash) it functions as an excluded citation whose printing is controlled by the report option. This is a useful undocumented feature and should remain. However, omitting the Source Number and beginning the citation detail with a dash does NOT cause the citation to function as an excluded citation, the dash is printed as part of the citation detail.

 

As has been previously noted by users, intending to omit the Source Number but having an embedded citation detail that begins with a number causes TMG to either consider that number as a Source Number and discard the citation detail or if the number does not match an existing Source Number produces an error. Further, omitting the Source Number but beginning the citation detail with ':;' (colon semicolon) or just ';' (semicolon) in an attempt to inform TMG that the Source Number and/or surety value is omitted does not work. The leading special characters are printed as part of the citation detail.

 

My proposal is that Embedded Source Citations recognize two special leading constructs as an indication that the Source Number has been omitted:

1) a leading semicolon [CIT:];detail[:CIT] and

2) a leading single exclusion marker followed immediately by a semicolon [CIT:]-;detail[:CIT]

The first should trigger that the Source Number and surety are missing, strip the semicolon, and accept whatever follows as the citation detail. This would fix the leading number problem. The second would do the same and strip both the dash and the semicolon but also trigger this citation as an excluded citation whose printing is controlled by the report option.

 

In my opinion these two constructs would resolve existing problems and make it easier to use Embedded Source Citations when you wish to omit the Source Number.