Re: [Patch] to correctly sort the items with emphasis marks in a list

[Maxim Nikulin]

On 21/04/2021 22:45, Juan Manuel Macías wrote:
> I have tried the Nicolas' patch (latest version) and I see that the
> items with emphasis are already ordered well. However, it seems that the
> problem with identical items with or without emphasis still persists:
> which items should go before and in what order? For example, in the
> following list I get:
>
> - /a/
> - *a*
> - a
> - *b*
> - /b/
> - b
> - /v/
> - *v*
> - v

I am afraid, there is no easy way to take into account emphasis. Each 
item have to be split into logical units and locale-aware multilevel 
comparison should be applied to each unit separately. E.g. for 
description list, only term should be compared at first to properly 
order emphasized items, it does not matter if description starts from 
"a" or from "z". Simple `string-collate-lessp' for whole item uses 
further levels only strings are considered identical on previous levels. 
I had an idea to augment sort keys with some text properties for custom 
string comparator, but I decided that such complications would not 
ensure reliable sort for all possible cases.

- A :: B
- /A/ :: C
- *A* :: A

However `org-sort-remove invisible' still has some room for improvements 
(it is not mandatory in my opinion). I have realized it reading the 
thread on title representation for HTML export
87h7jy4ebe.fsf@nicolasgoaziou.fr/">https://orgmode.org/list/87h7jy4ebe.fsf@nicolasgoaziou.fr/

- <<target>>A
- <<<radio>>>
- B