/* char_link -- '[': parsing a link or an image */
static size_t char_link(
  struct Blob *ob,
  struct render *rndr,
  char *data,
  size_t offset,
  size_t size     /* parse_inline() ensures that size > 0 */
){
  const int is_img = (offset && data[-1] == '!');
  size_t i = 1, txt_e;
  struct Blob *content = 0;
  struct Blob *link = 0;
  struct Blob *title = 0;
  const struct footnote *fn = 0;
  int ret;


  /* checking whether the correct renderer exists */
  if( (is_img && !rndr->make.image) || (!is_img && !rndr->make.link) ){
    return 0;
  }

  /* looking for the matching closing bracket */
  txt_e = matching_bracket_offset(data, data+size);
  if( !txt_e ) return 0;
  i = txt_e + 1;









  ret = 0; /* error if we don't get to the callback */

  /* free-standing footnote refernece */
  if(!is_img && size>3 && data[1]=='^'){

    fn = get_footnote(rndr, data+2, txt_e-2);
    if( !fn ) {
      rndr->notes.misref.nUsed++;
      fn = &rndr->notes.misref;
    }
  }else{

    /* skip "inter-bracket-whitespace" - any amount of whitespace or newline */
    /* (this is much more laxist than original markdown syntax) */
    while( i<size && (data[i]==' ' || data[i]=='\t' || data[i]=='\n') ){ i++; }

    /* allocate temporary buffers to store content, link and title */
    title = new_work_buffer(rndr);
    content = new_work_buffer(rndr);

    link = new_work_buffer(rndr);

    if( i<size && data[i]=='(' ){

      if( i+2<size && data[i+1]=='^' ){  /* span-bounded inline footnote */

        const size_t k = matching_bracket_offset(data+i, data+size);
        if( !k ) goto char_link_cleanup;
        fn = add_inline_footnote(rndr, data+(i+2), k-2);
        i += k+1;
      }else{                             /* inline style link  */
        size_t span_end = i;
        while( span_end<size
         && !(data[span_end]==')' && (span_end==i || data[span_end-1]!='\\'))
        ){
          span_end++;
        }

        if( span_end>=size
         || get_link_inline(link, title, data+i+1, span_end-(i+1))<0
        ){
          goto char_link_cleanup;
        }

        i = span_end+1;
      }

    /* reference style link or span-bounded footnote reference */
    }else if( i<size && data[i]=='[' ){
      char *id_data;
      size_t id_size, id_end = i;
      int bFootnote;

      while( id_end<size && data[id_end]!=']' ){ id_end++; }

      if( id_end>=size ) goto char_link_cleanup;
      bFootnote = data[i+1]=='^';

      if( i+1==id_end || (bFootnote && i+2==id_end) ){
        /* implicit id - use the contents */
        id_data = data+1;
        id_size = txt_e-1;
      }else{
        /* explicit id - between brackets */
        id_data = data+i+1;
        id_size = id_end-(i+1);
        if( bFootnote ){
          id_data++;
          id_size--;
        }
      }

      if( bFootnote ){
        fn = get_footnote(rndr, id_data, id_size);
        if( !fn ) {
          rndr->notes.misref.nUsed++;
          fn = &rndr->notes.misref;
        }
      }else if( get_link_ref(rndr, link, title, id_data, id_size)<0 ){
        goto char_link_cleanup;
      }

      i = id_end+1;

    /* shortcut reference style link */
    }else{
      if( get_link_ref(rndr, link, title, data+1, txt_e-1)<0 ){
        goto char_link_cleanup;
      }
      /* rewinding an "inter-bracket-whitespace" */
      i = txt_e+1;
    }
  }
  /* building content: img alt is escaped, link content is parsed */
  if( txt_e>1 && content ){
    if( is_img ) blob_append(content, data+1, txt_e-1);
    else parse_inline(content, rndr, data+1, txt_e-1);
  }

  /* calling the relevant rendering function */