[PATCH] Derive non-default start value for ordered list

[Jens Lechtenboerger]

Hi there,

currently, we have to write the following to continue an ordered
list from a value different from 1:

42. [@42] Answer
43. Question?

The requirement to type redundant information with the @-syntax
always struck me as odd.  For my export backend org-re-reveal, I
recently received a request to export lists without @-syntax to
their “correct” start values [1].

Before working on my backend, I’d like to ask for feedback: Why was
the @-syntax introduced?  Of what non-obvious effects should I be
aware?

What do you think about the attached patch that allows to omit the
@-syntax?  Controlled by the new variable
org-list-use-first-bullet-as-non-standard-counter, the code assigns
a counter value to the first list item from its bullet string if the
item
1. does not specify a counter itself,
2. has an alphanumeric bullet, and
3. does not have a default start value (1, a, A).

I hacked this as postprocessing step on the list’s struct.  Maybe an
Org expert could suggest how to do this in one pass?

Best wishes
Jens

P.S.  I did not work on documentation yet as I’m not sure that this
change is acceptable.

[1] https://gitlab.com/oer/org-re-reveal/merge_requests/27

0001-Use-bullet-as-non-standard-counter.patch
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