path: root/info/ltx3pub/vt05d01.tex

%%% ====================================================================
%%%  @LaTeX3-article{  LaTeX3-VT05-01,
%%%  filename        = "vt05d01.tex",
%%%  archived        = "ctan:/tex-archive/info/ltx3pub/",
%%%  author          = "Ed Sznyter",
%%%  doc-group       = "Volunteer task VT05",
%%%  title           = "Research on Syntax for Tables",
%%%  version         = "1.02",
%%%  date            = "02 April 1993",
%%%  time            = "22:48:49 GMT",
%%%  status          = "public, contributed",
%%%  author-email    = "ews@babel.babel.com",
%%%  author-address  = "",
%%%  abstract        = "This is a preliminary overview of the direction
%%%                     for further research on tables.  Much research
%%%                     remains to be done; in particular, the
%%%                     bibliography needs to be expanded, especially
%%%                     to include input from graphic designers and
%%%                     SGML users.
%%%
%%%                     Commonly requested features are listed, but
%%%                     more are needed.  Because of limitations in
%%%                     \TeX\ and the small systems it must run on,
%%%                     many capabilities necessary for high-quality
%%%                     typesetting are unmanageable or must be
%%%                     relegated to optional substyles.  Nonetheless,
%%%                     this list should include even functions we can
%%%                     not implement, if only to document the reasons.
%%%                     ",
%%%  keywords        = "Tables.Syntax",
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%%%                     c/o Dr. Chris Rowley      \\
%%%                     The Open University       \\
%%%                     Parsifal College          \\
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\documentstyle{l3ms001}

\title{Research on Syntax for Tables}
\author{Ed Sznyter}
\date{02 April 1993 \\
Version 1.02}

\begin{document}

\maketitle

\begin{abstract}
This is a preliminary overview of the direction
for further research on tables.  Much research
remains to be done; in particular, the
bibliography needs to be expanded, especially
to include input from graphic designers and
SGML users.

Commonly requested features are listed, but
more are needed.  Because of limitations in
\TeX\ and the small systems it must run on,
many capabilities necessary for high-quality
typesetting are unmanageable or must be
relegated to optional substyles.  Nonetheless,
this list should include even functions we can
not implement, if only to document the reasons.
\end{abstract}

\section{Functionality}

Many desirable capabilities are already implemented in macro packages
such as lamstex, bigtabular.sty, longtable.sty, supertab.sty.  Other
features are noticeably lacking. Many of the functions demand a high
price in performance.

\begin{enumerate}
  \item The `a', or alpha, column of tbl, which aligns left (with all
    other 'a' columns) and centers on the longest width.  This is
    necessary for aligning column heads.

  \item A `d', or decimally-aligned column, that works as
    automatically as tbl's.  Current solutions require manually
    counting the number of digits on either side of the decimal, or
    heuristics that assume a certain width (which leads to possible
    collisions or ridiculous bearoff).  Most solutions assume
    monospaced digits without punctuation (other than the decimal
    point) and can't handle alpha entries.

  \item More complete control over column width balancing.  You might
    want to make a set of columns equal width, or equal to the width
    of a selected columns.

  \item Table footnotes and sourcenotes.  These usually depend on the
    width of the table, so can not be formatted independently.

  \item Element shading.  This seems hopeless in a printer-independent
    world, but is too useful to exclude.

  \item A more complete pallet of rules---hairline, thick, thin,
    colored, dashed, etc.  I have been unable to get vertical leaders
    to work properly across rows of an \verb|\halign|.

  \item A more complete version of \verb|\cline|; i.e., leaders that
    span a subset of columns (or rows).  For example, to group entries
    below a spanning subhead I've used downbraces and a rule that
    doesn't reach the intercolumn vertical rules.

  \item Entries that span vertical columns.  Lamstex probably solves
    this, but apparently at great compute cost.

  \item Better control over vertical placement of entries within the
    row (i.e., top, center, bottom).

  \item Tables that continue on multiple pages (repeating headings).
    It is {\em usually} required that multi-page tables preserve the
    column widths across pages; memory limits would require multiple
    passes or an external program (like tbl; even tbl has limits of
    200 lines and 20 columns).  Note that the heading might not be
    repeated on a spread.

    It is also common to have very wide tables extend horizontally
    across the binding gutter, usually repeating the stub column.  The
    height of rows must preserved, especially on the same spread.
    This isn't simply a transpose of vertically broken tables.

    Per-page subtotal lines are beyond the capabilities of TeX, but
    one can envision some sort of communication with, e.g., a
    spreadsheet program so subsequent runs can produce these entries.
    If we are to formalize such communication, then why not offload
    most of the work to a tbl-like program?

\end{enumerate}

Some issues, such as continuation captions, captions that are
integrated into the table structure, and being able to specify floats
that cover spreads are at least partially the domain of the ``Research
on figures and captions.''

\section{Syntax}

Currently, tables specifications are completely procedural; column
designators and rules define the representation, not element type, of
table entries.

Using single letters for column designations has been a standard in
both \LaTeX\ and tbl. This now seems restrictive---new column types
can be defined easily and assigned to single-letter column designators
(see newarray.sty), so mnemonic choices are quickly exhausted, forcing
unnatural choices.

\verb|\multicolumn| is cumbersome and should only be used for rare
entries; there should be a better way to specify controls for
different parts of the table (heading, body, footing) as in tbl.

There is not a clean mechanism for defining different styles of tables
within a single document.

\section{Taxonomy}
A standard table may be broken up into the following elements.
\begin{itemize}
\item box head (contains all column headings)
  \begin{itemize}
  \item Spanning \{sub\}head
  \item Column head
  \item Stub head (above row heads)
  \end{itemize}
\item Row heads
\item Panel (actual table entries)
\item Total line
\end{itemize}

Some rules are
\begin{itemize}
\item head rule---above the box head
\item cutoff rule--below the box head
\item spanner rule---below a spanning head
\item foot rule---below the table
\item total rule---above the total row
\end{itemize}


\begin{thebibliography}{Rhe92b}
\bibitem[Bea85]{XEROX:RBe85}
Richard~J. Beach.
\newblock Setting tables and illustrations with style.
\newblock Technical Report CSL-85-3, Xerox Corporation, Research
Center, Palo Alto, Califonia 94304, May 1985.

\bibitem[Bea86]{Nottingham:RBe86}
R.~J. Beach.
\newblock Tabular typography.
\newblock In J.~C. van Vliet, editor, {\em Text processing and document
  manipulation}, British Computer Society Workshop Series, pages 18--33,
  Cambridge, April 1986. Cambridge University Press.

\bibitem[Car90]{unp:DCa90}
David Carlisle.
\newblock Some notes on the longtable environment.
\newblock Available from \TeX{} servers, December 1990.

\bibitem[Chi82]{UCP:CMoS82}
{\em The Chicago Manual of Style}.
\newblock University of Chicago Press, Chicago, London, 13th edition,
1982.

\bibitem[Duc90]{unp:DDu90}
Denys Duchier
\newblock bibtabular.sty
\newblock Available from \TeX{} servers, July 1990.

\bibitem[Fra91]{:FTC91}
Frame Technology Corporation.
\newblock New Features in FrameMaker.
\newblock Part Number 41-01040-00, May 1991.

\bibitem[Gor92]{unp:TGo92}
Tom Gordon.
\newblock The qwertz SGML Document Types.
\newblock Version 1.2, German National Research Center for
Computer Science, January 1992.

\bibitem[Jur91]{unp:TJu91}
Theo Jurriens
\newblock supertab.doc
\newblock Available from \TeX{} servers, August 1991.

\bibitem[Les]{USD:MLe}
M.E. Lesk
\newblock {\it Tbl---A Program to Format Tables}.
USD:28

\bibitem[Van92]{Lausanne:CVa92}
Christine Vanoirbeek.
\newblock Formatting structured tables.
\newblock In C.~Vanoirbeek and G.~Coray, editors, {\em Electronic
Publishing '92}, pages 291--309, Cambridge, April 1992. Cambridge
University Press.
\end{thebibliography}

\end{document}