consider how to handle `{::include` when not at column 0

[dkg]

over in #77 we discussed what happens when trying to use {::include in the middle of a line, like so:

This secret key was generated using provable prime generation found in {{FIPS186-4}} using the seed `{::include ca.seed}`.

this currently doesn't work, so i'm working around it with my own janky inclusion mechanism for draft-dkg-lamps-samples. @cabo suggested that we open a distinct ticket about it.

[cabo]

This ticket is proposing a solution but not very specific about the problem. Is the reason for using {::include here that a common value needs to be used in different places? Or is it important to have that value come from a file?

[dkg]

Hi @cabo.

the draft in question uses a Makefile to assemble the draft programmatically, so the {:include was used to that effect. That draft is about to go through last call -- i'm not actually worried about it specifically, and i used other ways to import the seed strings directly without duplication.

[dkg]

To try to more clearly state the problem: is it possible to have some text included in a markdown source file without having it appear entirely on its own line in the resulting generated stream? It might just be that this is not supported -- included text might need to be entirely on its own line, and that might be fine. in that case, we just need to update the documentation to clarify this limited mechanism.

But if we think it's reasonable to be able to include stuff mid-line, it'd be good to have a clear and well-documented mechanism for how to do it.

[cabo]

Here is something you can do today:

This secret key was generated using provable prime generation found in
FIPS186-4 using the seed [^seed-].

[^seed-]: 47110815

A footnote reference with a label that ends in a hyphen-minus is treates as a variable reference, simply including the "footnote" text in place. Note that the footnote definition could come from an {::include directive.

This works in all places where markdown is recognized. Unfortunately, that excludes artwork/sourcecode, as well as inline code.

A workaround for inline code (<tt) is:

This secret key was generated using provable prime generation found in
FIPS186-4 using the seed <tt>[^seed-]</tt>.

Now this is not necessarily what we want as the permanent feature supporting this requirement, but it does work today.