7

You can verify this bug by editing this message and comparing the message to what the site shows.

I posted the following message on stackoverflow:

1. Install firefox
- Click on the link
- Go to Tools | Error Console
- Look at the error

In preview it shows up as

  1. Install firefox
  2. Click on the link
  3. Go to Tools | Error Console
  4. Look at the error

But on the site it shows up as only 1. and then a bunch of sub-bullet points.

  1. Install firefox
    • Click on the link
    • Go to Tools | Error Console
    • Look at the error

I remember doing this pretty often in the past and it would always show up on the site as the preview does. I'm afraid that the subset of my old messages that changed will be improperly formatted.

The preview should match what the site displays in any case.

3
  • I remember it working like the preview as well, although that doesn't match up with what the Markdown reference says should happen. I suspect they fixed something...
    – Shog9
    Commented Feb 24, 2010 at 21:21
  • Can't edit to see what the original markdown source was, but seems like a dupe of this question: meta.stackexchange.com/questions/39183/…
    – Alconja
    Commented Feb 24, 2010 at 21:38
  • To see the source without editing rights, just go to meta.stackoverflow.com/posts/40471/revisions
    – Arjan
    Commented Feb 25, 2010 at 16:19

2 Answers 2

2

Frankly, if you post this:

1. Install firefox
- Click on the link
- Go to Tools | Error Console
- Look at the error

I think it should look like one of the following:

  1. Install firefox
    • Click on the link
    • Go to Tools | Error Console
    • Look at the error

or

  1. Install firefox
  • Click on the link
  • Go to Tools | Error Console
  • Look at the error

In which case, both implementations are wrong.


If you use the number format, it doesn't really matter what numbers you use. So there really isn't a good reason for it to do anything different than what it does now.

1.   Install firefox
1.   Click on the link
365. Go to Tools | Error Console
32.  Look at the error
  1. Install firefox
  2. Click on the link
  3. Go to Tools | Error Console
  4. Look at the error
4
  • I find the numbered format being extremely useful because you can write out numbered lists independent of order and you can re-order without having to change the numbering every 2 seconds. Commented Feb 25, 2010 at 14:58
  • @Brian It doesn't matter what order you put the numbers in. They can all be any number, but when it displays them, it puts the numbers in the right order. Commented Feb 25, 2010 at 15:32
  • But it used to be sufficient to just use a single number, followed by dashes or other list item markers for the next lines. I doubt many have used it, but if only used to change an unordered list into an ordered list then changing the behaviour breaks the existing layout.
    – Arjan
    Commented Feb 25, 2010 at 16:18
  • Interesting, but still it seems a little wrong for me to see it that way, plus I have probably dozens of answers that did it the old way. Commented Feb 25, 2010 at 16:19
0

There will always be a slight disconnect between the client-side JavaScript Markdown renderer, and the server-side C# Markdown renderer.

In this case, the answer is "don't do that" -- it's not a good idea (nor does it really even make sense IMO) to mix dash and numbered styles in the same list.

Edit: This particular discrepancy will be fixed in the next build.

2
  • My main problem with this is not only that there is a disconnect, but it is because it used to behave one way, and then starts to behave another way. With 1000 answers and over 100 questions when it worked one way, it's hard for me to have to look through all of my old stuff to re-edit to stop using markdown this way. About it making sense in the first place, maybe it doesn't make sense to you if you don't do it, but it used to be a nice way to show that you wanted a numbered list but that you could easily change any 2 items in the list and have their numbers associated auto change. Commented May 14, 2010 at 13:18
  • I have stopped doing it for future questions and answers though. Commented May 14, 2010 at 13:22

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