[Tex2002ans]

Originally Posted by thosp

The file in question had this, " -- " or {[space][hyphen][hyphen][space]} and changed it to "—" or (EM DASH}.

The writer meant to have a space before and after the punctuation mark, why was it changed the way it was? The proper change, in my view, would be to " – " or {[space]EN DASH][space]} as this makes the epub a better read.

If you change your "(EM/EN)-Dash Setting" to:

'--' = em dash (no en dash support)



I tested on this:

<p>This is a -- sample.</p>

and it changed to this:

<p>This is a — sample.</p>

Then you could search for (SPACE + EM DASH + SPACE):

Search: —

then replace with (SPACE + EN DASH + SPACE):

Replace: –

You could setup a Sigil Saved Search if you find you're doing this correction often. Then you could just run SmartenPunctuation, then the Saved Search right after.

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

You can easily turn off dash smartening altogether in the plugin's config section if you want to handle your own non-standard manual conversion of the double-dashes. But I'm not changing the default behavior of the plugin's dash smartening to something non-standard.

Agreed. I always keep the options for dashes + ellipses off, then correct that stuff on my own.

But maybe how you have that "(no en dash support)", you can have the opposite:

' -- ' = spaced en dash (no em dash support)

Note: Just tested in LibreOffice / Word, their AutoCorrect by default changes:

"--" -> en dash
" -- " -> spaced en dash
"sample-- " (two hyphens + space) -> unspaced em dash

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Every style guide I know of (with the exception of the Associated Press style guide) states that there should be no spaces between an em dash and the adjacent words.

On parenthetical expressions, also see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash#P...sentence_level

And I agree with AlanHK. From what I've read over the years:

The spaced EN DASH seems to be used more in British publications (and newspapers).

The EM DASH tends to be used more in American.

Spacing Side Note: On spacing around em dashes... there's "open-set" and "close-set":

Open-set = Both sides use hair or thin space (or, disgustingly, normal spaces)
Close-set = No space on either side

See Robert Bringhurst, "Elements of Typographic Style", Chapter 5:

5.2 DASHES, SLASHES & DOTS

5.2.1 Use spaced en dashes – rather than close-set em dashes or spaced hyphens – to set off phrases.

Standard computer keyboards and typewriters include only one dash: the hyphen. Any normal font of text type, either roman or italic, includes at least three. These are the hyphen and two sizes of long dash: the en dash – which is one en (half an em, M/2) in width – and the em dash-which is one em (two ens) wide. Many fonts also include a subtraction sign, which may or may not be the same length and weight as the en dash, and some include a figure dash (equal to the width of a standard numeral). The three-quarter em dash, and the three-to-em dash, which is one third of an em (M/3) in length, are often missing but perfectly easy to make.

In typescript, a double hyphen (--) is often used for a long dash. Double hyphens in a typeset document are a sure sign that the type was set by a typist, not a typographer. A typographer will use an em dash, three-quarter em, or en dash, depending on context or personal style. The em dash is the nineteenth-century standard, still prescribed in many editorial style books, but the em dash is too long for use with the best text faces. Like the oversized space between sentences, it belongs to the padded and corseted aesthetic of Victorian typography.

Used as a phrase marker – thus – the en dash is set with a normal word space either side.