Avoid over-linking #1293

[nedbat]

Summarizing and codifying the advice discussed in python/docs-community#52

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📚 Documentation preview 📚: https://cpython-devguide--1294.org.readthedocs.build/

[willingc]

Thanks Ned!

[nedbat]

Changes made, and I added another rule: no links in section titles.

[ezio-melotti]

I'm not sure this should be included here. The quick reference lists commonly used markup, and what's being described here is not very common.

I would move this paragraph in the linked "roles" section, where the nuances of using ! and ~ are covered in more detail.

[nedbat]

It took a few developers a while to work out what happened when trying to combine ~!, so I think it will be helpful to leave here.

[ezio-melotti]

What I'm thinking is:

• the quick reference table is meant mostly for readers that already know about the existence and functioning of those constructs, but don't quite remember the syntax
• all further details and explanations shouldn't (and aren't) covered here, but in the sections linked in the third column
• if users look at the "roles" section (where ~ and ! are explained) for ways to combine ~/! they won't find it there, unless you duplicate the note there
• the wording of roles w/o link, short is not too clear, since short doesn't mirror only last part (understandably, due to lack of space)
• a reader might be wondering how to combine ~ and ! together, but :role:`!visible` doesn't seem an obvious answer to the question (unless they keep scrolling and read the note), especially since it doesn't have any apparent difference from :role:`!target`
• the consequences of combining ~ and ! are a Sphinx implementation detail that shouldn't matter to the reader, so I would omit them from the note

My suggestion is to add:

* Combining ``~`` and ``!`` (e.g. ``:meth:`~!Queue.Queue.get```) is not supported. You can obtain the same result by simply using `!` and the last component of the target (e.g. ``:meth:`!get```).

in the "roles" section, after the bullet points that already explain ~ and ! and use Queue.Queue.get as an example.

The entry in the table could be removed altogether, since it's not a very common construct (trusting that the reader will follow the link looking for more information). If you prefer to keep it, the table should be updated by:

• widening the first column and using roles w/o link, only last part to mirror the text of roles w/ only last part
• reordering the entries so that roles w/o link comes first, roles w/ only last part next, and roles w/o link, only last part just after, so that the use of !visible is more evident.

[willingc]

@nedbat Let me take some time to read @ezio-melotti's comment. Ezio makes some good points especially considering the original intent of the chart. There needs to be a new doc contributor cheat sheet (that is useful to current contributors) to guide folks on many of these markup constructs.

[nedbat]

@ezio-melotti I like your suggestion, and have made it in the latest commit.

[hugovk]

Thanks!

[willingc]

Thanks @nedbat