Unclear how to access array elements in {{< meta >}}

[multimeric]

Description

The quarto documentation explains how to use metadata within the document, and also how to access nested values using the dot notation: https://quarto.org/docs/authoring/variables.html. However, it doesn't explain how to access array/list elements, and indeed I can't find a syntax that supports this.

In the following document I show my attempts to do this:

---
top: "Top Lvel"
nested:
    str: "Nested String"
    array:
        - foo
        - bar
---

{{< meta top >}}
{{< meta nested.str >}}
{{< meta nested.array[0] >}}
{{< meta nested.array[1] >}}
{{< meta nested.array.0 >}}
{{< meta nested.array.1 >}}

This renders to PDF like this, showing that none of my attempted array accesses worked:

[cderv]

It is currently a limitation of how shortcodes works - it does not support yet arrays or maps.

It is not mentioned in the doc, but I can see reference of this limitation in our code comment

quarto-cli/src/resources/filters/quarto-pre/shortcodes-handlers.lua

Lines 126 to 130 in a67ae2a

	-- Implements reading values from document metadata
	-- as {{< meta title >}}
	-- or {{< meta key.subkey.subkey >}}
	-- This only supports emitting simple types (not arrays or maps)
	function handleMeta(args)

I'll open an issue to track this as possible improvement. cc @dragonstyle

[cderv]

See

• Access array elements in shortcodes like {{< meta >}} #6769

[cderv]

This will be possible in 1.4 now using the following syntax

---
top: "Top Lvel"
nested:
    str: "Nested String"
    array:
        - foo
        - bar
---

{{< meta top >}}
{{< meta nested.str >}}
{{< meta nested.array.1 >}}

It will be available from v1.4.535