Question blocks¶

The questions: | block supports four notations.

Any line may carry a # comment, and a line holding nothing but a comment is skipped — including inside a multi-line group or a pool. See Comments.

Simple¶

Repeat the same question n times:

(10) multi_direct 2-9×2-9

Pipe¶

Pick randomly among alternatives on each repetition. Use | with no spaces inside braces:

(4) {multi_direct|multi_reversed} 2-9×2-9
(3) multi_direct {2-5×2-5|6-9×6-9}

The pipe can be applied to identifiers, sources, or both sides independently.

It also works on the value of an option, with the same rules — one draw per question, no space inside the group:

(6) square_of 4-9×4-9 -- variant={default|wording}

See Option alternatives for the details, in particular the default value and the two forms that are not supported: a group nested inside a source group, and a group on a bare flag.

Mix¶

Pair a fixed set of identifiers with a fixed set of sources, randomly shuffled at generation time. The count must equal the number of identifiers and the number of sources. Identifiers are space-separated; sources are separated by spaces or ;:

(3) {multi_direct multi_reversed multi_hole} {2×6-9; 3×5-9; 4×4-8}

Options can be given to a single source, inside the group — which requires the ; separator, since spaces separate the sources themselves:

(2) {multi_direct multi_hole} {2-9×2-9 -- variant=x; 3-9×3-9 -- variant=y}

Groups can span multiple lines:

(6) {multi_direct
     multi_direct
     multi_hole
     multi_hole
     multi_reversed
     multi_reversed}{
     2×6-9
     3×5-9
     4×4-8
     5×5-9
     6×7
     7×8}

Options after a group¶

Options written after a source group apply to every source of that group, whichever notation it uses:

(2) {multi_direct multi_hole} {2-9×2-9; 3-9×3-9} -- variant=x
(3) multi_direct {2-5×2-5|6-9×6-9} -- variant=x

A source carrying its own options keeps them: the more specific value wins. In the line below, the first source is generated with variant=y and the second with variant=x:

(2) {id1 id2} {src1 -- variant=y; src2} -- variant=x

Anything other than options after a group is an error — the group closes the source part of the line.

Pool¶

Sample n questions at random from a weighted pool. Each line adds (weight) copies of a question to the pool; n must not exceed the total weight:

(1) {{ multi_direct 6×6 (1)
       multi_reversed 6×6 (1)
       multi_hole 6×6 (1)
       multi_direct 4×9 (1)
       multi_reversed 4×9 (1)
       multi_hole 4×9 (1) }}

A pool item can be commented out like any other line — the total weight the count is checked against follows what is left:

(2) {{ multi_direct 6×6 (1)
       # multi_reversed 6×6 (1)   <- out for now
       multi_hole 6×6 (2) }}

Pool lines can also use pipe notation:

(2) {{ {multi_direct|multi_reversed} 4-9×4-9 (3)
       multi_hole fractions (2) }}