From e0c6872cf40896c7be36b11dcc744620f10adf1d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Norbert Preining Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2019 13:46:59 +0900 Subject: Initial commit --- usergrps/uktug/baskervi/4_4/siep.tex | 429 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 429 insertions(+) create mode 100644 usergrps/uktug/baskervi/4_4/siep.tex (limited to 'usergrps/uktug/baskervi/4_4/siep.tex') diff --git a/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/4_4/siep.tex b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/4_4/siep.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e129727c2f --- /dev/null +++ b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/4_4/siep.tex @@ -0,0 +1,429 @@ +\newcommand{\px}[1]{{\parbox[t]{1.1in}{\raggedright #1}}} +\newcommand{\py}[1]{{\parbox[t]{1.7in}{\raggedright #1}}} +\newcommand{\dbr}{\discretionary{}{}{}} +\newcommand{\mydefaults}{% + \renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{1.1}% + \sf + \scriptsize} + + +\title{Table design} +\author[Siep Kroonenberg]{Siep Kroonenberg\\ +\texttt{N.S.Kroonenberg@eco.rug.nl}} +\begin{Article} + +\begin{figure*} + +{\sf\bf Example: before and after} + +\vspace{9pt} + +\footnotesize +\noindent +\begin{minipage}[t]{3.2in} +{\bf Economic forecasts for 1992} + +\begin{tabular}{|l|r@{}l|r@{}l|} +\hline + & \multicolumn{4}{c|}{forecast}\\ +\cline{2-5} +variable & \multicolumn{2}{c|}{Grecon} & + \multicolumn{2}{c|}{CPB} \\ + & & & + \multicolumn{2}{c|}{(MEV '92)}\\ +\hline + &\multicolumn{4}{l|}{\% mutations}\\ + &\multicolumn{4}{l|}{w.r.t. 1991}\\ +\cline{2-5} +real consumption ($c$) & 1&.1 &1&.25\\ +price index consumption ($p_c$) & 2&.6 &3&.25\\ +real investments ($i_m$) &1&.4 &-2&.5\\ +export price index ($p_b$) & 3&.5 &3&.25\\ +real import of goods ($m$) & 4&.1 &3&\\ +real output of goods ($v'$) &2&.5 &2&.1\footnote{% + The quantities $v'$ and $bpr$ aren't given as such by the CPB. The + CPB data presented here are computed using their GRECON definitional + equations. For details, see appendix D.} \\ +real domestic production ($bpr$) &1&.4 &1&.6\\ +private employment ($a$) &0&.32 &0&\\ +wage rate ($l$) &4&.0 &4&\\ +government income (\%) &-0&.1 & \multicolumn{2}{c|}{--\footnote{% +Not available.} +}\\ +\ \ from output of goods ($iso'$) &&&&\\ +\cline{2-5} +& \multicolumn{4}{l|}{absolute quantities}\\ +\cline{2-5} +unemployment ($\times$1000 persons) &510&\footnote{% + Not a model outcome: see text in par.\ 3.1 and 3.2.} & 525&\\ +balance of payments ($10^9$ Hfl) &24&.4&25&.0 \\ +\hline +\end{tabular} +\end{minipage}\hfill% +% +\begin{minipage}[t]{3.1in} +\mydefaults +\mpfoot +{\bf\small Economic forecasts for 1992} + +\vspace{-3pt} + +\noindent\rule{\linewidth}{1pt} + +\vspace*{3pt} +\begin{tabular*}{\linewidth}{@{}l@{~~~~}r@{}lr@{}l@{}} + & \multicolumn{4}{l@{}}{\bf\sf Grecon~~~~~CPB\footnote{MEV '92}} + \\[3pt] +\hline \\[-6pt] +\em mutations w.r.t. 1991 \\ +real consumption ($c$) & 1&.1 &1&.25 \\ +price index consumption ($p_c$) & 2&.6 &3&.25 \\ +real investments ($i_m$) &1&.4 &$-$2&.5 \\ +export price index ($p_b$) & 3&.5 &3&.25 \\ +real import of goods ($m$) & 4&.1 &3 \\ +real output of goods ($v'$) &2&.5 &2&.1\footnote{% + The quantities $v'$ and $bpr$ aren't given as such by the CPB. The + CPB data presented here are computed using their GRECON definitional + equations. For details, see appendix D.} \\ +real domestic production ($bpr$) + &1&.4 &1&.6 \\ +private employment ($a$) + &0&.32 &0 \\ +wage rate ($l$) &4&.0 &4 \\ +government income (\%) \\ +\ \ from output of goods ($iso'$) &$-$0&.1 &--&{}\footnote{% + Not available}\\[6pt] +\em absolute quantities \\ +unemployment ($\times$1000) & 510 &\footnote{% + Not a model outcome: see text in par.\ 3.1 and 3.2.} & 525 \\ +balance of payments (10$^9$ Hfl) &24&.4 & 25&.0 +\end{tabular*} +\vspace*{-6pt} +\end{minipage} + +\vspace{9pt} + +\end{figure*} + +\begin{quote} +{\em [Editor's note: I am grateful to +Siep Kroonenberg and Gerard van Nes (editor) for permission to reprint this +article from MAPS, the journal of the Nederlandstalige \TeX\ +Gebruikersgroep.]} +\end{quote} + +\noindent +\LaTeX\ users generally seem unaware of current ideas on table design. +The following table is a typical \LaTeX\ production: + +\vspace{6pt} + +{\footnotesize +\begin{tabular}{|l|rr|} +\hline +\multicolumn{3}{|c|}{\bf \LaTeX\ table design}\\ +\hline + & 1991 & 1992 \\ +\hline +Unemployment ($\times$1000) & 500 & 600 \\ +Balance of Payments (10$^9$ Hfl) & 24 & 25 \\ +\hline +\end{tabular}} + +\vspace{6pt} + +In a professionally-designed publication, the above table would +probably look more like this: + +\vspace{6pt} + +{\mydefaults +\begin{tabular}{@{}lrr@{}} +\multicolumn{3}{@{}l@{}}{\small\bf Common sense table design} \\[3pt] +\hline \\[-6pt] + & \bf 1991 & \bf 1992 \\ [3pt] +\cline{2-3} \\[-6pt] +Unemployment ($\times$1000) & 500 & 600 \\ +Balance of Payments (10$^9$ Hfl) & 24 & 25 \\ +\end{tabular}} + +\vspace{6pt} + +If you read a book on typography, \eg \cite{treebus} or \cite{mclean}: +you'll find that they use rules and boxes with far more restraint, and +rely more on white space and variation in typefaces for organization. + +The table examples in \cite{lamport} were (I hope) merely intended to +demonstrate techniques. However, their style was almost unanimously +adopted by \LaTeX\ users. + +So I think that some design education is in order. I am not a +design professional. However, many people never even think about +table design; so if I set them thinking and they start reading books on +typography by real professionals then this paper has served its purpose. + +{\bf Note.} This is not meant to be a technical exposition. +\cite{bernard} and \cite{lamport} tell you most of the technical things +you need to know. All the same, I have indicated here and there with +what codes or constructs you might accomplish certain effects. + +\section{Basics of table design} + +A table should present its information as clearly as possible. +Typographic means to organize this information includes rules, white +space, choice of typefaces and appropriate headings and captions. But +if a feature doesn't help to make a table clearer, it had better be +left out. + +\vspace{6pt} + +{\mydefaults +\noindent\begin{tabular*}{\linewidth}{@{}lll@{}} +\multicolumn{3}{@{}l@{}}{\small\bf Macroeconomic memoranda} \\[3pt] +\hline \\[-9pt] +1. & \px{Karl L\"ausche, Maria Vader, Theo Zernike} & + \py{Money illusion and savings illusion; an illusionistic look + on neo-\dbr Hegel\-ian monetary theory} \\ \\[-6pt] +\hline \\[-9pt] +2. & \px{Hendrik Kooy\-ker, Johan Zonder\-link} & + \py{BIGTHUMB, a software package for handling missing and politically + incorrect data} \\ \\[-6pt] +\hline \\[-9pt] +3. & Anneke~Draaijer & + \py{Consumer behavior, expectation formation and the long-term + economic effects of risk-aversion} \\ \\[-6pt] +\hline +\end{tabular*}} + +\vspace{6pt} + +\subsection*{Rules and boxes} +Rules have their uses. They can emphasize headings. They can also +separate different items and unite the several data for one item, as in +the table above. Vertical rules, as in the table below, would have the +opposite effect and would be no help at all in making the table easier +to read. + +\vspace{6pt} + +{\mydefaults +\noindent\begin{tabular*}{\linewidth}{@{}l|l|l@{}} +\multicolumn{3}{@{}l@{}}{\small\bf Macroeconomic memoranda} \\[3pt] +\hline && \\ +1. & \px{Karl L\"ausche, Maria Vader, Theo Zernike} & + \py{Money illusion and savings illusion; an illusionistic look + on neo-\dbr Hegel\-ian monetary theory} \\ && \\ +2. & \px{Hendrik Kooy\-ker, Johan Zonder\-link} & + \py{BIGTHUMB, a software package for handling missing and politically + incorrect data} \\ && \\ +3. & Anneke~Draaijer & + \py{Consumer behavior, expectation formation and the long-term + economic effects of risk-aversion} \\ && \\ +\hline +\end{tabular*}} + +\vspace{6pt} + +But even in the earlier example one might wonder whether white space +wouldn't have been more effective than rules. + +A table may also be boxed to set it off from the surrounding text. But +\LaTeX\ users normally don't go through the trouble of wrapping text +around tables and figures; therefore, there is little reason to box in +a table. + +In all cases, there should be enough space between rules and text. A +rule too close to text interferes with readability and makes the text +look cramped. + +An alternative to rules or boxes is a shaded background, preferably in +a second colour. This is not supported by \LaTeX\ as far as I know, +although with PostScript some tricks are possible (see \eg +\cite{bernard} section 11.6). This formatting device requires high +output quality in order to look good. + +\subsection*{Alignment and justification} + +A column of text labels can be left- or right-aligned, or centered. If +the table has any length at all, a centered column can easily look +sloppy. With left- or right-alignment there is at least one straight +edge to give the column structure. Think twice before centering a +column in a longer table. + +A column of figures is usually decimally aligned (see below +for some technical issues). If the figures are unrelated, +you may consider right- or left-alignment instead. + +Don't justify text inside a narrow column or you'll end up with large +distracting holes between words. This is easier said than done, but +see further below. + +\subsection*{Headings} +Headings may get added emphasis by setting them bold, italic, at a +larger point size or in a different typeface. Don't go overboard, +though. The heading of a centered or decimally-aligned column may need +some manual adjustment. + +\section{An example} +We illustrate some of these points with the `before-and-after' example. +It is sufficiently complex to illustrate a number of points; I +am not implying that it is any worse than other \LaTeX\ tables I have +seen. The `before' table is a \LaTeX\ remake of a table from +\cite{grecon}. At an earlier occasion, it has been used as a +demonstration of \LaTeX's table-making capabilities. + +The example table contains footnotes; therefore it is enclosed in a +minipage environment. + +\subsection*{Rules} +The most conspicuous shortcoming of the `before' example is the tight +spacing between horizontal lines and text. I am not aware of a +parameter which controls this distance; however, the `\verb+\\+' +command takes an optional length parameter, also in a \verb+tabular+ +environment. + +In this case, as in most cases, the vertical rules are better left out. +It is advisable to begin and end the column specification with +\verb+@{}+: + +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{@{}l@{}r@{}lr@{}l@{}} +\end{verbatim} + +Without vertical rules, no white space needs to be reserved +at the left- and righthand sides. + +Actually, I used a \verb+tabular*+ environment, which allowed me to +set the width to \verb+\linewidth+: exactly the width of the +minipage. + +Another unfortunate detail is the footnote rule next to the bottom +rule. I solved this by dropping the bottom rule. Also, I redefined in a +separate style file several aspects of minipage footnotes: among +others, the footnote rule now stretches across the width of the +minipage. + +The rule under the title is not part of the +\verb+tabular+ environment, but is constructed +as a `\verb+\rule+'-rule. This made it easy to give it a custom +thickness. Again, the length was set to \verb+\linewidth+. + +\subsection*{Headings} +As to the various headings: the word {\em forecast} repeated +information from the table header and was dropped. The word {\em +variable} could also safely be omitted. + +Aligning the Grecon- and CPB headings at the bottom instead of the top +would have been an improvement, but moving the text `{\em MEV '92}' to +a footnote was even better. Their horizontal positioning was adjusted +by hand, adding `\verb+~+' here and there. + +The `{\em \% mutations...}' and `{\em absolute quantities}' headings +looked rather jarring in the figures columns, and were moved to the +left column. + +\subsection*{Fonts} +Sans serif faces are especially appropriate for tabular material. At +small sizes serifed faces easily look fussy, especially if the output +quality is not top notch. Sans serif faces suffer much less from +scaling down. A sans serif face also helps to set off the table from +the surrouding text. + +Several sizes and weights are used (typographers talk about an italic +{\em weight}; the \TeX\ community should realize that they entertain +rather off-beat ideas about font families). And hyphens are replaced by +proper minus-signs. + +\section{Technical issues}\label{tech} +Some things in \LaTeX\ are harder than they should be. Two notorious +examples are table-related: aligning a column of figures on the decimal +point, and setting text in a table cell ragged right. + +\subsection*{Decimal alignment} +There are at least three ways in \LaTeX\ to accomplish decimal +alignment: +\begin{itemize} +\item If all numbers have the same number of digits after the decimal +point, decimal alignment coincides with right alignment, since in most +fonts all digits have the same width. +\item Split the numbers right before the decimal point, i.e. put an +ampersand `\verb+&+' before the decimal point (or after the number, if +it has none). The column formatting for the resulting two columns +should be \verb+r@{}l+: right-align the part before the decimal point, +left-align the remainder, and put no white space in between. +\item Use the {\tt dcolumn} package by David Carlisle. This is +documented in \cite{bernard} section 5.5.1. +\end{itemize} + +\subsection*{Ragged right justification} +You may have noticed that \verb+\raggedright+ simply doesn't work in a +tabular environment. Again, let me suggest a couple of brute-force +workarounds. +\begin{itemize} +\item Divide the text manually between rows. Of course, this is +practical only in very simple cases. +\item Put a parbox around the text, \eg \\ +\verb+\parbox{1in}{\raggedright+\ {\em text...}\verb+}+ \\ +This is simple enough, but not very elegant since it involves +specifying column widths outside the \verb+\begin{tabular}+ command. +\end{itemize} + +Goossens \emph{et al.} give a more sophisticated solution in section 5.3.1, +`{\em Typesetting Narrow Columns.}' As in the last of the above two +workarounds, it adds code to make \verb+\raggedright+ operational again. + +\section{The trouble with \LaTeX} +It took me a lot of time to prepare the examples in this paper. Even +the standard \LaTeX\ \verb+tabular+ environment has plenty of quirks, +and extension packages such as {\tt array} or {\tt tabularx} only add +to them. Too often, it was a matter of trial and error what would work +and what wouldn't, and that might depend on the package used. In the +end I didn't use any of the table extension packages for this paper. + +In \LaTeX, some aspects of layout and typography can be controlled by +changing a few parameters or by replacing some simple code out of a +style file. But there are quite a few rough spots: sometimes the code +is too cryptic for easy modification and sometimes the code is not in +the style file at all. When typesetting tables one tends to run into +such rough spots. + +Besides \LaTeX, I use high-end wordprocessors and low-end desktop +publishing software. I am exceedingly frustrated that simple things +that you just do in a commercial program, require hours or days of +study and experimentation in \LaTeX. + +Still, \LaTeX\ can't be beaten (yet) for long documents or for +automation. It remains robust and efficient whatever the size and +complexity of the job. So I keep using it for certain types of work. + +I hope that \AllTeX\ developers are seriously addressing \LaTeX's +shortcomings. What is really needed is a more accessible basic \LaTeX\ +system, which doesn't require wizardry to tailor to one's own +preferences, and which can put an end to the current proliferation of +style files to patch up its defects. + +Finally I want to mention that \cite{bernard} was a great help in +preparing this paper, even though the solutions proposed there didn't +always work out. + +\begin{thebibliography}{[GMS94]} + +\bibitem[Treebus 1982]{treebus} Treebus, K. F. {\em Tekstwijzer.} SDU 1982. + +\bibitem[McLean 1980]{mclean} McLean, Ruari. {\em Typography.} Thames and +Hudson 1980. + +\bibitem[Lamport 1986]{lamport} Lamport, Leslie. {\em \LaTeX, A Document +Preparation System.} Addison-Wesley 1986. + +\bibitem[Goossens \emph{et~al.}~1994]{bernard} +Goossens, Michel, Frank Mittelbach, Alexander +Samarin. {\em The \LaTeX\ Companion.} Addison-Wesley 1994. + +\bibitem[DV91]{grecon} Dietzenbacher, H.W.A., W. Voorhoeve. {\em Het +model GRECON 91-D. Septembervoorspellingen voor 1992}. +Onderzoeksmemorandum no. 450. Economics Department, Groningen +University 1991. + +\end{thebibliography} +\end{Article} -- cgit v1.2.3