Allow language-neutral table captions.

+ Captions may now begin simply with ':', instead of 'Table:'
+ Captions may now appear either above or below the table.
+ Resolves Issue #227.

README

@@ -824,7 +824,8 @@ to the dashed line below it:[^4]
 The table must end with a blank line, or a line of dashes followed by
 a blank line. A caption may optionally be provided (as illustrated in
 the example above). A caption is a paragraph beginning with the string
-`Table:`, which will be stripped off.
+`Table:` (or just `:`), which will be stripped off. It may appear either
+before or after the table.
 
 The column headers may be omitted, provided a dashed line is used
 to end the table. For example:
@@ -880,7 +881,7 @@ Headers may be omitted in multiline tables as well as simple tables:
                                         rows.
     -------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    Table: Here's a multiline table without headers.
+    : Here's a multiline table without headers.
 
 It is possible for a multiline table to have just one row, but the row
 should be followed by a blank line (and then the row of dashes that ends

src/Text/Pandoc/Parsing.hs

@@ -415,10 +415,13 @@ tableWith :: GenParser Char ParserState ([[Block]], [Alignment], [Int])
           -> GenParser Char ParserState [Inline]
           -> GenParser Char ParserState Block
 tableWith headerParser rowParser lineParser footerParser captionParser = try $ do
+    caption' <- option [] captionParser
     (heads, aligns, indices) <- headerParser
     lines' <- rowParser indices `sepEndBy` lineParser
     footerParser
-    caption <- option [] captionParser
+    caption <- if null caption'
+                  then option [] captionParser
+                  else return caption'
     state <- getState
     let numColumns = stateColumns state
     let widths = widthsFromIndices numColumns indices

src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Markdown.hs

@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ multilineRow indices = do
 tableCaption :: GenParser Char ParserState [Inline]
 tableCaption = try $ do
   skipNonindentSpaces
-  string "Table:"
+  string ":" <|> string "Table:"
   result <- many1 inline
   blanklines
   return $ normalizeSpaces result

src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Markdown.hs

@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ blockToMarkdown opts (Table caption aligns widths headers rows) =  do
   caption' <- inlineListToMarkdown opts caption
   let caption'' = if null caption
                      then empty
-                     else text "" $+$ (text "Table: " <> caption')
+                     else text "" $+$ (text ": " <> caption')
   headers' <- mapM (blockListToMarkdown opts) headers
   let alignHeader alignment = case alignment of
                                 AlignLeft    -> leftAlignBlock

tests/tables.markdown

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Simple table with caption:
       123 123      123    123
         1 1         1     1
   
-  Table: Demonstration of simple table syntax.
+  : Demonstration of simple table syntax.
 
 Simple table without caption:
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Simple table indented two spaces:
       123 123      123    123
         1 1         1     1
   
-  Table: Demonstration of simple table syntax.
+  : Demonstration of simple table syntax.
 
 Multiline table with caption:
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Multiline table with caption:
                                       rows.
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   
-  Table: Here's the caption. It may span multiple lines.
+  : Here's the caption. It may span multiple lines.
 
 Multiline table without caption:
 

tests/tables.plain

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Simple table with caption:
       123 123      123    123
         1 1         1     1
   
-  Table: Demonstration of simple table syntax.
+  : Demonstration of simple table syntax.
 
 Simple table without caption:
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Simple table indented two spaces:
       123 123      123    123
         1 1         1     1
   
-  Table: Demonstration of simple table syntax.
+  : Demonstration of simple table syntax.
 
 Multiline table with caption:
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Multiline table with caption:
                                       rows.
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   
-  Table: Here's the caption. It may span multiple lines.
+  : Here's the caption. It may span multiple lines.
 
 Multiline table without caption:
 

tests/tables.txt

@@ -24,10 +24,13 @@ Simple table indented two spaces:
       123     123       123          123    
         1     1          1             1    
 
-  Table:  Demonstration of simple table syntax.
+  :  Demonstration of simple table syntax.
 
 Multiline table with caption:
 
+:  Here's the caption.
+It may span multiple lines.
+
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
  Centered   Left             Right
   Header    Aligned        Aligned  Default aligned
@@ -39,9 +42,6 @@ Multiline table with caption:
                                     the blank line between rows.
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
 
-Table:  Here's the caption.
-It may span multiple lines.
-
 Multiline table without caption:
 
 ---------------------------------------------------------------