Re: [PATCH] Improve usage of odt content templates

[Rasmus <rasmus@gmx.us>]

Detlef Steuer <detlef.steuer@gmx.de> writes:

>> Introducing the item is easy, but making something out of it in each
>> back-end is not, as it requires to define what title:nil means there.
>> In particular, should it be "an empty title" or something else?
>> 
>> For example, ascii back-end provides a banner as its title. Should
>> title:nil remove the title from the banner or should it remove the
>> banner altogether, thus overriding date:t and author:t items.
>> 
>> Likewise, should title:nil insert "\title{}" in a LaTeX document
>> header, remove the "\maketitle{}" line, or perhaps, both?
>
> To be consistent over backends I think it should be implemented as
> an empty title string. If date:t or/and author:t are specified these
> should show up somewhere.
>
> \maketitle{} should be removed only, if a titlepage would appear empty 
> in the exported document.
>
> Just the usual 2c worth of opinion.

IMO, it just shouldn't set title in LaTeX.  When I use author:nil
\author{·} is simply not set and could be loaded via another file.  I
would also remove the \maketitle command.  I don't have any
particularly good argument for this, other than it feels right. . .
Alternatively, there could be a yet another option maketitle:if-title,
maketitle:always. . .

With the text backend.  I would make the banner dependent on the
presence of a title.  I.e. I'd probably go for no title, no banner.
Though it's less clear here to what extend a title-less banner makes
sense here.

—Rasmus

-- 
When in doubt, do it!