Forced Page Numbering

[rnkn]

Original thread: https://groups.google.com/g/fountain-dev/c/W_cAivCNhIk

Currently page breaks can be forced with a line containing three or more consecutive equals signs:

===
or
=======
etc.

I'd like to suggest that additional info could be appended to this, for example, in two ways...

Forcing page numbers, with a line containing the page break syntax plus a alphanumeric string:

=== 12
or
==== 76A ====
etc.

[rnkn]

Original post: https://groups.google.com/g/fountain-dev/c/W_cAivCNhIk/m/ZXIJfsyNBQAJ

Forcing page numbers (or "baking them in") with a syntax like ===17 feels exactly right. It's Fountain-y.

It doesn't say anything about how the page number should be displayed, just that this is, by decree, page 17.

What can go in this spot? Are all of these valid?

===17
===84A
===45A-J
===POST-CREDITS

I'd recommend that all of them be allowed, yet on a practical level is does make sequential numbering more challenging. Obviously the page after 17 should be 18.

But should the page after 84A be 84B or 85? My hunch is that unless it specifically is marked 84B, apps should assume 85.

Perhaps as a general rule, apps should attempt sequential numbering after being handed a "clean" number. Otherwise, they should back up and work off of the last clean number they had.

First example (automatic numbering unless marked otherwise).

17
18
===18A
===18B
19 (app looks back 18)
20

Second example:

45
===45A
===45B-F
=== (no number given, so automatically 46)
===46A
47 (app looks to 46, which was forced for some reason, but is clean)

Third example:

20
21
===SPECIAL READER NOTE
22  (app looks back 21)

Does this make sense for everyone?