Dotted Notation

Nib uses a simple numeric notation to identify chapters and scenes across every command:

• 3 — chapter 3
• 3.2 — chapter 3, scene 2
• 1-5 — chapters 1 through 5
• 1.1-3.2 — from chapter 1 scene 1 through chapter 3 scene 2

This notation is the universal coordinate system — every nib command that works with chapters or scenes accepts it.

# Index chapters 1 through 3
$ nib continuity index 1-3

# Critique chapter 5, scene 2
$ nib manuscript critique 5.2

# Build only chapters 1-10
$ nib manuscript build 1-10

Dotted notation vs chapter numbering

Dotted notation refers to a chapter’s position in book.yaml, not its display name. The two can diverge when some chapters have names and others don’t.

Unnamed chapters are automatically numbered in the manuscript using only the unnamed chapters. Named chapters and interludes are excluded from this numbering. For example:

The first scene in “Chapter Three” is referenced as 5.1 — position 5 in book.yaml — even though it renders as “Chapter Three” in the manuscript. Named chapters and interludes break the numbering sequence without consuming a chapter number.

Use nib manuscript toc to see the mapping between dotted notation and chapter headings:

$ nib ma toc
1       Chapter 1
1.1     brad-house
2       Reckoning
2.1     terence-house
3       Chapter 3
3.1     susan-house

Here “Reckoning” is a named chapter at position 2, so the unnamed chapters around it become “Chapter 1” and “Chapter 3” — but the dotted notation always matches the position.