Chapter 17. Seam Text

Collaboration-oriented websites require a human-friendly markup language so that formatted text can be entered easily in forum posts, wiki pages, blogs, comments, etc. Seam provides the <s:formattedText/> control to display formatted text that conforms to the Seam Text language. Seam Text is implemented with an ANTLR-based parser. (Experience with ANTLR is not required.)

17.1. Basic formatting

Here is a simple example: It's easy to make *emphasized*, |monospaced|, ~deleted~, super^scripted^ or _underlined_ text.
If we display this using <s:formattedText/>, the following HTML will be produced: 
<p> 
  It's easy to make <i>emphasized</i>, <tt>monospaced</tt>, 
  <del>deleted</del>, super<sup>scripted</sup> or 
  <u>underlined</u> text.
</p>
We can use a blank line to indicate a new paragraph, and + to indicate a heading: 
        +This is a big heading
        You /must/ have some text following a heading!
        
        ++This is a smaller heading
        This is the first paragraph. We can split it across multiple 
        lines, but we must end it with a blank line.

        This is the second paragraph.
A simple new line is ignored — you need an additional blank line to wrap text into a new paragraph. This is the HTML that results: 
<h1>This is a big heading</h1>
<p>
  You <i>must</i> have some text following a heading!
</p>
 
<h2>This is a smaller heading</h2>
<p>
  This is the first paragraph. We can split it across multiple 
  lines, but we must end it with a blank line.
</p>

<p>
  This is the second paragraph.
</p>
The # character creates items in an ordered list. Unordered lists use the = character: 
        An ordered list:
        
        #first item
        #second item
        #and even the /third/ item

        An unordered list:

        =an item
        =another item

<p>
  An ordered list:
</p>
 
<ol>       
  <li>first item</li>
  <li>second item</li>
  <li>and even the <i>third</i> item</li>
</ol>

<p>
  An unordered list:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>an item</li>
  <li>another item</li>
</ul>
Quoted sections should be surrounded in double quotes: 
        He said:
        
        "Hello, how are /you/?"

        She answered, "Fine, and you?"

<p>
  He said:
</p>
        
<q>Hi, how are
<i>you</i>?</q>

<p>
  She answered, <q>Fine, and you?</q>
</p>