Block Masquerading

If the block style declared on a block matches the name of a context, it sets the context of the block to that value and the resolved block style will be left unset. If the declared block style does not match the name of a context, it will either specialize the context or set the context implicitly and also specialize that context. How the declared block style is handled for a custom block is up to the extension, though a similar process takes place.

Let’s consider the case of using the declared block style to change the context of a structural container. In this case, we’re using the declared block style to change a literal block to a listing block.

Even though the default context for the structural container is :literal, the declared block style changes it to :listing. The resolved block style of the block remains unset.

The declared block style can also be used to transform a paragraph into a different kind of block. The block will still retain the simple content model. Let’s consider the case of turning a normal paragraph into a sidebar.

Finally, let’s consider an admonition block. Declaring the NOTE block style on an example structural container transforms it to an admonition block and also sets the style of the block to NOTE.

This technique also works for converting a paragraph into an admonition block.

Where permitted, the declared block style can be used to specialize the context of the block, change the context of the block, or both.

The table below lists the structural containers whose context can be altered, and which contexts are valid, using the declared block style.

All the contexts that can be applied to an open block can also be applied to a paragraph. A paragraph also access the normal style, which can be applied to revert a literal paragraph to a normal paragraph.