Org-mode list with a mix of unordered and description list items?

Question

It seems that all items in plain text unordered list have to contain descriptions, otherwise the HTML export is incorrect.

Example:

- item1 :: item1 description bla bla bla
- item2
- item3

then I export it to HTML, the result is

item1
  item1 description bla bla bla
(no terms)
  item2
(no terms)
  item3

I see that item2 and item3 are exported incorrectly as if the original test was no terms :: item2?

Answer 1

This is the expected behavior.

A list ends whenever every item has ended, which means before any line less or equally indented than items at top level. It also ends before two blank lines. In that case, all items are closed.¹

When switching between the different kinds of plain lists, i.e. unordered, ordered and description, org-mode will need the end of each list to be clearly defined.

In your example

    - item1 :: item1 description bla bla bla
    - item2
    - item3

the list begins as a description list and immediately transitions into an unordered list.

---

To switch between types provide a clear ending to each type of list:

Option 1 - Indent description list under an empty unordered list.

    -
      - item1 :: item1 description bla bla bla
    - item2
    - item3

exports to html as

<ul class="org-ul">
        <li><dl class="org-dl">
                <dt> item1 </dt><dd>item1 description bla bla bla
                </dd>
            </dl>
        </li>
        <li>item2
        </li>
        <li>item3
        </li>
</ul>

And will render like this

• item1
  item1 description bla bla bla
• item2
• item3

I recommend this option 1

---

Option 2 - Create 2 lists by adding 2 blank lines after description list.

 - item1 :: item1 description bla bla bla


 - item2
 - item3

will export to html as

<dl class="org-dl">
        <dt> item1 </dt><dd>item1 description bla bla bla
                        </dd>
</dl>


<ul class="org-ul">
        <li>item2
        </li>
        <li>item3
        </li>
</ul>

And will render like this

item1
item1 description bla bla bla

• item2
• item3

This answer was tested using

GNU Emacs 24.4.1 (x86_64-unknown-cygwin)
of 2014-11-14

org-version: 8.2.10

Answer 2

If I understand your question, this should work:

- item1 :: item1 description bla bla bla
- item2 ::
- item3 ::

This produces:

item1
        item1 description bla bla bla
item2
item3