In markdown I need to quote from local dictionaries:
{{< read dictionary word id>}}
The data/dictionary.yaml files are structured as follows:
[word]
id : “word”
definition : |
Multi-line text with possible emphasis and items
1. item one
2. item two
that must be kept.
id : “word2”
definition : |
More text.
I wrote the following shortcode to read those files accordingly:
{{/*
This is layouts/shortcodes/read_yml.html to read YAML data files.
usage: {{< read fileName tableName id >}}
example: {{< read dictionary word id >}}
*/}}
{{ $params := .Params }}
{{ $filename := index $params 0 }}
{{ $tableName := index $params 1 }}
{{ $id := index $params 2 }}
{{ $data := index .Site.Data $filename }}
{{ if $data }}
{{ $tableData := index $data $tableName }} <!-- Access the specified table -->
{{ if $tableData }}
{{ $value := (where $tableData "id" $id) }} <!-- Access the specific article by ID -->
{{ if $value }} <!-- Check if any articles were found -->
<p>{{ index $value 0 "content" }}</p> <!-- Display the content of the specific ID -->
{{ else }}
<p>No "{{ $tableName }}" found with ID {{ $id }}.</p>
{{ end }}
{{ else }}
<p>No data found for the specified table.</p>
{{ end }}
{{ else }}
<p>No data found for the specified file.</p>
{{ end }}
Problem
When the text is rendered in html, the multilines are automatically removed, and the markups are not expanded.
In the example, the “word” is rendered as follows:
Multi-line text with possible *emphasis* and items 1. item **one** 2. item <b>two</b> that must be kept."
What compels Hugo to corrupt the data (remove newlines) and treat markups like plain text?
According to the book “Hugo in action” (2022), page 75, section 3.4.3,
YAML is sensitive to indentation, and newline characters define the beginning of a new YAML key-value pair. We can use the pipe character (|) to create multiline strings that honor new lines and the greater than sign ( > ) to create multiline strings insensitive to new lines.
key1: |
Declares a multiline string with newline characters
key2: >
Because we use >, YAML ignores the newlines and joins the strings into a singe file.
In my example, all declarations turn out to be equivalent, as they all remove the newlines.
please wrap up code in ``` or use the </> button instead of quoting > to improve readability
maybe due to that your yaml is broken and the term definition is not in your shortcode.
Best to copy paste instead of fresh typing
```yaml
word:
- id: word1
definition: Text
```
With this dictionary.yaml
word:
- id: word1
definition: |
Multi-line text with possible emphasis and items
1. item *one*
2. item *two*
that must be kept.
- id: word2
definition: |
More text.
and this shortcode call {{< read "dictionary" "word" "word1" >}}
and changing your output call to (no
tags around)
{{ if $value }}
{{ index $value 0 "definition" | .Page.RenderString}}
{{ else }}
you will get:
<p>Multi-line text with possible emphasis and items</p>
<ol>
<li>item <em>one</em></li>
<li>item <em>two</em></li>
</ol>
<p>that must be kept.</p>
p.s. you have to have blank lines in markdown to separate the text from the list
Itemization still fails. I do have white lines to separate the text from the list. In the data file, an empty line is also present. As a result, a newline appears before the first item, but the remaining items are still wrapped around.
If the “definition” is an itemized list with subitems, the alignments are all wrong.
believe me, what I posted is exaclty what I have done based on a standard hugo new theme
adding the data file and your shortcode adjusted.
So there’s something different at your side.
If you want some to check that it does not make sense to play code-snipped ping pong. you’ll have to either share your site or prepare a minimal reproducible example. incl all the config and layouts…
p.s. subitems work fine, too
Summary
word:
- id: word1
definition: |
Multi-line text with possible emphasis and items
1. item **one**
1. hello
2. world
2. item **two**
- bullet
- lucky luke
that must be kept.
- id: word2
definition: |
More text.
word:
- id: word1
definition: |
Multi-line text with possible emphasis and items
1. item **one**: **add words enough to fill the line then keep adding to cause the line to wrap. The itemized list that follows will also be wrapped.**
a. hello
b. world
2. item **two**
- bullet
- lucky luke
that must be kept.
- id: word2
definition: |
More text.
I tried the code in a markdown editor, and it behaves as expected. The same code on Hugo + Relearn (theme) wraps lines and breaks indentations.
I cannot rewrite “a)” into “1.”. — I am in legal compliance, with forms and references, where citations must correspond to the original text.
Since this is a limitation of markdown, I’ll work around it. I am making the indentation letters in boldface, so they stand out when lines wrap. It is acceptable for relatively short paragraphs, but the problem will show up again with more complex text.
if it’s acceptable to switch to Pandoc for the dictionary Shortcode you could
dictionary.yaml
word:
- id: word1
definition: |
Multi-line text with possible emphasis and items
1. item **one**: **add words enough to fill the line then keep adding to cause the line to wrap. The itemized list that follows will also be wrapped.**
a. hello
b. world
2. item **two**
- bullet
- lucky luke
that must be kept.
- id: word2
definition: |
More text.
<p>Multi-line text with possible emphasis and items</p>
<ol type="1">
<li>item <strong>one</strong>: <strong>add words enough to fill the line
then keep adding to cause the line to wrap. The itemized list that
follows will also be wrapped.</strong>
<ol type="a">
<li>hello</li>
<li>world</li>
</ol></li>
<li>item <strong>two</strong>
<ul>
<li>bullet</li>
<li>lucky luke</li>
</ul></li>
</ol>
<p>that must be kept.</p>
