[pmwiki-users] Using Page Text Variables {$:Var} for multi-line Includes

[Pico]

Currently, the new page text variables {$:var} store values up until 
the first line break.  Long paragraphs are apparently ok, as long as 
the text is wrapped without intervening line breaks.  Apart from that, 
page text variables do not appear to work with multi-line text.

(1) Are there any work-arounds that would allow line breaks in page 
text variables?

(2) Are there any plans to support line breaks in page text variables?

(3) Are page text variables more "efficient" than the include directive?  
In other words, if I can use anchors to define the start and end of an 
include, is there any downside to just sticking with includes instread
of calling for an enhancement to page text variables to support 
multi-line values?  In asking this, I understand the basic differences:
(1) that the number of includes are limited (but that number can be 
changed); (2) that additional markup is supported with includes, but 
not page text variables; and (3) that there may be plans to support 
functions to modify page text variables.  But what I don't know is if 
extensive use of include directives to populate pagelist generated 
tables that display chunks of multi-line text in numerous rows and 
columns is more likely to run up against basic limitations that would 
be avoided if page list templates could be used to accomplish the same 
ends.

Pico