diff options
author | Karl Berry <karl@freefriends.org> | 2009-10-09 22:55:11 +0000 |
---|---|---|
committer | Karl Berry <karl@freefriends.org> | 2009-10-09 22:55:11 +0000 |
commit | 4be9896a3192173699de340a9f0475654efedb3a (patch) | |
tree | da0e954012cd781f875c761c42f6a76e50e2f272 /Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-how-do-i.tex | |
parent | bd1227ad4919d2fbe17d63213bf48542f9c36f38 (diff) |
faq 3.19a update (9oct09)
git-svn-id: svn://tug.org/texlive/trunk@15725 c570f23f-e606-0410-a88d-b1316a301751
Diffstat (limited to 'Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-how-do-i.tex')
-rw-r--r-- | Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-how-do-i.tex | 3888 |
1 files changed, 3888 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-how-do-i.tex b/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-how-do-i.tex new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..f6427148267 --- /dev/null +++ b/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-how-do-i.tex @@ -0,0 +1,3888 @@ +% $Id: faq-how-do-i.tex,v 1.3 2009/10/06 22:23:45 rf10 Exp rf10 $ + +\section{How do I do\dots{}?} + +\subsection{Mathematics} + +\Question[Q-proof]{Proof environment} + +It has long been thought impossible to make a \environment{proof} +environment which automatically includes an `end-of-proof' symbol. +Some proofs end in displayed maths; others do not. If the input file +contains +% beware line break +\texttt{...\csx{]} }\cmdinvoke{end}{proof} then \LaTeX{} finishes off +the displayed maths and gets ready for a new line before it reads any +instructions connected with ending the proof, so the code is very +tricky. You \emph{can} insert the symbol by hand, but the +\Package{ntheorem} package now solves the problem for \LaTeX{} users: +it does indeed provide an automatic way of signalling the end of a +proof. + +The \AMSLaTeX{} package \Package{amsthm} also provides a +\environment{proof} environment that does the job; though you need to +insert a \csx{qedhere} command if the proof ends with a displayed +equation: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{proof} + text... + \begin{equation*} + maths... \tag*{\qedhere} + \end{equation*} +\end{proof} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The \cmdinvoke{tag*}{\csx{qedhere}} construction may be used in any of +\AMSLaTeX{}'s numbering environments. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[amsthm.sty]Distributed as part of the \AMSLaTeX{} bundle + \CTANref{amslatex} +\item[ntheorem.sty]\CTANref{ntheorem} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-theoremfmt]{Theorem bodies printed in a roman font} + +If you want to take advantage of the powerful \csx{newtheorem} command +without the constraint that the contents of the theorem is in a sloped +font (for example, you may want to use it to create remarks, examples, proofs, +\dots{}) then you can use the \AMSLaTeX{} \Package{amsthm} package +(which now supersedes the \Package{theorem} package previously +recommended in these answers). +Alternatively, the following sets up an environment +\environment{remark} whose content is in the default roman font. +\begin{quote} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\newtheorem{preremark}{Remark} +\newenvironment{remark}% + {\begin{preremark}\upshape}% + {\end{preremark}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\newtheorem{preremark}{Remark} +\newenvironment{remark}% + {\begin{preremark}\upshape}{\end{preremark}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\end{quote} +The \Package{ntheorem} package provides control of the fonts used by +theorems, directly. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[amsthm.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{amslatex} +\item[ntheorem.sty]\CTANref{ntheorem} +\item[theorem.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-newfunction]{Defining a new log-like function in \LaTeX{}} + +Use the \csx{mathop} command, as in: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\newcommand{\diag}{\mathop{\mathrm{diag}}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + +Subscripts and superscripts on \csx{diag} will be placed below and +above the function name, as they are on +\csx{lim}. If you want your subscripts and superscripts always placed +to the right, do: +\begin{quote} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\newcommand{\diag}% + {\mathop{\mathrm{diag}}\nolimits} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\newcommand{\diag}{\mathop{\mathrm{diag}}\nolimits} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\end{quote} + +\AMSLaTeX{} (in its \Package{amsopn} package, which is automatically +loaded by \Package{amsmath}) provides a command +\csx{DeclareMathOperator} that takes does the same job as the first +definition above. To create our original \csx{diag} command, one would +say: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\DeclareMathOperator{\diag}{diag} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +\csx{DeclareMathOperator*} declares the operator always to have its +sub- and superscripts in the % ! line break +``\Qref*{\csx{limits} position}{Q-limits}''. + +The \Package{amsopn} command \csx{operatorname} allows you to +introduce \emph{ad hoc} operators into your mathematics, so +\begin{quote} + \csx{[} \cmdinvoke{operatorname}{foo}\texttt{(bar)} \csx{]} +\end{quote} +typesets the same as +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\DeclareMathOperator{\foo}{foo} +... +\[ \foo(bar) \] +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +As with \csx{DeclareMathOperator} there's a starred version +\csx{operatorname*} for sub- and superscripts in the limits position. + +(It should be noted that ``log-like'' was reportedly a \emph{joke} on +Lamport's part; it is of course clear what was meant.) +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[amsopn.sty]In the \AMSLaTeX{} distribution \CTANref{amslatex} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-braket]{Set specifications and Dirac brackets} + +One of the few glaring omissions from \TeX{}'s mathematical +typesetting capabilities is a means of setting separators in the +middle of mathematical expressions. \TeX{} provides primitives called +\csx{left} and \csx{right}, which can be used to modify brackets (of +whatever sort) around a mathematical expression, as in: +% beware line wrap +\csx{left(}\texttt{ <expression> }\csx{right)}~--- the size of the +parentheses is matched to the vertical extent of the expression. + +However, in all sorts of mathematical enterprises one may find oneself +needing a \csx{middle} command, to be used in expressions like +\begin{quote} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\left\{ x \in \mathbb{N} \middle| x \mbox{ even} \right\} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\left\{ x\in \mathbb{N} \middle| + x \mbox{ even} \right\} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\end{quote} +to specify the set of even natural numbers. The % ! line break +\Qref*{\eTeX{} system}{Q-etex} +defines just such a command, but users of Knuth's original need some +support. Donald Arseneau's \Package{braket} package provides commands +for set specifications (as above) and for Dirac brackets (and bras and +kets). The package uses the \eTeX{} built-in command if it finds +itself running under \eTeX{}. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[braket.sty]\CTANref{braket} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-cancellation]{Cancelling terms in maths expressions} + +A technique used when explaining the behaviour of expressions or +equations (often for pedagogical purposes). The \Package{cancel} +package provides several variants of cancellation marks +(``\texttt{\textbackslash }'', ``\texttt{/}'' and ``\texttt{X}''), and +a means of cancelling `to' a particular value. + +Documentation of \Package{cancel} is in the package file. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[cancel.sty]\CTANref{cancel} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-mathsize]{Adjusting maths font sizes} + +In \plaintex{}, when you introduce a new font size you must also +declare what size fonts are to be used in mathematics with it. This +is done by declaring \csx{textfont}, \csx{scriptfont} and +\csx{scriptscriptfont} for the maths families you're using; all such +things are described in chapter~17 of the % line wrap! +\Qref*{\TeX{}book}{Q-books} and in other books and +\Qref*{tutorials}{Q-man-tex} that discuss \plaintex{} in sufficient +detail. + +In \LaTeX{}, of course, all this stuff is automated: there is a scheme +that, for each (text) font size, determines what maths font sizes are +to be used. The scheme first checks a set of ``known'' text sizes, +for each of which maths sizes are declared in advance. If the text +size isn't ``known'', the script- and scriptscriptfont sizes are +calculated as fixed ratios of the tex font size. (The values used are +\csx{defaultscriptratio}\ensuremath{=}0.7, and +\csx{defaultscriptscriptratio}\ensuremath{=}0.5.) + +The fixed-ratio formula is capable of producing inconvenient results +(particularly if you are using fonts which \LaTeX{} believes are only +available in a fixed set of sizes). You may also want to replace +\LaTeX{}'s ideas altogether, for example by setting maths noticeably +larger or smaller than its surrounding text. For this purpose, the +\LaTeX{} command +\cmdinvoke{DeclareMathSizes}{\meta{tfs}}{\meta{ts}}{\meta{ss}}{\meta{sss}} +may be used (this is the same command that \LaTeX{} itself uses to +define its own set of sizes). This establishes (or re-establishes) +the maths font sizes to be used when the surrounding text font size is +\texttt{\meta{tfs}}; (\texttt{\meta{ts}} being the size used for +\csx{textfont}, \texttt{\meta{ss}} for \csx{scriptfont} and +\texttt{\meta{sss}} for \csx{scriptscriptfont}). + +For example, you might want to use a font with a smaller body height +than Computer Modern, but still prefer \acro{CM} math to any of the +alternatives. In this case, you might use: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{5} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +to get 9pt maths when the surrounding body text is (nominal) 10pt. + +\csx{DeclareMathSizes} may only be used in the preamble of the +document: only one association is available for each text font size +for the whole document. The default settings are specified in +\File{fontdef.dtx} in the latex distribution, and are compiled into +\File{fontmath.ltx}; the arguments to the command are just numbers +(`\texttt{pt}' is assumed), but some of them are written using +\Qref*{\LaTeX{} abbreviations}{Q-ltxabbrv} for standard font sizes. +Beware simply copying (parts of) the \LaTeX{} definitions~--- since +they contain those internal abbreviations, they need to be treated as +\Qref{internal commands}{Q-atsigns}. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[fontdef.dtx]\CTANref{fontdef} +\item[fontmath.ltx]\CTANref{fontmath} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-mathlips]{Ellipses} +\keywords{\csx{dots} \csx{cdots} \csx{vdots} \csx{ddots}} + +Ellipses are commonly required, and \LaTeX{} natively supplies a fair +range (\csx{dots}, \csx{cdots}, \csx{vdots} and \csx{ddots}). By using +the \Package{graphics} package, one can change the slope of the +\csx{ddots} command, as in +\begin{verbatim} + $ ... \reflectbox{$\ddots$} ... $ +\end{verbatim} +While this works, it is not a recommended way of achieving the desired +result (see below). Moreover, \LaTeX{}'s range is not adequate to +everyone's requirements, and at least three packages provide +extensions to the set. + +The \AMSLaTeX{} bundle provides a range of ``semantically-named'' +ellipses, for use in different situations: \csx{dotsb} for use between +pairs of binary operators, \csx{dotsc} for use between pairs of commas, +and so on. + +The \Package{yhmath} package defines an \csx{adots} command, which is +the analogue of \csx{ddots}, sloping forwards rather than backwards. +The \Package{yhmath} package comes with a rather interesting font that +extends the standard \Package{cmex}; details are in the documentation. +The disadvantage of this setup is, that although \csx{adots} is merely +a macro, the package tries to load its own font and produces a +``missing font'' substitution warning message if you haven't installed +the font. + +The \Package{mathdots} package (besides fixing up the behaviour of +\AllTeX{} \csx{ddots} and \csx{vdots} when the font size changes) +provides an ``inverse diagonal'' ellipsis \csx{iddots} (doing the same +job as \Package{yhmath}'s \csx{adots}, but better). + +Documentation of \Package{yhmath} appears, processed, in the +distribution (thus saving you the bother of installing the package +before being able to read the documentation). Documentation of +\Package{mathdots} appears at the end the package file itself. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[amslatex]\CTANref{amslatex} +\item[graphics.sty]Part of the \CTANref{graphics} bundle +\item[mathdots.sty]\CTANref{mathdots} +\item[yhmath \nothtml{\rmfamily}(fonts)]\CTANref{yhmath-fonts} +\item[yhmath \nothtml{\rmfamily}(macros)]\CTANref{yhmath-macros} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-limits]{Sub- and superscript positioning for operators} + +The commonest hand-written style for expressions is to place the limit +expressions on operators such as \csx{sum} and \csx{int} physically +above and below the operator. In \AllTeX{}, we write these limit +expressions using sub- and superscripts applied to the operator, but +they don't always appear in the ``handwritten'' way in \TeX{}'s +output. + +The reason is, that when an expression appears in non-display maths, +in running text (and is therefore in \TeX{} \csx{textstyle}), placing +the limits thus could lead to ragged line spacing (and hence +difficult-to-read text). It is therefore common (in \csx{textstyle}) +to place the limits as one would sub- and superscripts of variables. + +This is not universally satisfactory, so the primitive \csx{limits} is +provided: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +$\sum\limits_{n=1}^{m} ...$ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +which will place the limits right above and below the symbol (and be +blowed to the typography\dots{}). + +Contrariwise, you may wish to change the arrangement of the limits +when in \csx{displaystyle}. For this purpose, there's a corresponding +\csx{nolimits}: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\[\sum\nolimits_{n=1}^{m} ...\] +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +which will place the limits as they would be in \csx{textstyle}. + +Alternatively, one can manipulate the +\csx{textstyle}/\csx{displaystyle} state of the mathematics. To get +``\csx{limits} placement'' in inline maths, +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +$\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^{m} ...$ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +and for ``\csx{nolimits} placement'' in display maths, +\csx{nolimits}: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\[\textstyle\sum_{n=1}^{m} ...\] +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +will serve. Either of these forms may have effects other than on the +operator you're considering, but there are still those who prefer this +formulation. + +Remember, if you're % ! line break +\Qref*{declaring a special operator of your own}{Q-newfunction}, the +\AMSLaTeX{} functions (that you ought to be using) allow you to choose +how limits are displayed, at definition time. + +(Note that the macro \csx{int} normally has \csx{nolimits} built in to +its definition. There is an example in the \TeX{}book to show how odd +\csx{int}\csx{limits} looks when typeset.) + +\Question[Q-mathstext]{Text inside maths} + +When we type maths in \AllTeX{}, the letters from which we make up +ordinary text assume a special significance: they all become +single-letter variable names. The letters appear in italics, but it's +not the same sort of italics that you see when you're typing ordinary +text: a run of maths letters (for example ``here'') looks oddly +``lumpy'' when compared with the word written in italic text. The +difference is that the italic text is kerned to make the letters fit +well together, whereas the maths is set to look as if you're +multiplying \emph{h} by \emph{e} by \emph{r} by \emph{e}. The other +way things are odd in \TeX{} maths typing is that spaces are ignored: +at best we can write single words in this oddly lumpy font. + +So, if we're going to have good-looking text in amongst maths we're +writing, we have to take special precautions. If you're using +\LaTeX{}, the following should help. + +The simplest is to use \csx{mbox} or \csx{textrm}: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +$e = mc^2 \mbox{here we go again}$ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The problem is that, with either, the size of the text remains firmly +at the surrounding text size, so that +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +$z = a_{\mbox{other end}}$ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +can look quite painfully wrong. + +The other simple technique, \csx{textrm}, is no more promising: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +$z = a_{\textrm{other end}}$ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +does the same as \csx{mbox}, by default. + +(The maths-mode instance of your roman font (\csx{mathrm}) gets the +size right, but since it's intended for use in maths, its spaces get +ignored~--- use \csx{mathrm} for upright roman alphabetic variable +names, but not otherwise.) + +You can correct these problems with size selectors in the text, as: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +$z = a_{\mbox{\scriptsize other end}}$ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +which works if your surrounding text is at default document size, but +gives you the wrong size otherwise. + +The \csx{mbox} short cut is (just about) \acro{OK} for ``occasional'' +use, but serious mathematics calls for a technique that +relieves the typist of the sort of thought required. As usual, the +\AMSLaTeX{} system provides what's necessary~--- the \csx{text} +command. (The command is actually provided by the \Package{amstext} +package, but the ``global'' \Package{amsmath} package loads it.) Thus +anyone using \AMSLaTeX{} proper has the command available, so even +this author can write: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{amsmath} +... +$z = a_{\text{other end}}$ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +and the text will be at the right size, and in the same font as +surrounding text. (The \Package{amstext} package also puts +\csx{textrm} to rights~--- but \csx{text} is easier to type than +\csx{textrm}!) + +\AMSLaTeX{} also makes provision for interpolated comments in the +middle of one of its multi-line display structures, through the +\csx{intertext} command. For example: +\begin{quote} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{align} + A_1&=N_0(\lambda;\Omega')- + \phi(\lambda;\Omega'),\\ + A_2&=\phi(\lambda;\Omega')- + \phi(\lambda;\Omega),\\ +\intertext{and} + A_3&=\mathcal{N}(\lambda;\omega). +\end{align} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{align} + A_1&=N_0(\lambda;\Omega')-\phi(\lambda;\Omega'),\\ + A_2&=\phi(\lambda;\Omega')-\phi(\lambda;\Omega),\\ + \intertext{and} A_3&=\mathcal{N}(\lambda;\omega). +\end{align} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\end{quote} +places the text ``and'' on a separate line before the last line of the +display. If the interjected text is short, or the equations +themselves are light-weight, you may find that \csx{intertext} leaves +too much space. Slightly more modest is the \csx{shortintertext} +command from the \Package{mathtools} package: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{align} + a =& b + \shortintertext{or} + c =& b +\end{align} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +To have the text on the same line as the second equation, one can use +the \environment{flalign} environment (from \Package{amsmath}) +with lots of dummy equations (represented by the double \texttt{\&} +signs): +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{flalign} + && a =& b && \\ + \text{or} && c =& b && +\end{flalign} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + +Comprehensive documentation of \AMSLaTeX{} is to be found in +\File{amsldoc}, in the distribution; it is also available on the web +at \URL{ftp://ftp.ams.org/pub/tex/doc/amsmath/amsldoc.pdf} +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[amsldoc.tex]Distributed as part of \AMSLaTeX{} + \CTANref{amslatex} +\item[amsmath.sty]Distributed as part of \AMSLaTeX{} + \CTANref{amslatex} +\item[amstext.sty]Distributed as part of \AMSLaTeX{} + \CTANref{amslatex} +\item[mathtools.sty]Distributed as part of the \Package{mh} bundle + \CTANref{mh} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-reuseq]{Re-using an equation} + +To repeat an existing equation, one wants not only to have the same +mathematics in it, one also wants to re-use the original label it had. +The \Package{amsmath} package comes to our help, here: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{amsmath} +... +\begin{equation} + a=b + \label{eq1} +\end{equation} +... +Remember that +\begin{equation} + a=b + \tag{\ref{eq1}} +\end{equation} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +Here, the second instance of \ensuremath{a=b} will be +typeset with a copy, made by the \csx{tag} command, of the label of the +first instance. + +Comprehensive documentation of \AMSLaTeX{} is to be found in +\File{amsldoc}, in the distribution; it is also available on the web +at \URL{ftp://ftp.ams.org/pub/tex/doc/amsmath/amsldoc.pdf} +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[amsldoc.tex]Distributed as part of \AMSLaTeX{} + \CTANref{amslatex} +\item[amsmath.sty]Distributed as part of \AMSLaTeX{} + \CTANref{amslatex} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-brkinline]{Line-breaking in in-line maths} + +\TeX{}, by default, allows you to split a mathematical expression at +the end of the line; it allows breaks at relational operators (like +``='', ``\textless'', etc.) and at binary operators (like ``+'', +``-'', etc.). In the case of large expressions, this can sometimes be +a life-saver. + +However, in the case of simple expressions like \ensuremath{a=b+c}, a +break can be really disturbing to the reader, and one would like to +avoid it. + +Fortunately, these breaks are controllable: there are ``penalties'' +associated with each type of operator: the penalty + says how +undesirable a break at each point is. Default values are: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\relpenalty = 500 +\binoppenalty = 700 +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +You make the break progressively less attractive by increasing these +values. You can actually forbid all breaks, everywhere, by: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\relpenalty = 10000 +\binoppenalty = 10000 +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +If you want just to prevent breaks in a single expression, write: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +{% + \relpenalty = 10000 + \binoppenalty = 10000 + $a=b+c$ +} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +and the original values will remain undisturbed outside the braces. +This is tedious: there is often value in an alternative approach, +in which you say which parts of the expression may not break whatever +happens, and fortunately this is surprisingly easy. Suppose we want +to defer a break until after the equality, we could write: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +${a+b+c+d} = z+y+x+w$ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The braces say ``treat this subformula as one atom'' and (in \TeX{} at +least) atoms don't get split: not a \csx{binoppenalty} change in sight. + +\Question[Q-mathonlyref]{Numbers for referenced equations only} + +There are those who consider that papers look untidy with numbers on +every equation; there is also a school of thought that claims that +there should be numbers everywhere, in case some reader wants to make +reference an equation to which the author made no cross-reference. + +If you hold to the ``only cross-referenced'' school of thought, you +can (using the \csx{nonumber} command on the relevant equations, or by +using the \AMSLaTeX{} unnumbered environments such as +\environment{equation*}) mark those of your equations to which you +make no reference. In a long or complex paper, this procedure could +well become deeply tedious. + +Fortunately, help is at hand: the \Package{mh} bundle's +\Package{mathtools} package offers a `\pkgoption{showonlyrefs}' +switch through its \csx{mathtoolsset} command; when that's in +operation, only those equations to which you make reference will be +numbered in the final output. See the package's documentation for +details of how to make references when the switch is in effect. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[mathtools.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{mh} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\subsection{Lists} + +\Question[Q-enumerate]{Fancy enumeration lists} + +The \Package{enumerate} package allows you to control the display of +the enumeration counter. The package adds an optional parameter to +the \environment{enumerate} environment, which is used to specify the +layout of the labels. The layout parameter contains an enumeration +type (`\texttt{1}' for arabic numerals, `\texttt{a}' or `\texttt{A}' +for alphabetic enumeration, and `\texttt{i}' or `\texttt{I}' for Roman +numerals), and things to act as decoration of the enumeration. So, +for example +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{enumerate} +... +\begin{enumerate}[(a)] +\item ... ... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +starts a list whose labels run (a), (b), (c), \dots{}; while +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{enumerate} +... +\begin{enumerate}[I/] +\item ... ... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +starts a list whose labels run I/, II/, III/, \dots{} + +The \Package{paralist} package, whose primary purpose is % beware line break +\Qref*{compaction of lists}{Q-complist}, provides the same facilities +for its \environment{enumerate}-like environments. + +If you need non-stereotyped designs, the \Package{enumitem} package +gives you most of the flexibility you might want to design your own. +The silly roman example above could be achieved by: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{enumitem} +... +\begin{enumerate}[label=\Roman{*}/] +\item ... ... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +Note that the `\texttt{*}' in the key value stands for the list +counter at this level. You can also manipulate the format of +references to list item labels: +\begin{quote} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{enumitem} +... +\begin{enumerate}[label=\Roman{*}/, + ref=(\roman{*})] +\item ... ... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{enumitem} +... +\begin{enumerate}[label=\Roman{*}/, ref=(\roman{*})] +\item ... ... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\end{quote} +to make references to the list items format appear as (i), (ii), +(iii), etc. + +The \Class{memoir} class includes functions that match those in the +\Package{enumerate} package, and has similar functionality for +\environment{itemize} lists. +%% It is possible (if not particularly convenient) to do the same thing +%% yourself. Suppose you want your top-level \environment{enumerate}s to +%% be labelled I/, II/, III/, \dots{}, then give these commands: +%% \begin{verbatim} +%% \renewcommand{\theenumi}{\Roman{enumi}} +%% \renewcommand{\labelenumi}{\theenumi/} +%% \end{verbatim} +%% The possible styles of numbering are given in Section~6.3 of Lamport's +%% book (see \Qref[question]{\TeX{}-related books}{Q-books}). Both +%% \csx{theenumi} and \csx{labelenumi} must be changed, since +%% \csx{theenumi} is used in cross-references to the list. +%% +%% For lower level \environment{enumerate}s, replace |enumi| by |enumii|, +%% |enumiii| or |enumiv|, according to the level. If your label is much +%% larger than the default, you should also change \csx{leftmargini}, +%% \csx{leftmarginii}, \emph{etc}. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[enumerate.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\item[enumitem.sty]\CTANref{enumitem} +\item[memoir.cls]\CTANref{memoir} +\item[paralist.sty]\CTANref{paralist} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-complist]{How to adjust list spacing} + +\Qref*{Lamport's book}{Q-books} lists various +parameters for the layout of list (things like \csx{topsep}, +\csx{itemsep} and \csx{parsep}), but fails to mention that they're set +automatically within the list itself. This happens because each list +executes a command \csx{@list}\texttt{\meta{depth}} (the depth +appearing as a lower-case roman numeral); what's more, the top-level +\csx{@listi} is usually reset when the font size is changed. As a +result, it's rather tricky for +the user to control list spacing. Of course, the real answer is to use +a document class designed with more modest list spacing, but we all +know such things are hard to come by. The \Class{memoir} class wasn't +designed for more compact lists \emph{per se}, but offers the user +control over the list spacing. + +There are packages that provide some control of list spacing, but they +seldom address the separation from surrounding text (defined by +\csx{topsep}). The \Package{expdlist} package, among its many controls +of the appearance of \environment{description} lists, offers a +compaction parameter (see the documentation); the \Package{mdwlist} +package offers a \csx{makecompactlist} command for users' own list +definitions, and uses it to define compact lists +\environment{itemize*}, \environment{enumerate*} and +\environment{description*}. In fact, you can write lists such as +these commands define pretty straightforwardly~--- for example: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\newenvironment{itemize*}% + {\begin{itemize}% + \setlength{\itemsep}{0pt}% + \setlength{\parskip}{0pt}}% + {\end{itemize}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The \Package{paralist} package provides several approaches to list +compaction: +\begin{itemize} +\item its \environment{asparaenum} environment formats each item as if + it were a paragraph introduced by the enumeration label (which saves + space if the item texts are long); +\item its \environment{compactenum} environment is the same sort of + compact list as is provided in \Package{expdlist} and + \Package{mdwlist}; and +\item its \environment{inparaenum} environment produces a list ``in + the paragraph'', i.e., with no line break between items, which is a + great space-saver if the list item texts are short. +\end{itemize} +The package will manipulate its \environment{enumerate} environment +labels just like the \Qref*{\Package{enumerate} package}{Q-enumerate} +does. + +\Package{Paralist} also provides \environment{itemize} equivalents +(\environment{asparaitem}, etc.), and \environment{description} +equivalents (\environment{asparadesc}, etc.). + +The \Package{multenum} package offers a more regular form of +\Package{paralist}'s \environment{inparaenum}; you define a notional +grid on which list entries are to appear, and list items will always +appear at positions on that grid. The effect is somewhat like that of +the `tab' keys on traditional typewriters; the package was designed +for example sheets, or lists of answers in the appendices of a book. + +The ultimate in compaction (of every sort) is offered by the +\Package{savetrees} package; compaction of lists is included. The +package's prime purpose is to save space at every touch and turn: +don't use it if you're under any design constraint whatever! + +The \Package{expdlist}, \Package{mdwlist} and \Package{paralist} +packages all offer other facilities for list configuration: you should +probably not try the ``do-it-yourself'' approaches outlined below if +you need one of the packages for some other list configuration +purpose. + +For ultimate flexibility (including manipulation of \csx{topsep}), the +\Package{enumitem} package permits adjustment of list parameters using +a ``\emph{key}\latexhtml{\ensuremath{=}}{=}\meta{value}'' format. +For example, one might write +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{enumitem} +... +\begin{enumerate}[topsep=0pt, partopsep=0pt] +\item ... +\item ... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +to suppress all spacing above and below your list, or +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{enumitem} +... +\begin{enumerate}[itemsep=2pt,parsep=2pt] +\item ... +\item ... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +to set spacing between items and between paragraphs within items. +\Package{Enumitem} also permits manipulation of the label format in a +more ``basic'' (and therefore more flexible) manner than the % ! line break +\Qref*{\Package{enumerate} package}{Q-enumerate} does. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[enumerate.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\item[enumitem.sty]\CTANref{enumitem} +\item[expdlist.sty]\CTANref{expdlist} +\item[memoir.cls]\CTANref{memoir} +\item[mdwlist.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{mdwtools} +\item[multenum.sty]\CTANref{multenum} +\item[paralist.sty]\CTANref{paralist} +\item[savetrees.sty]\CTANref{savetrees} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-interruptlist]{Interrupting enumerated lists} + +It's often convenient to have commentary text, `outside' the list, +between successive entries of a list. In the case of +\environment{itemize} lists this is no problem, since there's never +anything to distinguish successive items, while in the case of +\environment{description} lists, the item labels are under the user's +control so there's no automatic issue of continuity. + +For \environment{enumerate} lists, the labels are generated +automatically, and are context-sensitive, so the context (in this +case, the state of the enumeration counter) needs to be preserved. + +The belt-and-braces approach is to remember the state of the +enumeration in your own counter variable, and then restore it when +restarting enumerate: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\newcounter{saveenum} + ... +\begin{enumerate} + ... + \setcounter{saveenum}{\value{enumi}} +\end{enumerate} +<Commentary text> +\begin{enumerate} + \setcounter{enumi}{\value{saveenum}} + ... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + +This is reasonable, in small doses\dots{} Problems (apart from sheer +verbosity) are getting the level right (``should I use counter +\texttt{enumi}, \texttt{enumii}, \dots{}'') and remembering not to +nest the interruptions (i.e., not to have a separate list, that is +itself interrupted) in the ``commentary text''). + +The \Package{mdwlist} package defines commands \csx{suspend} and +\csx{resume} that simplify the process: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{enumerate} + ... +\suspend{enumerate} +<Commentary text> +\resume{enumerate} + ... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The package allows an optional name (as in +\cmdinvoke{suspend}[id]{enumerate}) to allow you to identify a +particular suspension, and hence provide a handle for manipulating +nested suspensions. + +If you're suspending a \Qref*{fancy-enumeration list}{Q-enumerate}, +you need to +re-supply the optional ``item label layout'' parameters required by +the \Package{enumerate} package when resuming the list, whether by the +belt-and-braces approach, or by the \Package{mdwlist} +\cmdinvoke{resume}{enumerate} technique. The task is a little tedious +in the \Package{mdwlist} case, since the optional argument has to be +encapsulated, whole, inside an optional argument to \csx{resume}, +which requires use of extra braces: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{enumerate}[\textbf{Item} i] + ... +\suspend{enumerate} +<comment> +\resume{enumerate}[{[\textbf{Item} i]}] +... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +\nothtml{\noindent}The \Package{enumitem} package, in its most recent +release, will also allow you to resume lists: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{enumerate} +... +\end{enumerate} +<comment> +\begin{enumerate}[resume] +... +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +which feels just as ``natural'' as the \Package{mdwtools} facility, +and has the advantage of playing well with the other excellent +facilities of \Package{enumitem}. + +\Package{Expdlist} has a neat way of providing for comments, with its +\csx{listpart} command. The command's argument becomes a comment +between items of the list: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{enumerate} +\item item 1 +\item item 2 + \listpart{interpolated comment} +\item item 3 +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +This, you will realise, means it doesn't even have to think about +suspending or resuming the list, and of course it works equally well +in any of the list environments (thought it's not actually +\emph{necessary} for any but \environment{enumerate}). + +\Package{Enumitem} also allows multi-level suspension and resumption +of lists: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{enumerate} +\item outer item 1 +\end{enumerate} +<comment> +\begin{enumerate}[resume] +\item outer item 2 +% nested enumerate +\begin{enumerate} +\item inner item 1 +\end{enumerate} +<nested comment> +% resume nested enumerate +\begin{enumerate}[resume] +\item inner item 2 +\end{enumerate} +\item outer item 3 +% end outer enumerate +\end{enumerate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +However, the `nested comment' interpolated in the nested enumeration +appears as if it were a second paragraph to ``outer item 2'', which is +hardly satisfactory. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[enumerate.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\item[enumitem.sty]\CTANref{enumitem} +\item[expdlist.sty]\CTANref{expdlist} +\item[mdwlist.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{mdwtools} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\subsection{Tables, figures and diagrams} + +\Question[Q-destable]{The design of tables} + +In recent years, several authors have argued that the examples, set +out by Lamport in his \Qref*{\LaTeX{} manual}{Q-books}, have cramped +authors' style and have led to extremely poor table design. It is in +fact difficult even to work out what many of the examples in Lamport's +book ``mean''. + +The criticism focuses on the excessive use of rules (both horizontal +and vertical) and on the poor vertical spacing that Lamport's macros +offer. + +The problem of vertical spacing is plain for all to see, and is +addressed in several packages~--- see % beware line breaks +``\Qref*[question]{spacing of lines in tables}{Q-struttab}''. + +The argument about rules is presented in the excellent essay that +prefaces the documentation of Simon Fear's \Package{booktabs} package, +which (of course) implements Fear's scheme for `comfortable' rules. +(The same rule commands are implemented in the \Class{memoir} class.) + +Lamport's \LaTeX{} was also inflexibly wrong in ``insisting'' that +captions should come at the bottom of a table. Since a table may +extend over several pages, traditional typography places the caption +at the top of a table float. The \csx{caption} command will get its +position wrong (by \texttt{10pt}) if you simply write: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{table} + \caption{Example table} + \begin{tabular}{...} + ... + \end{tabular} +\end{table} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The \Package{topcapt} package solves this problem: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{topcapt} +... +\begin{table} + \topcaption{Example table} + \begin{tabular}{...} + ... + \end{tabular} +\end{table} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The \Class{KOMA-script} classes provide a similar command +\csx{captionabove}; they also have a class option +\pkgoption{tablecaptionabove} which arranges that \csx{caption} +\emph{means} \csx{captionabove}, in table environments. The +\Package{caption} (from the release of 23 January, 2004) may be loaded +with an option that has the same effect: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage[tableposition=top]{caption} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + +Doing the job yourself is pretty easy: \Package{topcapt} switches the +values of the \LaTeXe{} parameters \csx{abovecaptionskip} (default +value \texttt{10pt}) and \csx{belowcaptionskip} (default value +\texttt{0pt}), so: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{table} + \setlength{\abovecaptionskip}{0pt} + \setlength{\belowcaptionskip}{10pt} + \caption{Example table} + \begin{tabular}{...} + ... + \end{tabular} +\end{table} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +does the job. (The package itself is very slightly more elaborate\dots{}) +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[booktabs.sty]\CTANref{booktabs} +\item[\nothtml{\rmfamily}KOMA script bundle]\CTANref{koma-script} +\item[memoir.cls]\CTANref{memoir} +\item[topcapt.sty]\CTANref{topcapt} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-fixwidtab]{Fixed-width tables} + +There are two basic techniques for making fixed-width tables in +\LaTeX{}: you can make the gaps between the columns stretch, or you +can stretch particular cells in the table. + +Basic \LaTeX{} can make the gaps stretch: the \environment{tabular*} +environment takes an extra argument (before the \texttt{clpr} layout one) +which takes a length specification: you can say things like ``\texttt{15cm}'' +or ``\csx{columnwidth}'' here. You must also have an \csx{extracolsep} +command in the \texttt{clpr} layout argument, inside an \texttt{@\{\}} +directive. So, for example, one might have +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular*}{\columnwidth}{@{\extracolsep{\fill}}lllr} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular*}{\columnwidth}% + {@{\extracolsep{\fill}}lllr} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +The \csx{extracolsep} applies to all inter-column gaps to its right as +well; if you don't want all gaps stretched, add +\cmdinvoke{extracolsep}{0pt} to cancel the original. + +The \Package{tabularx} package defines an extra \texttt{clpr} column +specification, \texttt{X}; \texttt{X} columns behave as \texttt{p} +columns which expand to fill the space available. If there's more +than one \texttt{X} column in a table, the spare space is distributed +between them. + +The \Package{tabulary} package (by the same author) provides a way of +``balancing'' the space taken by the columns of a table. The package +defines column specifications \texttt{C}, \texttt{L}, \texttt{R} and +\texttt{J}, giving, respectively, centred, left, right and +fully-justified versions of space-sharing columns. The package +examines how long each column would be ``naturally'' (i.e., on a piece of paper of unlimited width), and +allocates space to each column accordingly. There are ``sanity +checks'' so that really large entries don't cause everything else to +collapse into nothingness (there's a ``maximum width'' that any column +can exert), and so that tiny entries can't get smaller than a +specified minimum. Of course, all this work means that the package +has to typeset each row several times, so things that leave +``side-effects'' (for example, a counter used to produce a row-number +somewhere) are inevitably unreliable, and should not even be tried. + +The \Package{ltxtable} package combines the features of the +\Package{longtable} and \Package{tabularx} packages. It's important +to read the documentation, since usage is distinctly odd; the +distribution contains no more than a file \File{ltxtable.tex}, which you +should process using \LaTeX{}. Processing will give you a \File{.sty} +file as well as the \File{.dvi} or \File{.pdf} output containing the +documentation. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[ltxtable.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{carlisle} +\item[tabularx.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\item[tabulary.sty]\CTANref{tabulary} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-varwidcol]{Variable-width columns in tables} + +This is a slightly different take on the problem addressed in +``\Qref*[question]{fixed-width tables}{Q-fixwidtab}''~--- here we have +a column whose size we can't absolutely predict when we design the +document. + +While the basic techniques (the \Package{tabularx}, \Package{tabulary} +and \Package{ltxtable} packages) are the same for this problem as for the +fixed-width \emph{table} problem, there's one extra tool that we can +call to our aid, which may be preferable in some situations. + +Suppose we have data in one column which we read from an external +source, and the source itself isn't entirely predictable. The data in +the column may end up pretty narrow in every row of the table, or it +may be wide enough that the table would run over the edge of the page; +however, we don't want to make the column as wide as possible ``just +in case'', by defining a fixed size for the table. We would like the +column to be as small as possible, but have the possibility to spread +to a maximum width and (if even that width is exceeded) turn into a +\texttt{p}-style column. + +The \Package{varwidth} package, discussed in % ! line break +``\Qref*[question]{automatic sizing of minipages}{Q-varwidth}'', provides +a solution. If you load it together with the \LaTeX{} ``required'' +\Package{array} package, i.e.: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{array} +\usepackage{varwidth} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +\Package{varwidth} defines a new column-type ``\texttt{V}'', which you +can use as follows: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{l V{3.5cm} r} + foo & blah & bar \\ + foo & blah blah & bar \\ +\end{tabular} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +when the second column ends up less than 3.5cm wide; +or you can use it as follows: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{l V{3.5cm} r} + foo & blah & bar \\ + foo & blah blah & bar \\ + foo & blah blah blah blah blah blah + & bar \\ +\end{tabular} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +where the second column will end up noticeably wider, and will wrap to +a second line in the third row. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[array.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\item[varwidth.sty]\CTANref{varwidth} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-struttab]{Spacing lines in tables} + +\AllTeX{} mechanisms for maintaining the space between lines (the +``\emph{leading}'') rely on \TeX{}'s paragraph builder, which compares +the shape of consecutive lines and adjusts the space between them. + +These mechanisms can't work in exactly the same way when \AllTeX{} is +building a table, because the paragraph builder doesn't get to see the +lines themselves. As a result, tables sometimes typeset with lines +uncomfortably close together (or occasionally ridiculously far apart). + +Traditional (moving metal type) typographers would adjust the spacing +between lines of a table by use of a ``\emph{strut}'' (a metal +spacer). A \TeX{} user can do exactly the same thing: most macro +packages define a \csx{strut} command, that defines a space appropriate +to the current size of the text; placing a \csx{strut} command at the +end of a troublesome row is the simplest solution to the problem~--- +if it works. Other solutions below are \LaTeX{}-specific, but some +may be simply translated to \plaintex{} commands. + +If your table exhibits a systematic problem (i.e., every row is wrong +by the same amount) use \csx{extrarowheight}, which is defined by the +\Package{array} package: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{array}% in the preamble +... +\setlength{\extrarowheight}{length} +\begin{tabular}{....} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + +To correct a single row whose maladjustment isn't corrected by a +\csx{strut} command, you can define your own, using +\cmdinvoke{rule}{0pt}{length}~--- which is a near approximation to the +command that goes inside a \csx{strut}. The \Package{bigstrut} package +defines a strut command that you can use for this purpose: +\csx{bigstrut} on its own opens up both above and below the current +line; \cmdinvoke{bigstrut}[t] opens up above the line, +\cmdinvoke{bigstrut}[b] opens up below the line. + +General solutions are available, however. The \Package{tabls} package +automatically generates an appropriately-sized strut at the end of +each row. Its disadvantages are that it's really rather slow in +operation (since it gets in the way of everything within tables) and +its (lack of) compatibility with other packages. + +The \Package{cellspace} package does a (possibly inferior) job by +defining a new table/array column type ``S'', which you apply to each +column specification. So, for example, +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\cmdinvoke{begin}{tabular}{l l l p{3cm}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +would become +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\cmdinvoke{begin}{tabular}{Sl Sl Sl Sp{3cm}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +and so on. This technique shows +promise of not interfering so much with other packages, but this +author has heard of no reports from the field. + +The \Package{booktabs} package comes with a thought-provoking essay +about how tables should be designed. Since table row-spacing problems +most often appear in collisions with rules, the author's thesis, +that \LaTeX{} users tend too often to rule their tables, is +interesting. The package provides rule commands to support the +author's scheme, but deals with inter-row spacing too. The most +recent release of \Package{booktabs} sports compatibility with +packages such as \Package{longtable}. + +Documentation of both \Package{bigstrut} and \Package{tabls} may be +found as comments in the package files themselves. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[array.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\item[bigstrut.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{multirow} +\item[booktabs.sty]\CTANref{booktabs} +\item[cellspace.sty]\CTANref{cellspace} +\item[tabls.sty]\CTANref{tabls} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-longtab]{Tables longer than a single page} + +Tables are, by default, set entirely in boxes of their own: as a +result, they won't split over a page boundary. Sadly, the world keeps +turning up tables longer than a single page that we need to typeset. + +For simple tables (whose shape is highly regular), the simplest +solution may well be to use the \environment{tabbing} environment, +which is slightly tedious to set up, but which doesn't force the whole alignment +onto a single page. + +The \Package{longtable} package builds the whole table (in chunks), in +a first pass, and then uses information it has written to the \extension{aux} +file during later passes to get the setting ``right'' (the package +ordinarily manages to set tables in just two passes). Since the +package has overview of the whole table at the time it's doing +``final'' setting, the table is set ``uniformly'' over its entire +length, with columns matching on consecutive pages. +\Package{longtable} has a reputation for failing to interwork with +other packages, but it does work with \Package{colortbl}, and its +author has provided the \Package{ltxtable} package to provide (most +of) the facilities of \Package{tabularx} (see +% beware line wrap +\Qref[question]{fixed-width tables}{Q-fixwidtab}) for long tables: +beware of its rather curious usage constraints~--- each long table +should be in a file of its own, and included by +\cmdinvoke*{LTXtable}{width}{file}. Since \Package{longtable}'s +multiple-page tables can't possibly live inside floats, the package +provides for captions within the \environment{longtable} environment +itself. + +A seeming alternative to \Package{ltxtable} is \Package{ltablex}; but +it is outdated and not fully functional. Its worst problem is its +strictly limited memory capacity (\Package{longtable} is not so +limited, at the cost of much complication in its code); +\Package{ltablex} can only deal with relatively small tables, it doesn't seem +likely that support is available; but its user interface is much +simpler than \Package{ltxtable}, so if its restrictions aren't a +problem for you, it may be worth a try. + +The \Package{supertabular} package starts and stops a +\environment{tabular} environment for each page of the table. As a +result, each `page worth' of the table is compiled independently, and +the widths of corresponding columns may differ on successive pages. +However, if the correspondence doesn't matter, or if your columns are +fixed-width, \Package{supertabular} has the great advantage of doing +its job in a single run. + +Both \Package{longtable} and \Package{supertabular} allow definition +of head- and footlines for the table; \Package{longtable} allows +distinction of the first and last head and foot. + +The \Package{xtab} package fixes some infelicities of +\Package{supertabular}, and also provides a ``last head'' facility +(though this, of course, destroys \Package{supertabular}'s advantage +of operating in a single run). + +The \Package{stabular} package provides a simple-to-use ``extension to +\environment{tabular}'' that allows it to typeset tables that run over +the end of a page; it also has usability extensions, but doesn't have +the head- and footline capabilities of the major packages. + +Documentation of \Package{ltablex} is to be found in the package file. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[longtable.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\item[ltablex.sty]\CTANref{ltablex} +\item[ltxtable.sty]Generate by running \CTANref{ltxtable} +\item[stabular.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{sttools} +\item[supertabular.sty]\CTANref{supertabular} +\item[xtab.sty]\CTANref{xtab} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-tabcellalign]{How to alter the alignment of tabular cells} + +One often needs to alter the alignment of a tabular \texttt{p} (`paragraph') +cell, but problems at the end of a table row are common. With a +\texttt{p} cell that looks like: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +... & \centering blah ... \\ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +one is liable to encounter errors that complain about a ``misplaced +\csx{noalign}'' or ``\Qref*{extra alignment tab}{Q-altabcr}'', or the like. +The problem is that the command \texttt{\bsbs } means different things in +different circumstances: the \environment{tabular} environment +switches the meaning to a value for use in the table, and +\csx{centering}, \csx{raggedright} and \csx{raggedleft} all change the +meaning to something incompatible. Note that the problem only +arises in the last cell of a row: since each cell is set into a box, +its settings are lost at the \texttt{\&} (or \texttt{\bsbs }) that +terminates it. + + +The technique using \csx{PBS} was developed in the days of \LaTeXo{} +because the actual value of \texttt{\bsbs } that the \environment{tabular} +environment uses was only available as an internal command. Nowadays, +the value is a public command, and you can in principle use it +explicitly: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +... & \centering blah ... \tabularnewline +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + +The \Package{array} package provides a command \csx{arraybackslash} +which restores \texttt{\bsbs } to its correct (within table) meaning; +the command may be used in \Package{array}'s ``field format'' preamble +specifications: +\begin{quote} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{...% + >{\centering\arraybackslash}% + p{50mm}} +... +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{... >{\centering\arraybackslash}p{50mm}} +... +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\end{quote} + +The \csx{tabularnewline} and \csx{arraybackslash} commands are +(somewhat) modern additions to \LaTeX{} and the \Package{array} +package, respectively. If neither is available, the user may try the +(old) solution which preserves the meaning of \texttt{\bsbs }: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\newcommand\PBS[1]{\let\temp=\\% + #1% + \let\\=\temp +} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +which one uses within a table as: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +... & \PBS\centering blah ... \\ +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +or in the preamble as: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{...>{\PBS\centering}p{5cm}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[array.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\end{ctanrefs} +\nothtml{\vskip 0pt plus 4ex} + +\Question[Q-rulethk]{The thickness of rules in \LaTeX{} tables} + +The rules in a \LaTeX{} table are by default \texttt{0.4pt} thick; +this is in fact a default built in at the lowest level, and applies to +all rules (including those separating blocks of running text). + +Sometimes, however, we look at a table and find we want the rules to +stand out~--- perhaps to separate the text from the rest of the body +text, or to make the sections of the table stand out from one another. +However, a quick review of any \LaTeX{} manual will reveal no +technique for making any one rule stand out, and a little +experimentation shows that it is indeed pretty difficult to prevent +a change ``bleeding'' out to affect other rules in the same table. + +If you look at what we have to say on the % ! line break +\Qref*{design of tables}{Q-destable}, elsewhere +among these \acro{FAQ}s, and you may sense that the design of \LaTeX{} +simply skipped the issues surrounding table design: \emph{that's} +presumably why there's no facilities to help you. + +Specifically, the length \csx{arrayrulewidth} affects the thickness of +the rules (both horizontal and vertical) within both +\environment{tabular} and \environment{array} environments. If you +change from the default (see above) only as far as +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\setlength{\arrayrulewidth}{1pt} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +the change is remarkably striking. However, really quite subtle user +level programming proves incapable of changing just \emph{one} rule: +it's necessary to delve into the (rather tricky) code of \csx{hline} +and \csx{cline} themselves. + +Fortunately, this job has already been done for the community: the +\Package{booktabs} package defines three different classes of rule +(\csx{toprule}, \csx{midrule} and \csx{bottomrule}), and the package +documentation offers hints on how to use them. You are +\emph{strongly} advised to read the documentation pretty carefully. + +The \Class{memoir} class includes the \Package{booktabs} package, and +repeats the documentation in its compendious manual. + +Note that none of the above mentions the issue of the weight of +vertical rules (except in passing). For the reasons, see the +documentation of the \Package{booktabs} package (again); vertical +rules in tables are in any case even more trickily coded than are +horizontal rules, and if their lack of configurability makes them +still less attractive, so much the better for the design of your +document. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[booktabs.sty]\CTANref{booktabs} +\item[memoir.cls]\CTANref{memoir} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-textflow]{Flowing text around figures} + +There are several \LaTeX{} packages that purport to do this, but they +all have their limitations because the \TeX{} machine isn't really +designed to solve this sort of problem. Piet van Oostrum has +conducted a survey of the available packages; he recommends: +\begin{description} +\item[\texttt{floatflt}] \Package{floatflt} is an improved version + (for \LaTeXe{}) of \File{floatfig.sty}, and its syntax is: +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{floatingfigure}[options]{width of figure} + figure contents +\end{floatingfigure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} + \begin{quote} + \cmdinvoke{begin}{floatingfigure}[\emph{options}]{\emph{figure width}}\\ + \mbox{}\qquad\emph{figure contents}\\ + \cmdinvoke{end}{floatingfigure} + \end{quote} +\end{narrowversion} +There is a (more or less similar) \environment{floatingtable} +environment. + +The tables or figures can be set left or right, or alternating on +even/odd pages in a double-sided document. + +The package works with the \texttt{multicol} package, but doesn't work well +in the neighbourhood of list environments (unless you change your +\LaTeX{} document). +\item[\texttt{wrapfig}] \Package{wrapfig} has syntax: +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{wrapfigure}[height of figure in lines]{l,r,...}[overhang]{width} + figure, caption, etc. +\end{wrapfigure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} + \begin{quote} + \cmdinvoke{begin}{wrapfigure}\texttt{\%}\\ + \mbox{}% + \qquad\qquad\texttt{[\emph{figure height in lines}]\%}\\ + \mbox{}% + \qquad\qquad\texttt{\{l,r,\emph{etc}\}[\emph{overhang}]\{\emph{width}\}}\\ + \mbox{}\qquad\emph{figure, caption, etc.}\\ + \cmdinvoke{end}{wrapfigure} + \end{quote} +\end{narrowversion} + The syntax of the \environment{wraptable} environment is similar. + + Height can be omitted, in which case it will be calculated by the + package; the package will use the greater of the specified and the + actual width. The \texttt{\{l,r,\emph{etc}.\}} parameter may + also be specified as \texttt{i}\emph{(nside)} or + \texttt{o}\emph{(utside)} for two-sided documents, and uppercase + may be used to indicate that the picture should float. The + overhang allows the figure to be + moved into the margin. The figure or table will entered into the + list of figures or tables if you use the \csx{caption} command. + + The environments do not work within list environments that end + before the figure or table has finished, but can be used in a + parbox or minipage, and in twocolumn format. + \item[\texttt{picins}] \Package{Picins} is part of a large bundle + that allows inclusion of pictures (e.g., with shadow boxes, + various \MSDOS{} formats, etc.). The command for inserting a + picture at the start of a paragraph is: +\begin{wideversion} + \begin{quote} + \csx{parpic}\texttt{(width,height)(x-off,y-off)[Options][Position]\{Picture\}}\\ + \emph{Paragraph text} + \end{quote} +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} + \begin{quote} + \cmdinvoke*{picins}(width,height)(x-off,y-off)\texttt{\%}\\ + \mbox{\qquad\qquad}\texttt{[\emph{options}][\emph{position}]\%}\\ + \mbox{\qquad\qquad}\texttt{\{\emph{Picture}\}}\\ + \emph{Paragraph text} + \end{quote} +\end{narrowversion} + All parameters except the \emph{Picture} are optional. The picture + can be positioned left or right, boxed with a rectangle, oval, + shadowbox, dashed box, and a caption can be given which will be + included in the list of figures. + + Unfortunately (for those of us whose understanding of German is not + good), the documentation is in German. Piet van Oostrum has written + a summary in English. +\end{description} +\plaintex{} users only have one option: \Package{figflow} (which +doesn't work in \LaTeX{}). \Package{Figflow} only offers flowed +figures at the start of the paragraph, but it seems perfectly +functional. Syntax is +\begin{quote} + \cmdinvoke*{figflow}{\meta{width}}{\meta{height}}{\meta{figure}} +\end{quote} +(the user is responsible for having the dimensions correct, and for +ensuring the figure fits on the page). +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[figflow.tex]\CTANref{figflow} +\item[floatflt.sty]\CTANref{floatflt} +\item[picins.sty]\CTANref{picins} +\item[picins \nothtml{\rmfamily}documentation summary]\CTANref{picins-summary} +\item[wrapfig.sty]\CTANref{wrapfig} +\end{ctanrefs} +\LastEdit{2009-06-11} + +\Question[Q-slashbox]{Diagonal separation in corner cells of tables} +\keywords{tabular} + +You want to label both the top or bottom row and the left- or +rightmost column, somewhere at the corner of the table where the row +and column meet. A simple way to achieve the result is to construct +the table with an arrangement of rules (and possibly \csx{multicolumn} +entries), to look like: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +----------------- +x y + -------------- + 1 2 3 4 5 +----------------- +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +----------------- +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +However, this doesn't satisfy everyone: many want the labelling in a +single cell at the top left of the table. It sounds a simple enough +requirement, yet it calls for some slightly tricky \LaTeX{} coding. +The \Package{slashbox} package does the job for you: it defines +commands \csx{slashbox} and \csx{backslashbox}, each taking the two +labels as arguments. It draws a picture with the two labels on either +side of a slanting line; the command (and hence the picture) may be +placed in the corner cell, where the labelled row and column meet. + +The package isn't the world's neatest: it uses \LaTeX{} +\environment{picture} mode to draw its line, and picture mode has many +tedious restrictions (and doesn't, in all honesty, produce +particularly good pictures). Load slashbox with the \Package{pict2e} +package, and at least the picture quality will be improved. + +Documentation of \Package{slashbox} is less than satisfactory: a +\LaTeX{} source file of rather startling starkness accompanies the +package file in the distribution. It does, however, process to a +\acro{DVI} file that gives some idea of how the \csx{slashbox} may be +expected to look. (The third example in the file shows the effect of +\environment{picture} mode's restrictions: the dividing line doesn't +go from corner to corner in the box: to correct this requires revision +of \Package{slashbox}~--- \Package{pict2e} alone doesn't help in this +regard.) +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[slashbox.sty]\CTANref{slashbox} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-wholerow]{How to change a whole row of a table} + +Each cell of a table is set in a box, so that a change of font style +(or whatever) only lasts to the end of the cell. If one has a +many-celled table, or a long one which needs lots of rows emphasising, +putting a font style change command in every cell will be impossibly +tedious. + +With the \Package{array} package, you can define column modifiers +which will change the font style for a whole \emph{column}. However, +with a bit of subtlety, one can make such modifiers affect rows rather +than columns. So, we set things up by: +\begin{quote} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{array} +\newcolumntype{$}{>{% + \global\let\currentrowstyle\relax}% +} +\newcolumntype{^}{>{\currentrowstyle}} +\newcommand{\rowstyle}[1]{% + \gdef\currentrowstyle{#1}% + #1\ignorespaces +} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage{array} +\newcolumntype{$}{>{\global\let\currentrowstyle\relax}} +\newcolumntype{^}{>{\currentrowstyle}} +\newcommand{\rowstyle}[1]{\gdef\currentrowstyle{#1}% + #1\ignorespaces +} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\end{quote} +Now, we put `\texttt{\$}' before the first column specifier; and we +put `\texttt{\textasciicircum{}}' +before the modifiers of subsequent ones. We then use \csx{rowstyle} at +the start of each row we want to modify: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{|$l|^l|^l|} \hline + \rowstyle{\bfseries} + Heading & Big and & Bold \\ \hline + Meek & mild & entry \\ + Meek & mild & entry \\ + \rowstyle{\itshape} + Strange & and & italic \\ + Meek & mild & entry \\ \hline +\end{tabular} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The \Package{array} package works with several other +\environment{tabular}-like environments from other packages (for +example \environment{longtable}), but unfortunately this trick won't +always work. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[array.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-multirow]{Merging cells in a column of a table} + +It's easy to come up with a table design that requires a cell that +spans several rows. An example is something where the left-most +column labels the rest of the table; this can be done (in simple +cases) by using % beware line break +\Qref*{diagonal separation in corner cells}{Q-slashbox}, but that +technique rather strictly limits what can be used as the content of +the cell. + +The \Package{multirow} package enables you to construct such multi-row +cells, in a very simple manner. For the simplest possible use, one +might write: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{|c|c|} +\hline +\multirow{4}{*}{Common g text} + & Column g2a\\ + & Column g2b \\ + & Column g2c \\ + & Column g2d \\ +\hline +\end{tabular} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +and \Package{multirow} will position ``Common g text'' at the vertical +centre of the space defined by the other rows. Note that the rows +that don't contain the ``multi-row'' specification must have empty +cells where the multi-row is going to appear. + +The ``\texttt{*}'' may be replaced by a column width specification. In this +case, the argument may contain forced line-breaks: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{|c|c|} +\hline +\multirow{4}{25mm}{Common\\g text} + & Column g2a\\ + & Column g2b \\ + & Column g2c \\ + & Column g2d \\ +\hline +\end{tabular} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +A similar effect (with the possibility of a little more +sophistication) may be achieved by putting a smaller table that lines +up the text into a \texttt{*}-declared \csx{multirow}. + +The \csx{multirow} command may also used to write labels vertically +down one or other side of a table (with the help of the +\Package{graphics} or \Package{graphicx} package, which provide the +\csx{rotatebox} command): +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{|l|l|} +\hline +\multirow{4}{*}{\rotatebox{90}{hi there}} + & Column g2a\\ + & Column g2b \\ + & Column g2c \\ + & Column g2d \\ +\hline +\end{tabular} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +(which gives text going upwards; use angle \texttt{-90} for text going +downwards, of course). + +To make a \csx{multicolumn} multi-row ``cell'' in a table, you have to +enclose a \csx{multirow} inside a \csx{multicolumn}~--- the other way +around does not work, so: +\begin{quote} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}\hline +\multicolumn{2}{|c|}{\multirow{2}{*}{combined cells}} + &top right\\ \cline{3-3} +\multicolumn{2}{|c|}{} + &middle right\\ \hline +bottom left + &bottom center + &bottom right\\ \hline +\end{tabular} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}\hline +\multicolumn{2}{|c|}{\multirow{2}{*}% + {combined cells}} + &top right\\ \cline{3-3} +\multicolumn{2}{|c|}{} + &middle right\\ \hline +bottom left + &bottom center + &bottom right\\ \hline +\end{tabular} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\end{quote} +\Package{Multirow} is set up to interact with the \Package{bigstrut} +package (which is also discussed in the answer to % beware line break +\Qref[question]{spacing lines in tables}{Q-struttab}). You use an +optional argument to the \csx{multirow} command to say how many of the +rows in the multi-row have been opened up with \csx{bigstrut}. + +The documentation of both \Package{multirow} and \Package{bigstrut} is +to be found, as comments, in the package files themselves. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[bigstrut.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{multirow} +\item[multirow.sty]\CTANref{multirow} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\subsection{Floating tables, figures, etc.} + +\Question[Q-floatpages]{Floats on their own on float pages} + +It's sometimes necessary to force a float to live on a page by itself. +(It's sometimes even necessary for \emph{every} float to live on a +page by itself.) When the float fails to `set', and waits for the end +of a chapter or of the document, the natural thing to do is to declare +the float as +\begin{quote} + \cmdinvoke{begin}{figure}[p!] +\end{quote} +but the overriding \texttt{!} modifier has no effect on float page floats; so +you have to make the float satisfy the parameters. +\Qref[Question]{Moving tables and figures}{Q-floats} offers some +suggestions, but doesn't solve the one-float-per-page question. + +The `obvious' solution, using the counter \texttt{totalnumber} +(``total number of floats per page'') doesn't work: +\texttt{totalnumber} only applies to floats on `text' pages (pages +containing text as well as one or more float). So, to allow any +size float to take a whole page, set \csx{floatpagefraction} really +small, and to ensure that no more than one float occupies a page, make +the separation between floats really big: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\renewcommand\floatpagefraction{.001} +\makeatletter +\setlength\@fpsep{\textheight} +\makeatother +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + +\Question[Q-vertspacefloat]{Extra vertical space in floats} + +A common complaint is that extra vertical space has crept into +\environment{figure} or \environment{table} floating environments. +More common still are users who post code that introduces this extra +space, and \emph{haven't noticed the problem}! + +The trouble arises from the fact that the \environment{center} +environment (and its siblings \environment{flushleft} and +\environment{flushright}) are actually based on \LaTeX{}'s +list-handling code; and lists always separate themselves from the +material around them. Meanwhile, there are parameters provided to +adjust the spacing between floating environments and their +surroundings; so if we have: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure} + \begin{center} + \includegraphics{...} + \caption{...} + \end{center} +\end{figure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +\nothtml{\noindent}or worse still: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure} + \begin{center} + \includegraphics{...} + \end{center} + \caption{...} +\end{figure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +unwarranted vertical space is going to appear. + +The solution is to let the float and the objects in it position +themselves, and to use ``generic'' layout commands rather than their +list-based encapsulations. +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure} + \centering + \includegraphics{...} + \caption{...} +\end{figure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +(which even involves less typing). + +This alternative code will work with any \LaTeX{} package. It will +not work with obsolete (pre-\LaTeXe{}) packages such as +\Package{psfig} or \Package{epsf}~--- see % beware line break +\Qref[question]{graphics inclusion}{Q-impgraph} for discussion of the +genesis of \csx{includegraphics}. + +\Question[Q-wideflt]{Centring a very wide figure or table} + +The normal means of centring a figure or table object is to include +\csx{centering} at the top of the float. This doesn't help if the +object is wider than \csx{textwidth}~--- the object starts at the left +margin and juts out into the right margin (which is actually doubly +unsatisfactory, since as well as looking bad, the float won't be +placed until the next \csx{clearpage} or the like.) + +You can avoid the problem by rescaling the figure or table to fit, but +this is often not satisfactory, for several reasons. + +Otherwise, if the object is wider than the printable area of the page, +you've no choice other than to \Qref*{rotate it}{Q-landscape}. If, +however, the object is \emph{just} wider than the text block, you can +make it pretend to be the right size by: +\begin{quote} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure} + \noindent + \makebox[\textwidth]{\includegraphics{my-wide-figure}}% + \caption{This figure juts out into both margins} +\end{figure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure} + \noindent + \makebox[\textwidth]{% + \includegraphics{my-wide-figure}% + }% + \caption{This figure juts out into both margins} +\end{figure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\end{quote} +Note the \csx{noindent}: the \csx{makebox} starts a paragraph, and you +really don't want that indented by \csx{parindent}. + +\Question[Q-2colfloat]{Placing two-column floats at bottom of page} + +You specified placement `\texttt{[htbp]}' for your full-width figure or +table, but they always get placed at the top of the page\dots{} Well, +it \emph{is} what the documentation says: \LaTeX{}, unadorned, only +allows full-width floats at the top of a page, or occupying (part of) a +float page. + +The \Package{stfloats} package ameliorates the situation somewhat, and +makes \LaTeX{} honour `[b]' placement as well; the +\Package{dblfloatfix} package combines a tidied version of the changes +made in \Package{stfloats} with the +\begin{narrowversion} % non-hyper + float ordering corrections defined in \Package{fixltx2e} + (\Qref{}{Q-2colfltorder}). +\end{narrowversion} +\begin{wideversion} % hyper + \Qref{float ordering corrections}{Q-2colfltorder} defined in + \Package{fixltx2e}. +\end{wideversion} + +A particular problem with \Package{stfloats} and \Package{dblfloatfix} +is that the float will appear, at its earliest, on the page after it +is specified. This has two undesirable side-effects: first, there may +be no bottom float on the first page of a document, and second, float +numbers may become ``entangled'' (particularly if you're using +\Package{dblfloatfix} that ensures that the early-specified bottom +float is set \emph{before} any single column floats). + +(The \acro{FAQ} team doesn't know of any package that will make +\LaTeX{} honour `[h]' placement of double-column floats, but the +\Package{midfloat} package can be pressed into service to provide +something approximating the effect it would have.) +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[dblfloatfix.sty]\CTANref{dblfloatfix} +\item[stfloats.sty, midfloat.sty]Distributed as part of + \CTANref{sttools} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-mcfloat]{Floats in multicolumn setting} + +If you use +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure} + ... +\end{figure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +in a \environment{multicols} environment, the figure won't appear. If +instead you use +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure*} + ... +\end{figure*} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +the figure will stretch right across the page (just the same as a +\environment{figure*} in standard \LaTeX{}'s \pkgoption{twocolumn} option). + +It's possible to have single-column figures and tables with captions, +using the `\texttt{[H]}' placement option introduced by the \Package{float} +package but you might have to fiddle with the placement because they +won't `float', and exhibit other strange behaviours (such as silently +running off the end of the column at the end of the +\environment{multicols} environment). +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[float.sty]\CTANref{float} +\item[multicol.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-dpfloat]{Facing floats on 2-page spread} + +If a pair of floats are to be forced to form a 2-page spread (in a +book, or whatever), the first must lie on the left side of the spread, +on an even-numbered page. The \Package{dpfloat} package provides for +this: the construction to use is: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure}[p] + \begin{leftfullpage} + <left side figure> + \end{leftfullpage} +\end{figure} +\begin{figure}[p] + \begin{fullpage} + <right side figure> + \end{fullpage} +\end{figure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The construction has no effect unless the standard class option +\pkgoption{twoside} is in effect. + +Full documentation of the package (such as it is) is to be found in +\File{README.dpfloat} +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[dpfloat.sty]\CTANref{dpfloat} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-vertposfp]{Vertical layout of float pages} + +By default, \LaTeX{} vertically centres the floats on a float page; +the present author is not alone in not liking this arrangement. +Unfortunately, the control of the positioning is ``buried'' in +\LaTeX{}-internal commands, so some care is needed to change the +layout. + +Float pages use three \LaTeX{} lengths (i.e., \TeX{} skips) to define +their layout: +\begin{description} +\item[\nothtml{\normalfont}\csx{@fptop}] defines the distance from the + top of the page to the top of the first float, +\item[\nothtml{\normalfont}\csx{@fpsep}] defines the separation between + floats, and +\item[\nothtml{\normalfont}\csx{@fpbot}] defines the distance from the + bottom of the last float on the page to the bottom of the page. +\end{description} +(In fact, the output routine places a skip of \csx{@fpsep} above each float, so +the \csx{@fptop} skip is always followed by a correction for that.) + + +The \LaTeX{} defaults are: +\begin{quote} + \csx{@fptop} = \texttt{0pt + 1fil}\\ + \csx{@fpsep} = \texttt{8pt + 2fil}\\ + \csx{@fpbot} = \texttt{0pt + 1fil}\\ +\end{quote} +so that the gaps expand to fill the space not occupied by floats, but +if there is more than one float on the page, the gap between them will +expand to twice the space at top and bottom. + +Those who understand this stuff will be able to play elaborate games, +but the commonest requirement, that the floats start at the top of the +page, is a simple thing to do: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\makeatletter +\setlength{\@fptop}{0pt} +\makeatother +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +Surprisingly, you may find this setting leaves your floats too high on +the page. One can justify a value of \texttt{5pt} (in place of +\texttt{0pt})~--- it's roughly the difference between \csx{topskip} +and the height of normal (\texttt{10pt}) text. + +Note that this is a ``global'' setting (best established in a class +file, or at worst in the document preamble); making the change for a +single float page is likely (at the least) to be rather tricky. + +\Question[Q-figurehere]{Figure (or table) \emph{exactly} where I want it} + +This is of course a contradiction: \environment{figure} and +\environment{table} are \emph{designed} to float, and will always have +the potential to appear away from where you asked for them. Therefore +you have to find a means of getting the caption and other effects +without allowing the figure or table to float. + +The most straightforward way is to use the \Package{float} package; it +gives you a \texttt{[H]} float placement option that prevents +floating: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure}[H] + \centering + \includegraphics{foo} + \caption{caption text} + \label{fig:nonfloat} +\end{figure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +As the example shows, these \texttt{[H]} figures (and correspondingly, +tables) offer all you need to cross-reference as well as typeset. + +However, you don't actually \emph{have} to use \Package{float} since +it is, in fact, doing rather little for you. You can place your +figure as you please, with a sequence like +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{center} + \includegraphics{foo} + \captionof{figure}{caption text} + \label{fig:nonfloat} +\end{center} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +which relies on the \csx{captionof} command to place a caption in +ordinary running text. That command may be had from the extremely +simple-minded package \Package{capt-of} or from the highly +sophisticated \Package{caption} package. + +Using either method, you have to deal with the possibility of the +figure or table being too large for the page. (Floating objects will +float away in this circumstance; ``doing it by hand'', like this, you +take upon yourself the responsibility for avoiding % ! line break +`\textit{Overfull \csx{vbox}}' errors. + +A further problem is the possibility that such ``fixed floats'' will +overtake ``real floats'', so that the numbers of figures will be out +of order: figure 6 could be on page 12, while figure 5 had floated to +page 13. It's best, therefore, either to stay with floating figures +throughout a document, or to use fixed figures throughout. + +If it's really impossible to follow that counsel of perfection, you +can use the \Package{perpage} package's command \csx{MakeSorted} +command: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +... +\usepackage{float} +\usepackage{perpage} +\MakeSorted{figure} +\MakeSorted{table} +... +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +and the sequence of float numbers is all correct. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[capt-of.sty]\CTANref{capt-of} +\item[caption.sty]\CTANref{caption} +\item[float.sty]\CTANref{float} +\item[perpage.sty]Distributed as part \CTANref{bigfoot} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\subsection{Footnotes} + +\Question[Q-footintab]{Footnotes in tables} + +The standard \LaTeX{} \csx{footnote} command doesn't work in tables; the table +traps the footnotes and they can't escape to the bottom of the page. + +If your table is floating, your best bet is (unfortunately) to put the +table in a \environment{minipage} environment and to put the notes +underneath the table, or to use Donald Arseneau's package +\Package{threeparttable} (which implements ``table notes'' proper). + +The \Package{ctable} package extends the model of +\Package{threeparttable}, and also uses the ideas of the +\Package{booktabs} package. The \csx{ctable} command does the complete +job of setting the table, placing the caption, and defining the +notes. The ``table'' may consist of diagrams, and a parameter in +\csx{ctable}'s optional argument makes the float that is created a +``figure'' rather than a ``table''. + +Otherwise, if your table is not floating (it's just a +`\texttt{tabular}' in the middle of some text), there are several +things you can do to fix the problem. +\begin{itemize} +\item Use \csx{footnotemark} to position the little marker + appropriately, and then put in \csx{footnotetext} commands to fill in + the text once you've closed the \environment{tabular} environment. + This is described in Lamport's book, but it gets messy if there's + more than one footnote. +\item Stick the table in a \texttt{minipage} anyway. This provides all the + ugliness of footnotes in a minipage with no extra effort. +\item Use \Package{threeparttable} anyway; the package is intended for + floating tables, and the result might look odd if the table is not + floating, but it will be reasonable. +\item Use \Package{tabularx} or \Package{longtable} from the \LaTeX{} + tools distribution; they're noticeably less efficient than the + standard \environment{tabular} environment, but they do allow + footnotes. +\item Use \Package{footnote}, which provides an + \environment{savenotes} which collects all footnotes and emits them + at the end of the environment; thus if you put your + \environment{tabular} environment inside the environment, the + footnotes will appear as needed. Alternatively, you may use + \cmdinvoke{makesavenoteenv}{tabular} in the preamble of your + document, and tables will all behave as if they were inside a + \environment{savenotes} environment. +\item Use \Package{mdwtab} from the same bundle; it will handle + footnotes properly, and has other facilities to increase the beauty + of your tables. Unfortunately, it may be incompatible with other + table-related packages, though not those in the standard `tools' + bundle. +\end{itemize} + +The documentation of \Package{threeparttable} appears in the package +file itself; that of \Package{ctable} is distributed as a \acro{PDF} +file (for convenience's sake). +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[ctable.sty]\CTANref{ctable} +\item[footnote.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{mdwtools} +\item[longtable.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\item[mdwtab.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{mdwtools} +\item[threeparttable.sty]\CTANref{threeparttable} +\item[tabularx.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-ftnsect]{Footnotes in \LaTeX{} section headings} + +The \csx{footnote} command is fragile, so that simply placing the +command in \csx{section}'s arguments isn't satisfactory. Using +\csx{protect}\csx{footnote} isn't a good idea either: the arguments of a +section command are used in the table of contents and (more +dangerously) potentially also in page headers. While footnotes will +work in the table of contents, it's generally not thought a ``good +thing'' to have them there; in the page header, footnotes will simply +fail. Whatever the desirability of the matter, there's no mechanism +to suppress the footnote in the page header while allowing it in the table +of contents, so the footnote may only appear in the section heading itself. + +To suppress the footnote in headings and table of contents: +\begin{itemize} +\item Take advantage of the fact that the mandatory argument doesn't + `move' if the optional argument is present: + + \cmdinvoke{section}[title]% + \texttt{\{title}\cmdinvoke{footnote}{title ftnt}\texttt{\}} +\item Use the \Package{footmisc} package, with package option + \texttt{stable}~--- this modifies footnotes so that they softly and + silently vanish away if used in a moving argument. With this, you + simply need: +\begin{verbatim} +% in the document preamble +\usepackage[stable]{footmisc} +... +% in the body of the document +\section{title\footnote{title ftnt}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{itemize} +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[footmisc.sty]\CTANref{footmisc} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-ftncapt]{Footnotes in captions} + +Footnotes in captions are especially tricky: they present problems of +their own, on top of the problems one experiences with +\Qref*{footnotes in section titles}{Q-ftnsect} (footnotes migrating to +to the list of figures or tables, or % ! line break +\Qref{apparently random errors}{Q-extrabrace} because +\csx{footnote} is a fragile command), and with % ! line break +\Qref*{footnotes in tables}{Q-footintab} (typically, the footnote +simply disappears). Fortunately, the requirement for footnotes in +captions is extremely rare: if you are experiencing problems, it is +worth reviewing what you are trying to say by placing this footnote: +other options are to place text at the bottom of the float, or to +place a footnote at the point where you refer to the float. + +Note that the \Package{threeparttable} scheme (see, again, % ! line break +\Qref[question]{footnotes in tables}{Q-footintab}) also applies +to notes in captions, and may very well be preferable to whatever you +were thinking of. + +If you \emph{are} going to proceed: +\begin{itemize} +\item use an optional argument in your \csx{caption} command, that + doesn't have the footnote in it; this prevents the footnote + appearing in the ``List of \dots{}'', and +\item put your whole float in a \environment{minipage} so as to keep + the footnotes with the float. +\end{itemize} +so we have: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{figure} + \begin{minipage}{\textwidth} + ... + \caption[Caption for LOF]% + {Real caption\footnote{blah}} + \end{minipage} +\end{figure} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +However, \emph{as well as} all of the above, one \emph{also} has to +deal with the tendency of the \csx{caption} command to produce the +footnote's text twice. For this last problem, there is no tidy +solution this author is aware of. + +If you're suffering the problem, a well-constructed \csx{caption} +command in a \environment{minipage} environment within a float (as +in the example above) can produce \emph{two} copies of the footnote +body ``blah''. (In fact, the effect only occurs with captions that are +long enough to require two lines to be typeset, and so wouldn't appear +with such a short caption as that in the example above.) + +The documentation of the \Package{ccaption} package describes a really +rather awful work-around for this problem. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[ccaption.sty]\CTANref{ccaption} +\item[threeparttable.sty]\CTANref{threeparttable} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-repfootnote]{Footnotes whose texts are identical} + +If the \emph{same} footnote turns up at several places within a +document, it's often inappropriate to repeat the footnote in its +entirety over and over again. We can avoid repetition by +semi-automatic means, or by simply labelling footnotes that we know +we're going to repeat and then referencing the result. There is no +completely automatic solution (that detects and suppresses repeats) +available. + +If you know you only have one footnote, which you want to repeat, the +solution is simple: merely use the optional argument of +\csx{footnotemark} to signify the repeats: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +...\footnote{Repeating note} +... +...\footnotemark[1] +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +\dots{}\@ which is very easy, since we know there will only ever be a +footnote number 1. A similar technique can be used once the footnotes +are stable, reusing the number that \LaTeX{} has allocated. This can +be tiresome, though, as any change of typesetting could change the +relationships of footnote and repeat: labelling is inevitably better. + +Simple hand-labelling of footnotes is possible, using a counter dedicated +to the job: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\newcounter{fnnumber} +... +...\footnote{Text to repeat}% +\setcounter{fnnumber}{\thefootnote}% +... +...\footnotemark[\thefnnumber] +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +but this is somewhat tedious. \LaTeX{}'s labelling mechanism can be +summoned to our aid, but there are ugly error messages before the +\csx{ref} is resolved on a second run through \LaTeX{}: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +...\footnote{Text to repeat\label{fn:repeat}} +... +...\footnotemark[\ref{fn:repeat}] +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +Alternatively, one may use the \csx{footref} command, which has the +advantage of working even when the footnote mark isn't expressed as a +number. The command is defined in the \Package{footmisc} package and +in the \Class{memoir} class (at least); \csx{footref} reduces the above +example to: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +...\footnote{Text to repeat\label{fn:repeat}} +... +...\footref{fn:repeat} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +This is the cleanest simple way of doing the job. Note that the +\csx{label} command \emph{must} be inside the argument of +\csx{footnote}. + +The \Package{fixfoot} package takes away some of the pain of the +matter: you declare footnotes you're going to reuse, typically in the +preamble of your document, using a \csx{DeclareFixedFoot} command, and +then use the command you've `declared' in the body of the document: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\DeclareFixedFootnote{\rep}{Text to repeat} +... +...\rep{} +...\rep{} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The package ensures that the repeated text appears at most once per +page: it will usually take more than one run of \LaTeX{} to get rid of +the repeats. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[fixfoot.sty]\CTANref{fixfoot} +\item[footmisc.sty]\CTANref{footmisc} +\item[memoir.cls]\CTANref{memoir} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-multfoot]{More than one sequence of footnotes} + +The need for more than one series of footnotes is common in critical +editions (and other literary criticism), but occasionally arises in +other areas. + +Of course, the canonical critical edition package, \Package{edmac}, +offers the facility, as does its \LaTeX{} port, the \Package{ledmac} +package. + +Multiple ranges of footnotes are offered to \LaTeX{} users by the +\Package{manyfoot} package. The package provides a fair array of +presentation options, as well. Another critical edition +\Package{ednotes} package is built upon a basis that includes +\Package{manyfoot}, as its mechanism for multiple sets of footnotes. + +The \Package{bigfoot} package also uses \Package{manyfoot} as part of +its highly sophisticated structure of footnote facilities, which was +also designed to support typesetting critical editions. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[bigfoot]\CTANref{bigfoot} +\item[edmac]\CTANref{edmac} +\item[ednotes]\CTANref{ednotes} +\item[ledmac]\CTANref{ledmac} +\item[manyfoot.sty]Distributed as part of the \CTANref{ncctools} + bundle +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-footnpp]{Footnotes numbered ``per page''} + +The obvious solution is to make the footnote number reset whenever the +page number is stepped, using the % ! line break +\Qref*{\LaTeX{} internal mechanism}{Q-addtoreset}. Sadly, the place +in the document where the page number is stepped is unpredictable, not +(``tidily'') at the end of the printed page; so changing the footnote +number only ever works by `luck'. + +As a result, resetting footnotes is inevitably a complicated process, +using labels of some sort. It's nevertheless important, given the +common requirement for footnotes marked by symbols (with painfully +small symbol sets). There are four packages that manage it, one way +or another. + +The \Package{perpage} package provides a general mechanism for +resetting counters per page, so can obviously be used for this task. +The interface is pretty simple: \cmdinvoke{MakePerPage}{footnote} will +do the job. If you want to restart the counter at something other +than~1 (for example to avoid something in the \LaTeX{} footnote symbol +list), you can use: \cmdinvoke{MakePerPage}[2]{footnote}. It's a +first-rate package, small and efficient. + +The \Package{zref} package provides the same facilities with its +\pkgoption{perpage} module, which defines a command \csx{zmakeperpage} +whose syntax is identical to that of \Package{perpage}, above. You can +load the module by \cmdinvoke{usepackage}[perpage]{zref} (or as +\cmdinvoke{usepackage}{zref-perpage}, if your needs so require~--- +look at \Package{zref}'s documentation for details). + +The \Package{footmisc} package provides a variety of means of +controlling footnote appearance, among them a package option +\pkgoption{perpage} that adjusts the numbering per page; if you're +doing something else odd about footnotes, it means you may only need +the one package to achieve your ends. + +The \Package{footnpag} package also does per-page footnotes (and +nothing else). With the competition from \Package{perpage}, it's +probably not particularly useful any more. (Documentation is +\File{footnpag-user.pdf} in the distribution.) +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[footmisc.sty]\CTANref{footmisc} +\item[footnpag.sty]\CTANref{footnpag} +\item[perpage.sty]Distributed as part \CTANref{bigfoot} +\item[zref.sty]Distributed as a collection member in \CTANref{oberdiek} +\item[zref-perpage.sty]Distributed as a collection member in + \CTANref{oberdiek} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-run-fn-nos]{Not resetting footnote numbers per chapter} + +Some classes (for example, \Class{book} and \Class{report}) set up a +different set of footnotes per chapter, by resetting the footnote +number at the start of the chapter. This is essentially the same +action as that of % ! line break +\Qref*{equation, figure and table numbers}{Q-running-nos}, +except that footnote numbers don't get ``decorated'' with the chapter +number, as happens with those other numbers. + +The solution is the same: use the \Package{chngcntr} package; since the +numbers aren't ``decorated'' you can use the \csx{counterwithout*} +variant; the code: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\counterwithout*{footnote}{chapter} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +is all you need +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[chngcntr.sty]\CTANref{chngcntr} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\subsection{Document management} + +\Question[Q-filename]{What's the name of this file} + +One might want this so as to automatically generate a page header or +footer recording what file is being processed. It's not easy\dots{} + +\TeX{} retains what it considers the name of the \emph{job}, only, in +the primitive \csx{jobname}; this is the name of the file first +handed to \TeX{}, stripped of its directory name and of any extension +(such as \extension{tex}). If no file was passed (i.e., you're using +\TeX{} interactively), \csx{jobname} has the value \texttt{texput} +(the name that's given to \extension{log} files in this case). + +This is fine, for the case of a small document, held in a single file; +most significant documents will be held in a bunch of files, and +\TeX{} makes no attempt to keep track of files input to the +\emph{job}. So the user has to keep track, himself~--- the only way +is to patch the input commands and cause them to retain details of the +file name. This is particularly difficult in the case of \plaintex{}, +since the syntax of the \csx{input} command is so peculiar. + +In the case of \LaTeX{}, the input commands have pretty regular +syntax, and the simplest \Qref*{patching techniques}{Q-patch} can be +used on them. + +If you're not inputting things from a file that's already been input, +the job is almost trivial: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\def\ThisFile{\jobname} +\let\OldInput\input +\renewcommand{\input}[1]{% + \renewcommand{\ThisFile}{#1}% + \OldInput{#1}% +} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +With that, the macro \csx{ThisFile} always contains the last thing +input: it starts pointing at the base file of your document +(\csx{jobname}), and thereafter changes every time you use +\cmdinvoke*{input}{file}. + +Most ordinary users will quickly become irritated with the simplicity +of of the \csx{ThisFile} mechanism above. The following code is more +cunning: it maintains details of the files you've `come through' to +get to where you are, and it restores \csx{ThisFile} to what the +previous file was before returning. +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\def\ThisFile{\jobname} +\newcounter{FileStack} +\let\OrigInput\input +\renewcommand{\input}[1]{% + \stackinput{#1}{\OrigInput}% +} +\newcommand{\stackinput}[2]{% + \stepcounter{FileStack}% + \expandafter\let + \csname NameStack\theFileStack\endcsname + \ThisFile + \def\ThisFile{#1}% + #2{#1}% + \expandafter\let\expandafter + \ThisFile + \csname NameStack\theFileStack\endcsname + \addtocounter{FileStack}{-1}% +} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +To do the same for \csx{include}, we need the simple addition: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\let\OrigInclude\include +\renewcommand{\include}[1]{% + \stackinput{#1}{\OrigInclude}% +} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +Both examples of patching \csx{input} assume you always use +\LaTeX{} syntax, i.e., always use braces around the argument. + +The \Package{FiNK} (``File Name Keeper'') package provides a +regular means of keeping track of the current file name (with its +extension), in a macro \csx{finkfile}. If you need the unadorned file +name (without its `\extension{tex}'), use the commands: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\def\striptexext#1.tex{#1} +... +\edef\ThisFile{\expandafter\stripext\finkfile} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The \Package{FiNK} bundle includes a \File{fink.el} that provides +support under \ProgName{emacs} with \acro{AUC}-\TeX{}. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[fink.sty]\CTANref{fink} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-filesused]{All the files used by this document} + +When you're sharing a document with someone else (perhaps as part of a +co-development cycle) it's as well to arrange that both correspondents +have the same set of auxiliary files, as well as the document in +question. Your correspondent obviously needs the same set of files +(if you use the \Package{url} package, she has to have \Package{url} +too, for example). But suppose you have a bug-free version of the +\Package{shinynew} package but her copy is still the unstable +original; until you both realise what is happening, such a situation +can be very confusing. + +The simplest solution is the \LaTeX{} \csx{listfiles} command. This +places a list of the files used and their version numbers in the log +file. If you extract that list and transmit it with your file, it can +be used as a check-list in case that problems arise. + +Note that \csx{listfiles} only registers things that are input by the +``standard'' \LaTeX{} mechanisms (\csx{documentclass}, \csx{usepackage}, +\csx{input}, \csx{include}, \csx{includegraphics} and so on). But if you +use \TeX{} primitive syntax, as in +\begin{verbatim} + \input mymacros +\end{verbatim} +\File{mymacros.tex} \emph{won't} be listed by \csx{listfiles}, since +you've bypassed the mechanism that records its use. + +The \Package{snapshot} package helps the owner of a \LaTeX{} document +obtain a list of the external dependencies of the document, in a form +that can be embedded at the top of the document. The intended use of +the package is the creation of archival copies of documents, but it +has application in document exchange situations too. + +The \ProgName{bundledoc} system uses the \Package{snapshot} to produce an +archive (e.g., \extension{tar.gz} or \extension{zip}) of the files needed by your +document; it comes with configuration files for use with +\ProgName{teTeX} and \ProgName{\miktex{}}. It's plainly useful when +you're sending the first copy of a document. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[bundledoc]\CTANref{bundledoc} +\item[snapshot.sty]\CTANref{snapshot} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-changebars]{Marking changed parts of your document} + +One often needs clear indications of how a document has changed, but +the commonest technique, ``change bars'' (also known as ``revision +bars''), requires surprisingly much +trickery of the programmer (the problem being that \TeX{} `proper' +doesn't provide the programmer with any information about the +``current position'' from which a putative start- or end-point of a +bar might be calculated; \PDFTeX{} \emph{does} provide the +information, but we're not aware yet of any programmer taking +advantage of the fact to write a \PDFTeX{}-based changebar package). + +The simplest package that offers change bars is Peter Schmitt's +\Package{backgrnd.tex}; this was written as a \plaintex{} application +that patches the output routine, but it appears to work at least on +simple \LaTeX{} documents. Wise \LaTeX{} users will be alerted by the +information that \Package{backgrnd} patches their output routine, and +will watch its behaviour very carefully (patching the \LaTeX{} output +routine is not something to undertake lightly\dots{}). + +The longest-established \LaTeX{}-specific solution is the +\Package{changebar} package, +which uses \csx{special} commands supplied by the driver you're using. +You need therefore to tell the package which driver to generate +\csx{special}s for (in the same way that you need to tell the +\Package{graphics} package); the list of available drivers is pretty +wide, but does not include \ProgName{dvipdfm}. The package comes with +a shell script \ProgName{chbar.sh} (for use on Unix machines) that +will compare two documents and generate a third which is marked-up +with \Package{changebar} macros to highlight changes. The +shareware \ProgName{WinEDT} editor has a macro that will generate +\Package{changebar} (or other) macros to show differences from an +earlier version of your file, stored in an +\ProgName{RCS}-controlled repository~--- see +\URL{http://www.winedt.org/Macros/LaTeX/RCSdiff.php} + +The \Package{vertbars} package uses the techniques of the +\Package{lineno} package (which it loads, so the \Package{lineno} +itself must be installed); it's thus the smallest of the packages for +change bar marking, since it leaves all the trickery to another +package. \Package{Vertbars} defines a \environment{vertbar} +environment to create changebars. + +The \Package{framed} package is +another that provides bars as a side-effect of other desirable +functionality: its \environment{leftbar} environment is simply a +stripped-down frame (note, though, that the environment makes a +separate paragraph of its contents, so it is best used when the +convention is to mark a whole changed paragraph. + +Finally, the \Class{memoir} class allows marginal editorial comments, +which you can obviously use to delimit areas of changed text. + +An even more comprehensive way to keep track of changes is employed by +some word-processors~--- to produce a document that embodies both +``old'' and ``new'' versions. + +To this end, the package \Package{changes} allows the user to manually +markup changes of text, such as additions, deletions, or replacements. +Changed text is shown in a different colour; deleted text is crossed +out. The package allows you to define additional authors and their +associated colour; it also allows you to define a markup for authors +or annotations. The documentation (very clearly) demonstrates how the +various functions work. + +The \ProgName{Perl} script \ProgName{latexdiff} may also be used to +generate such markup for \LaTeX{} documents; you feed it the two +documents, and it produces a new \LaTeX{} document in which the +changes are very visible. An example of the output is embedded in the +documentation, +\begin{narrowversion} % actually non-hyperversion + \File{latexdiff-man.pdf}, in the distribution. +\end{narrowversion} +\begin{wideversion} % actually hyperversion + \href{http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/support/latexdiff/latexdiff-man.pdf}{latexdiff-man.pdf} + (part of the distribution). +\end{wideversion} +A rudimentary revision facility is provided by another +\ProgName{Perl} script, \ProgName{latexrevise}, which accepts or rejects +all changes. Manual editing of the difference file can be used to +accept or reject selected changes only. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[backgrnd.tex]\CTANref{backgrnd} +\item[changebar.sty]\CTANref{changebar} +\item[changes.sty]\CTANref{changes} +\item[framed.sty]\CTANref{framed} +\item[latexdiff, latexrevise]\CTANref{latexdiff} +\item[lineno.sty]\CTANref{lineno} +\item[memoir.cls]\CTANref{memoir} +\item[vertbars.sty]\CTANref{vertbars} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-conditional]{Conditional compilation and ``comments''} + +While \LaTeX{} (or any other \TeX{}-derived package) isn't really like a +compiler, people regularly want to do compiler-like things using it. +Common requirements are conditional `compilation' and `block +comments', and several \LaTeX{}-specific means to this end are available. + +The simple \cmdinvoke{newcommand}{\csx{gobble}}[1]\texttt{\{}\texttt{\}} +and \csx{iffalse}\texttt{ ... }\csx{fi} aren't really satisfactory (as +a general solution) for comments, since the matter being skipped is +nevertheless scanned by \TeX{}, not always as you would expect. The +scanning imposes restrictions on what you're allowed to skip; this may +not be a problem in \emph{today's} job, but could return to bite you +tomorrow. For an example of surprises that may come to bite you, +consider the following example (derived from real user experience): +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\iffalse % ignoring this bit +consider what happens if we +use \verb+\iftrue+ -- a surprise +\fi +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The \csx{iftrue} is spotted by \TeX{} as it scans, ignoring the +\csx{verb} command; so the \csx{iffalse} isn't terminated by the +following \csx{fi}. Also, \csx{gobble} is pretty inefficient at +consuming anything non-trivial, since all the matter to be skipped is +copied to the argument stack before being ignored. + +If your requirement is for a document from which whole chapters (or +the like) are missing, consider the \LaTeX{} +\csx{include}/\csx{includeonly} system. If you `\csx{include}' your +files (rather than \csx{input} them~--- see % line wrap! +\Qref[question]{What's going on in my \csx{include} commands?}{Q-include}), +\LaTeX{} writes macro traces of what's going on at the end of each +chapter to the \extension{aux} file; by using \csx{includeonly}, you can give +\LaTeX{} an exhaustive list of the files that are needed. Files that +don't get \csx{include}d are skipped entirely, but the document +processing continues as if they \emph{were} there, and page, footnote, +and other numbers are not disturbed. Note that you can choose which +sections you want included interactively, using the +\Package{askinclude} package. + +The inverse can be done using the \Package{excludeonly} package: this +allows you to exclude a (list of) \csx{include}d files from your +document, by means of an \csx{excludeonly} command. + +If you want to select particular pages of your document, use Heiko +Oberdiek's \Package{pagesel} or the \Package{selectp} packages. You +can do something similar with an existing \acro{PDF} document (which +you may have compiled using \ProgName{pdflatex} in the first place), +using the \Package{pdfpages} package. The job is then done with a +document looking like: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\documentclass{article} +\usepackage[final]{pdfpages} +\begin{document} +\includepdf[pages=30-40]{yoursource.pdf} +\end{document} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +(To include all of the document, you write +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\includepdf[pages=-]{yoursource.pdf} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +omitting the start and end pages in the optional argument.) + +If you want flexible facilities for including or excluding small +portions of a file, consider the \Package{comment}, \Package{version} or +\Package{optional} packages. + +The \Package{comment} package allows you to declare areas of a document to be +included or excluded; you make these declarations in the preamble of +your file. The command \cmdinvoke*{includecomment}{version-name} +declares an environment \environment{version-name} whose content will +be included in your document, while +\cmdinvoke*{excludecomment}{version-name} defines an environment whose +content will be excluded from the document. The package uses a method +for exclusion that is pretty robust, and can cope with ill-formed +bunches of text (e.g., with unbalanced braces or \csx{if} commands). + +These FAQs employ the \Package{comment} package to alter layout +between the printed (two-column) version and the \acro{PDF} version +for browsing; there are \environment{narrowversion} and +\environment{wideversion} for the two versions of the file. + +\Package{version} offers similar facilities to \File{comment.sty} +(i.e., \csx{includeversion} and \csx{excludeversion} commands); +it's far ``lighter weight'', but is less robust (and in particular, +cannot deal with very large areas of text being included/excluded). + +A significant development of \Package{version}, confusingly called +\Package{versions} (i.e., merely a plural of the old package name). +\Package{Versions} adds a command +\cmdinvoke*{markversion}{version-name} which defines an environment +that prints the included text, with a clear printed mark around it. + +\Package{optional} defines a command \csx{opt}; its first argument is +an `inclusion flag', and its second is text to be included or +excluded. Text to be included or excluded must be well-formed +(nothing mismatched), and should not be too big~--- if a large body of +text is needed, \csx{input} should be used in the argument. +The documentation (in the package file itself) tells you +how to declare which sections are to be included: this can be done in +the document preamble, but the documentation also suggests ways in +which it can be done on the command line that invokes \LaTeX{}, or +interactively. + +And, not least of this style of conditional compilation, +\Package{verbatim} (which should be available in any distribution) +defines a \environment{comment} environment, which enables the +dedicated user of the source text editor to suppress bits of a +\LaTeX{} source file. The \Class{memoir} class offers the same +environment. + +An interesting variation is the \Package{xcomment} package. This +defines an environment whose body is all excluded, apart from +environments named in its argument. So, for example: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{xcomment}{figure,table} + This text is not included + \begin{figure} + This figure is included + \end{figure} + This is not included, either + \begin{table} + This table also included + \end{table} + ... +\end{xcomment} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + +A further valuable twist is offered by the \Package{extract} package. +This allows you to produce a ``partial copy'' of an existing document: +the package was developed to permit production of a ``book of +examples'' from a set of lecture notes. The package documentation +shows the following usage: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage[ + active, + generate=foobar, + extract-env={figure,table}, + extract-cmd={chapter,section} +]{extract} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +which will cause the package to produce a file \File{foobar.tex} +containing all the \environment{figure} and \environment{table} +environments, and the \csx{chapter} and \csx{section} commands, from +the document being processed. The new file \File{foobar.tex} is +generated in the course of an otherwise ordinary run on the `master' +document. The package provides a good number of other facilities, +including (numeric or labelled) ranges of environments to extract, and +an \environment{extract} environment which you can use to create complete +ready-to-run \LaTeX{} documents with stuff you've extracted. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[askinclude.sty]Distributed with Heiko Oberdiek's packages~--- + \CTANref{oberdiek} +\item[comment.sty]\CTANref{comment} +\item[excludeonly.sty]\CTANref{excludeonly} +\item[extract.sty]\CTANref{extract} +\item[memoir.cls]\CTANref{memoir} +\item[optional.sty]\CTANref{optional} +\item[pagesel.sty]Distributed with Heiko Oberdiek's packages~--- + \CTANref{oberdiek} +\item[pdfpages.sty]\CTANref{pdfpages} +\item[selectp.sty]\CTANref{selectp} +\item[verbatim.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{2etools} +\item[version.sty]\CTANref{version} +\item[versions.sty]\CTANref{versions} +\item[xcomment.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{seminar} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-docotherdir]{Bits of document from other directories} + +A common way of constructing a large document is to break it into a +set of files (for example, one per chapter) and to keep everything +related to each of these subsidiary files in a subdirectory. + +Unfortunately, \TeX{} doesn't have a changeable ``current directory'', +so that all files you refer to have to be specified relative to the +same directory as the main file. Most people find this +counter-intuitive. + +It may be appropriate to use the ``path extension'' technique +% beware line break +\Qref[of question]{used in temporary installations}{Q-tempinst} to deal with +this problem. However, if there several files with the same name in +your document, such as \File{chapter1/fig1.eps} and +\File{chapter2/fig1.eps}, you're not giving \TeX{} any hint as to +which you're referring to when in the main chapter file you say +\cmdinvoke{input}{sect1}; while this is readily soluble in the case of +human-prepared files (just don't name them all the same), +automatically produced files have a way of having repetitious names, +and changing \emph{them} is a procedure prone to error. + +The \Package{import} package comes to your help here: it defines an +\csx{import} command that accepts a full path name and the name of a +file in that directory, and arranges things to ``work properly''. +So, for example, if \File{/home/friend/results.tex} contains +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +Graph: \includegraphics{picture} +\input{explanation} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +then \cmdinvoke{import}{/home/friend/}{results} will include both +graph and explanation as one might hope. A \csx{subimport} command +does the same sort of thing for a subdirectory (a relative path rather +than an absolute one), and there are corresponding \csx{includefrom} +and \csx{subincludefrom} commands. + +The \Package{chapterfolder} package provides commands to deal with its +(fixed) model of file inclusion in a document. It provides commands +\csx{cfpart}, \csx{cfchapter}, \csx{cfsection} and \csx{cfsubsection}, +each of which takes directory and file arguments, e.g.: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\cfpart[pt 1]{Part One}{part1}{part} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +which command will issue a `normal' command % ! line break +\cmdinvoke{part}[pt 1]{Part One} and then input the file +\File{part1/part.tex}, remembering that \File{part1/} is now the +``current folder''. There are also commands of the form +\csx{cfpartstar} (which corresponds to a \csx{part*} command). + +Once you're ``in'' a \Package{chapterfolder}-included document, you +may use \csx{cfinput} to input something relative to the ``current +folder'', or you may use \csx{input}, using \csx{cfcurrentfolder} to +provide a path to the file. (There are also +\csx{cfcurrentfolderfigure} for a \path{figure/} subdirectory and +\csx{cfcurrentfolderlistings} for a \path{listings/} subdirectory.) + +Documentation of \Package{chapterfolder} is in French, but the +\File{README} in the directory is in English. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[chapterfolder.sty]\CTANref{chapterfolder} +\item[import.sty]\CTANref{import} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-RCS]{Version control using \acro{RCS}, \acro{CVS} or the like} + +If you use \acro{RCS}, \acro{CVS}, \ProgName{Subversion}, +\ProgName{Bazaar} or \ProgName{Git} to maintain +your \AllTeX{} documents under version control, you may need some +mechanism for including the version details in your document, in such +a way that they can be typeset (that is, rather than just hiding them +inside a comment). + +The most complete solution for \acro{RCS} and \acro{CVS} is to use the +(\LaTeX{}) package \Package{rcs}, which allows you to parse and +display the contents of \acro{RCS} keyword fields in an extremely +flexible way. The package \Package{rcsinfo} is simpler, but does most +of what you want, and some people prefer it; it is explicitly +compatible with \ProgName{LaTeX2HTML}. + +If, however, you need a solution which works without using external +packages, or which will work in \plaintex{}, then you can use the +following minimal solution: +\begin{quote} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\def\RCS$#1: #2 ${\expandafter\def\csname RCS#1\endcsname{#2}} +\RCS$Revision: 1.3 $ % or any RCS keyword +\RCS$Date: 2009/10/06 22:23:45 $ +... +\date{Revision \RCSRevision, \RCSDate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\def\RCS$#1: #2 ${\expandafter + \def\csname RCS#1\endcsname{#2}% +} +\RCS$Revision: 1.3 $ % or any RCS keyword +\RCS$Date: 2009/10/06 22:23:45 $ +... +\date{Revision \RCSRevision, \RCSDate} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\end{quote} + +If you've entered the brave new world of \ProgName{Subversion}, the +package \Package{svn} may be for you. It has explicit cleverness +about dealing with dates: +\begin{quote} +\csx{documentclass}\texttt{\{\meta{foo}\}}\\ +\texttt{...}\\ +\cmdinvoke{usepackage}{svn}\\ +\csx{SVNdate}\texttt{ \$Date\$}\\ +\cmdinvoke{author}{...}\\ +\cmdinvoke{title}{...}\\ +\texttt{...}\\ +\cmdinvoke{begin}{document}\\ +\csx{maketitle}\\ +\texttt{...}\\ +\cmdinvoke{end}{document} +\end{quote} +will (once \ProgName{subversion} has committed a copy of the document) +cause \csx{maketitle} use the date that has been written into the +\texttt{\$Date\$} keyword. + +Another alternative for \ProgName{Subversion} users is the +\Package{svninfo} package, which has much the same mechanisms as does +\Package{svn} but with a rather different focus. \Package{Svninfo} +does the date trick that \Package{svn} performs (controlled by a +package option), and can set up page foot-lines using % ! line break +\Qref*{package \Package{fancyhdr}}{Q-fancyhdr}. There isn't much to +choose between the two packages: you should read the packages' +documentation to see which suits you best. + +An alternative script-based approach to version control has been taken +by the \Package{vc} bundle, that in certain situations might work more +reliably than any of the packages mentioned above. The \Package{vc} +bundle supports \ProgName{Bazaar}, \ProgName{Git} and +\ProgName{Subversion} usage and works with both \LaTeX{} and +\plaintex{}. Note that \Package{vc} is the only option that +currently claims to support \ProgName{Bazaar}- and +\ProgName{Git}-controlled repositories. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[rcs.sty]\CTANref{rcs} +\item[rcsinfo.sty]\CTANref{rcsinfo} +\item[svn.sty]\CTANref{svn} +\item[svninfo.sty]\CTANref{svninfo} +\item[vc]\CTANref{vc} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-make]{Makefiles for \LaTeX{} documents} + +\LaTeX{} is a tricky beast for running \ProgName{make} on: the need to +instruct \LaTeX{} to run several times for essentially different +reasons (for example, ``get the table of contents stable'', ``get the +labels stable'', ``add the bibliography'', ``add the index'') is +actually rather difficult to express in the `ordinary' sort of +dependency graph that one constructs for \ProgName{make}. + +The \ProgName{latex-make} package offers help with this task (far more +sophisticated techniques than in the \acro{FAQ} building script); it +looks good, but reports of its use (other than by its author) are scarce. + +For a long time, the only \ProgName{make}-like package on \acro{CTAN} +was \ProgName{latexmk}, which is a \ProgName{Perl} +script that analyses your \LaTeX{} source for its dependencies, runs +\BibTeX{} or \ProgName{makeindex} as and when it notices that those +programs' input (parts of the \extension{aux} file, or the +\extension{idx} file, respectively) has changed, and so on. +\ProgName{Latexmk} is a fine +solution (and was used in generating printable versions of these +\acro{FAQ}s for a long time); it has recently been upgraded and has +many bells and whistles that allow it to operate as if it were a poor +man's \WYSIWYG{} system. + +Apparently along the same lines, is Auto\LaTeX{}. The \File{README} +of the distribution is actual a Unix-type man-page output, and shows +great attention to the details of the document production process. + +The \ProgName{mk} (also, apparently, known as \ProgName{latex_maker}) +is a Ruby script for the task in hand; it works well with another of +the author's scripts script called \ProgName{vpp} (View and Print +\PS{}/\acro{PDF}). + +Windows users of the \miktex{} system may use that system's +\ProgName{texify} application. \ProgName{Texify} deals with basic +\LaTeX{} features, including generating a bibliography and an index; +it makes no claim to deal with other things (such as multiple +bibliographies or indexes, or lists of terminology, etc.), which +Auto\LaTeX{} can be configured to process. + +The \Qref*{\Package{texinfo} system}{Q-texinfo} comes with a similar +utility called \ProgName{texi2dvi}, which is capable of ``converting'' +either \LaTeX{} or \Package{texinfo} files into \acro{DVI} (or into +\acro{PDF}, using \PDFTeX{}). + +A later contribution is the bundle \Package{latexmake}, which +offers a set of \ProgName{make} rules that invoke \ProgName{texi2dvi} +as necessary. + +The curious may examine the rules employed to run the present +\acro{FAQ} through \LaTeX{}: we don't present them as a complete +solution, but some of the tricks employed are surely re-usable. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[\nothtml{\rmfamily}AutoLaTeX]\CTANref{autolatex} +\item[\nothtml{\rmfamily}\acro{FAQ} distribution]\CTANref{faq} +\item[\nothtml{\rmfamily}latexmake]\CTANref{latexmake} +\item[latex-make]\CTANref{latex-make} +\item[latex\_make]\CTANref{latex_maker} +\item[latexmk]\CTANref{latexmk} +\item[texi2dvi]Distributed as part of \CTANref{texinfo} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-howmanypp]{How many pages are there in my document?} + +Simple documents (those that start at page 1, and don't have any +breaks in their page numbering until their last page) present no +problem to the seeker after this truth. The number of pages is +reported by the \Package{lastpage} package in its \texttt{LastPage} label. + +For more complicated documents (most obviously, books with frontmatter +in a different series of page numbers) this simple approach will not +do. + +The \Package{count1to} package defines a label \texttt{TotalPages}; this is +the value of its copy of \csx{count1} (a reserved \TeX{} count +register) at the end of the document. + +Package \Package{totpages} defines a label \texttt{TotPages}, but it also +makes the register it uses available as a \LaTeX{} counter, +\texttt{TotPages}, which you can also reference via \csx{theTotPages}. Of +course, the counter |TotPages| is asynchronous in the same way that +page numbers are, but snapshots may safely be taken in the output +routine. + +The \Class{memoir} class defines two counters \texttt{lastpage} and +\texttt{lastsheet}, which are set (after the first run of a document) +to the equivalent of the \texttt{LastPage} label and the +\texttt{TotalPages} labels. + +Both \Package{count1to} and \Package{totpages} need the support of +the \Package{everyshi} package. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[count1to.sty \nothtml{\bgroup\rmfamily}and\nothtml{\egroup} everyshi.sty]% line break!! + Distributed in \CTANref{ms} +\item[lastpage.sty]\CTANref{lastpage} +\item[memoir.cls]\CTANref{memoir} +\item[totpages.sty]\CTANref{totpages} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-inclplain]{Including \plaintex{} files in \LaTeX{}} + +\LaTeX{}, though originally \Qref*{based on \plaintex{}}{Q-LaTeXandPlain}, does not +contain all of \plaintex{}'s commands. Worse, some \plaintex{} +command names appear in \LaTeX{}, with different semantics. As a +result, special measures need to be taken to allow general \plaintex{} +documents (or parts of documents) to be typeset within \LaTeX{}. + +The truly reliable way is to translate the \plaintex{} commands, to +produce an equivalent of the original's semantics. However, this is +not practical in many circumstances, and for those occasions, the +\Package{plain} package will often come to your aid. The package +defines a \environment{plain} environment, in which a \plaintex{} +document may be processed: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\begin{plain} + \input{plain-doc} +\end{plain} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +The package is known to fail, for example, with documents that use +\AMSTeX{}; no doubt it would also fail if asked to load \Eplain{}. +All these things can be overcome (although it's not often easy), but +the environment saves a lot of work on many occasions. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[plain.sty]Distributed as part of \CTANref{carlisle} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\subsection{Hyphenation} + +\Question[Q-nohyph]{My words aren't being hyphenated} + +Let's assume you've selected the right \TeX{} `language'~--- as +explained in \Qref[question]{``how hyphenation works''}{Q-hyphen}, +you're not likely to get the correct results typesetting one language +using the hyphenation rules of another. (Select the proper language, +using \Package{babel} if you're a \LaTeX{} user. This may reveal that +you need another set of hyphenation patterns; see +% beware line wrap +\Qref[question]{``using a new language''}{Q-newlang} for advice on how +to install it.) + +So what else can go wrong? +\begin{itemize} +\item Since \TeX{} version~3.0, the limits on how near to either end + of a word hyphenation may take place have been programmable (see + \Qref[question]{``weird hyphenation''}{Q-weirdhyphen}), and for some + reason the values in question may have been corrupted in some macros + you are using. \TeX{} won't hyphenate less than \csx{lefthyphenmin} + characters after the start of a word, nor less than + \csx{righthyphenmin} before the end of a word; thus it won't + hyphenate a word shorter than the sum of the two minima, at all. + For example, since the minima are 2 and 3 for English, \TeX{} won't + hyphenate a word shorter than 5 letters long, if it believes the + word to be English. +\item \TeX{} won't hyphenate a word that's already been hyphenated. + For example, the (caricature) English surname Smyth-Postlethwaite + wouldn't hyphenate, which could be troublesome. This is correct + English typesetting style (it may not be correct for other + languages), but if needs must, you can replace the hyphen in the + name with a \csx{hyph} command, defined +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\def\hyph{-\penalty0\hskip0pt\relax} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + This is \emph{not} the sort of thing this \acro{FAQ} would + ordinarily recommend\dots{} The \Package{hyphenat} package defines a + bundle of such commands (for introducing hyphenation points at + various punctuation characters). +\item There may be accents in the word. The causes of and remedies + for this effect are discussed in + % beware line break + \Qref[question]{accents and hyphens}{Q-hyphenaccents}. +\item The hyphenation may simply not have been spotted; while \TeX{}'s + algorithm is good, it's not infallible, and it does miss perfectly + good hyphenations in some languages. When this happens, you need to + give \TeX{} \emph{explicit} instructions on how to hyphenate. +\end{itemize} +The \csx{hyphenation} command allows you to give explicit instructions. +Provided that the word will hyphenate at all (that is, it is not +prevented from hyphenating by any of the other restrictions above), +the command will override anything the hyphenation patterns might +dictate. The command takes one or more hyphenated words as +argument~--- \cmdinvoke{hyphenation}{ana-lysis pot-able}; note that +(as here, for analysis) you can use the command to overrule \TeX{}'s +choice of hyphenation (ana-lysis is the British etymological +hyphenation; some feel the American hyphenation feels +`unfortunate'\dots{}). +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[hyphenat.sty]\CTANref{hyphenat} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-weirdhyphen]{Weird hyphenation of words} + +If your words are being h-yphenated, like this, with jus-t single +letters at the +beginning or the end of the word, you may have a version mismatch +problem. \TeX{}'s hyphenation system changed between version~2.9 +and~3.0, and macros written for use with version~2.9 can have this +effect with a version~3.0 system. If you are using \plaintex{}, make +sure your \File{plain.tex} file has a version number which is at +least~3.0, and rebuild your format. If you are using \LaTeXo{} your +best plan is to upgrade to \LaTeXe{}. If for some reason you can't, +the last version of \LaTeXo{} (released on 25 March 1992) is still +available (for the time being at least) and ought to solve this +problem. + +If you're using \LaTeXe{}, the problem probably arises from your +|hyphen.cfg| file, which has to be created if you're using a +multi-lingual version. + +A further source of oddity can derive from the 1995 release of +\Qref*{Cork-encoded fonts}{Q-ECfonts}, +which introduced an alternative hyphen character. The \LaTeXe{} +configuration files in the font release specified use of the +alternative hyphen, and this could produce odd effects with words +containing an explicit hyphen. The font configuration files in the +December 1995 release of \LaTeXe{} do \emph{not} use the alternative +hyphen character, and therefore removed this source of problems; the +solution, again, is to upgrade your \LaTeX{}. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[\nothtml{\rmfamily}\LaTeXo{}]\CTANref{latex209-base} +\item[plain.tex]\CTANref{plain} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-oddhyphen]{(Merely) peculiar hyphenation} + +You may have found that \TeX{}'s famed automatic word-division does +not produce the break-points recommended by your dictionary. This may be +because \TeX{} is set up for American English, whose rules for word +division (as specified, for example, in Webster's Dictionary) are +completely different from the British ones (as specified, for example, +in the Oxford Dictionaries). This problem is being addressed by the \acro{UK} +\TeX{} User community (see \BV{}, issue~4.4) but an entirely +satisfactory solution will take time; the current status is to be +found on \acro{CTAN} (see +% beware line-wrap +\Qref[question]{``using a new language''}{Q-newlang} for instructions +on adding this new ``language''). +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[UK patterns]\CTANref{ukhyph} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-hyphenaccents]{Accented words aren't hyphenated} + +\TeX{}'s algorithm for hyphenation gives up when it encounters an +\csx{accent} command; there are good reasons for this, but it means +that quality typesetting in non-English languages can be difficult. + +For \TeX{} macro packages, you can avoiding the effect by using an +appropriately encoded font (for example, a Cork-encoded font~--- see +\Qref[question]{the \acro{EC} fonts}{Q-ECfonts}) which contains accented +letters as single glyphs. \LaTeX{} users can achieve this end simply +by adding the command +\begin{verbatim} + \usepackage[T1]{fontenc} +\end{verbatim} +to the preamble of their document. Other encodings (notably +\acro{LY}1, once promoted by \YandY{} inc) may be used +in place of \acro{T}1. Indeed, most current 8-bit \TeX{} font +encodings will `work' with the relevant sets of hyphenation patterns. + +One might hope that, with the many aspirant successors to \TeX{} such +as +\begin{wideversion} + \Qref{Omega}{Q-omegaleph}, \Qref{\LuaTeX{}}{Q-luatex} and + \Qref{Ex\TeX{}}{Q-extex}, +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} + Omega, \LuaTeX{} and Ex\TeX{} + (\Qref[see questions]{}{Q-omegaleph}\Qref[,]{}{Q-luatex} + \Qref[and]{}{Q-extex}), +\end{narrowversion} +all of which base their operations on Unicode, that the whole basis of +encodings will change. + +\Question[Q-newlang]{Using a new language with Babel} + +\Package{Babel} is capable of working with a large range of +languages, and a new user often wants to use a language that her +\TeX{} installation is not set up to employ. Simply asking Babel to +use the language, with the command +\begin{verbatim} + \usepackage[catalan]{babel} +\end{verbatim} +provokes the warning message +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +Package babel Warning: No hyphenation patterns were loaded for +(babel) the language `Catalan' +(babel) I will use the patterns loaded for \language=0 instead. +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +Package babel Warning: No hyphenation patterns + were loaded for +(babel) the language `Catalan' +(babel) I will use the patterns + loaded for \language=0 instead. +\end{verbatim} +(The first and third lines above have been wrapped to fit in the +column.) +\end{narrowversion} + +The problem is that your \TeX{} system doesn't know how to hyphenate +Catalan text: you need to tell it how before Babel can do its work +properly. To do this, for \LaTeX{} installations, one needs to change +\File{language.dat} (which is part of the Babel installation); it will +contain a line +\begin{verbatim} +%catalan cahyphen.tex +\end{verbatim} +which, if you remove the comment marker, is supposed to instruct +\LaTeX{} to load Catalan hyphenation patterns when you tell it to build +a new format. + +Unfortunately, in many Babel distributions, the line just isn't +right~--- you need to check the name of the file containing the +patterns you're going to use. As you can see, in the author's system, +the name is supposed to be \File{cahyphen.tex}; however the file +actually present on the system is \File{cahyph.tex}~--- fortunately, +the error should prove little more than an inconvenience (most of the +files are in better distributions anyway, but an elusive one +may be found on \acro{CTAN}; if you have to retrieve +a new file, ensure that it's correctly installed, for which see +\Qref[question]{installing a new package}{Q-inst-wlcf}). + +Finally, you need to regenerate the formats used (in fact, most users +of Babel are using it in their \LaTeX{} documents, so regenerating the +\LaTeX{}-related formats will ordinarily be enough; however, the +author always generates the lot, regardless). +\begin{description} +\item[te\TeX{}]It's possible to do the whole operation in one go, by + using the \ProgName{texconfig} command: +\begin{verbatim} +texconfig hyphen latex +\end{verbatim} + which first enters an editor for you to edit \File{language.dat}, + and then regenerates the format you specify (\ProgName{latex} in + this case). + + Otherwise, to regenerate all formats, do: \\ + \texttt{fmtutil -\relax-all} + + If you're willing to think through what you're doing (this is + \emph{not} for the faint-hearted), you can select a sequence of + formats and for each one, run: \\ + \texttt{fmtutil -\relax-byfmt \meta{formatname}}\\ + where \emph{\texttt{formatname}} is something like `\texttt{latex}', + or: \\ + \texttt{fmtutil -\relax-byhyphen \meta{hyphenfile}}\\ + where \emph{\texttt{hyphenfile}} is the file specifying hyphenation + to the format~--- usually \texttt{language.dat} +\item[\miktex{}] On a \Package{\miktex{}} distribution earlier than v2.0, do: \\ + \texttt{Start}\arrowhyph{}% + \texttt{Programs}\arrowhyph{}% + \texttt{\miktex{}}\arrowhyph{}% + \texttt{Maintenance}\arrowhyph{}% + \texttt{Create all format files} +% this sequence suggested for miktex 1.20e, 2000/12/22, by Giuseppe Bilotta + + or get a DOS window and run:\\ + \texttt{initexmf -\relax-dump} + + On a \Package{\miktex{}} distribution v2.0 or later, the whole + procedure can be done via the \acro{GUI}. To select the new + language, do:\\ + \texttt{Start}\arrowhyph{}% + \texttt{Programs}\arrowhyph{}% + \texttt{\miktex{} 2}\arrowhyph{}% + \texttt{\miktex{} Options}, and select the \texttt{Languages} tab. + Select your language from the list, press the \texttt{Apply} button, + and then the \texttt{OK} button. Then select the \texttt{General} + tab and press the \texttt{Update Now} button. + + Otherwise, edit the \File{language.dat} file (as outlined above), + and then run:\\ + \texttt{initexmf -\relax-dump}\\ + just as for a pre-v2.0 system. +\end{description} + +\nothtml{\noindent}\textbf{\emph{Caveat}:} It is (just) possible that +your \TeX{} system may run out of ``pattern memory'' while generating +the new format. Most \TeX{} implementations have fixed-size arrays +for storing the details of hyphenation patterns, but although their +size is adjustable in most modern distributions, actually changing the +size is a fiddle. If you \emph{do} find you've run out of memory, +it may be worth scanning the list of languages in your +\File{language.dat} to see whether any could reasonably be removed. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[babel]\CTANref{babel} +\item[hyphenation patterns]\CTANref{hyphenation} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-hyphoff]{Stopping all hyphenation} + +It may seem an odd thing to want to do (after all, one of \TeX{}'s +great advertised virtues is the quality of its hyphenation) but it's +sometimes necessary. The real problem is, that the quality of +\TeX{}'s output is by default largely dependent on the presence of +hyphenation; if you want to abandon hyphenation, something has to +give. + +\TeX{} (slightly confusingly) offers four possible mechanisms for +suppressing hyphenation (there were only two prior to the extensions +that arrived with \TeX{} version~3). + +First, one can set the hyphenation penalties \csx{hyphenpenalty} and +\csx{exhyphenpenalty} to an `infinite' value (that is to say, 10000). +This means that all hyphenations will sufficiently penalise the line +that would contain them, that the hyphenation won't happen. The +disadvantage of this method is that \TeX{} will re-evaluate any +paragraph for which hyphenations might help, which will slow \TeX{} +down. + +Second, one can select a language for which no hyphenation patterns +exist. Some distributions create a language \texttt{nohyphenation}, +and the \Package{hyphenat} package uses this technique for its +\csx{nohyphens} command which sets its argument without any +hyphenation. You can load \Package{hyphenat} with the command +\begin{quote} + \cmdinvoke{usepckage}[none]{hyphenat} +\end{quote} +to prevent any hyphenation in a single-language document. The +technique cannot work in a document in which \Package{babel} controls +language selection, since \Package{babel} incorporates hyphenation +change into its language change facilities. + +Third, one can set \csx{left-} and/or \csx{righthyphenmin} to a +sufficiently large value that no hyphenation could possibly succeed, +since the minimum is larger than the length of the longest word +\TeX{} is willing to hyphenate (the appropriate value is 62). + +Fourth, one can suppress hyphenation for all text using the current +font by the command +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\hyphenchar\font=-1 +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +This isn't a particularly practical way for users to suppress +hyphenation~--- the command has to be issued for every font the +document uses~--- but it's how \LaTeX{} itself suppresses hyphenation +in \texttt{tt} and other fixed-width fonts. + +Which of the techniques you should use depends on what you actually +want to do. If the text whose hyphenation is to be suppressed runs +for less than a paragraph, your only choice is the no-hyphens +language: the language value is preserved along with the text (in the +same way that the current font is); the values for penalties and +hyphen minima active at the end of a paragraph are used when +hyphenation is calculated. + +Contrariwise, if you are writing a multilanguage document using the +\Package{babel} package, you \emph{cannot} suppress hyphenation +throughout using either the no-hyphens language or the hyphen minima: +all those values get changed at a \Package{babel} language switch: use +the penalties instead. + +If you simply switch off hyphenation for a good bit of text, the +output will have a jagged edge (with many lines seriously overfull), +and your \AllTeX{} run will bombard you with warnings about overfull +and underfull lines. To avoid this you have two options. + +The simplest route is to use \csx{sloppy} (or its environment version +\environment{sloppypar}), and have \TeX{} stretch what would otherwise +be underfull lines to fill the space offered, while prematurely +wrapping overfull lines and stretching the remainder. + +Alternatively, you may set the text \Qref*{ragged right}{Q-ragright}, +and at least get rid of the overfull lines; this technique is +`traditional' (in the sense that typists do it) and may be expected to +appeal to the specifiers of eccentric document layouts (such as those +for dissertations), but for once their sense conforms with typographic +style. (Or at least, style constrained in this curious way.) +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[hyphenat.sty]\CTANref{hyphenat} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-wdnohyph]{Preventing hyphenation of a particular word} + +It's quite possible for (\emph{any}) hyphenation of a particular word +to seem ``completely wrong'', so that you want to prevent it being +hyphenated. + +If the word occurs in just one place, put it in a box: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\mbox{oddword} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +(\plaintex{} users should use \csx{hbox}, and take care at the start +of paragraphs.) However, boxing the word is not really advisable +unless you are sure it only occurs once. + +If the word occurs commonly, the best choice is to assert a +non-hyphenation for it: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\hyphenation{oddword} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +This hyphenation exception (with no break points) will be used in +preference to what \TeX{}'s hyphenation algorithm may come up with. + +In a multilingual document, repeat the exception specification for +each language the word may appear in. So: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage[french,english]{babel} +\selectlanguage{english} +\hyphenation{oddword} +\selectlanguage{french} +\hyphenation{oddword} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +(note that \Package{babel} will select the default language for the +document~--- English, in this case~--- at \cmdinvoke{begin}{document}.) + +A particular instance of this requirement is avoiding the hyphenation +of acronyms; a general rule for those that concoct acronyms seems to +be to make the capital-letter sequence read as near as is possible +like a ``real'' word, but hyphenating an acronym often looks silly. +The \TeX{} flag \csx{uchyph} is designed for suppressing such +behaviour: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\uchyph=0 +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +will stop hyphenation of upper-case words. (Note that \plaintex{} +syntax is needed here: there's no \LaTeX{} alternative for setting +this value.) + +\Question[Q-hyphexcept]{Hyphenation exceptions} + +While \TeX{}'s hyphenation rules are good, they're not infallible: you +will occasionally find words \TeX{} just gets \emph{wrong}. So for +example, \TeX{}'s default hyphenation rules (for American English) don't +know the word ``\emph{manuscript}'', and since it's a long word you +may find you need to hyphenate it. You \emph{can} ``write the +hyphenation out'' each time you use the word: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +... man\-u\-script ... +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +Here, each of the \csx{-} commands is converted to a hyphenated break, +if (\emph{and only if}) necessary. + +That technique can rapidly become tedious: you'll probably only accept +it if there are no more than one or two wrongly-hyphenated words in +your document. The alternative is to set up hyphenations in the +document preamble. To do that, for the hyphenation above, you would +write: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\hyphenation{man-u-script} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +and the hyphenation would be set for the whole document. Barbara +Beeton publishes articles containing lists of these ``hyphenation +exceptions'', in \textsl{TUGboat}; the hyphenation `man-u-script' +comes from one of those articles. + +What if you have more than one language in your document? Simple: +select the appropriate language, and do the same as above: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage[french]{babel} +\selectlanguage{french} +\hyphenation{re-cher-cher} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +(nothing clever here: this is the ``correct'' hyphenation of the word, +in the current tables). However, there's a problem here: just as +words with accents in them won't break, so \csx{hyphenation} commands +with accents in them produce an error: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage[french]{babel} +\selectlanguage{french} +\hyphenation{r\'e-f\'e-rence} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} +tells us that the hyphenation is ``improper'', and that it will be ``flushed''. +But, just as hyphenation of words is enabled by selecting an 8-bit +font encoding, so \csx{hyphenation} commands are rendered proper again +by selecting that same 8-bit font encoding. For the hyphenation +patterns provided in the usual distributions, the encoding is +\Qref*{Cork}{Q-ECfonts}, so the complete sequence is: +\begin{quote} +\begin{verbatim} +\usepackage[T1]{fontenc} +\usepackage[french]{babel} +\selectlanguage{french} +\hyphenation{r\'e-f\'e-rence} +\end{verbatim} +\end{quote} + +The same sort of performance goes for any language for which 8-bit +fonts and corresponding hyphenation patterns are available. Since you +have to select both the language and the font encoding to have your +document typeset correctly, it should not be a great imposition to do +the selections before setting up hyphenation exceptions. + +\subsection{Odds and ends} + +\Question[Q-logos]{Typesetting all those \TeX{}-related logos} + +Knuth was making a particular point about the capabilities of \TeX{} +when he defined the logo. Unfortunately, many believe, he thereby +opened floodgates to give the world a whole range of rather silly +`bumpy road' logos for \TeX{} entities such as \AMSTeX{}, \PiCTeX{}, +\BibTeX{}, and so on, produced in a flurry of different fonts, sizes, +and baselines~--- indeed, everything one might hope to cause them to +obstruct the reading process. In particular, Lamport invented +\LaTeX{} (silly enough in itself, with a raised small `A' and a +lowered `E') and marketing input from Addison-Wesley led to the even +stranger current logo for \LaTeXe{}, which appends a lowered % !line break +\latexhtml{\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}{single-stroke Greek letter ε}. + +Sensible users don't have to follow this stuff wherever it goes, +but, for those who insist, a large collection of logos is defined in +the \Package{texnames} package (but note that this set of macros isn't +entirely reliable in \LaTeXe{}). +The \MF{} and \MP{} logos can be set in fonts that \LaTeXe{} +knows about (so that they scale with the surrounding text) using the +\Package{mflogo} package; but be aware that booby-traps surround the +use of the Knuthian font for \MP{} (you might get +\htmlignore +\textlogo{META\hphantom{P}O\hphantom{S}T}). +\endhtmlignore +% the following htmlversion stuff seems to do roughly what's required, +% which is nice, given the feebleness of representing all these silly +% logos in html otherwise... +\begin{htmlversion} + something like `META\ \ O\ \ T'). +\end{htmlversion} +You needn't despair, however~--- most versions of the logo font +distributed nowadays contain the missing letters, and the author +himself uses just `MetaPost'. + +For those who don't wish to acquire the `proper' logos, the canonical +thing to do is to say \texttt{AMS-}\cmdinvoke{TeX}{} +for \AMSTeX{}, \texttt{Pic}\cmdinvoke{TeX}{} +for \PiCTeX{}, \texttt{Bib}\cmdinvoke{TeX}{} +for \BibTeX{}, and so on. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[mflogo.sty]\CTANref{mflogo} +\item[texnames.sty]\CTANref{texnames} +\end{ctanrefs} +\LastEdit{2009-06-07} + +\Question[Q-bold-extras]{How to do bold-tt or bold-sc} + +\LaTeX{}, as delivered, offers no means of handling bold ``teletype'' +or small-caps fonts. There's a practical reason for this (Knuth never +designed such fonts), but there are typographical considerations too +(the ``medium weight'' \texttt{cmtt} font is already pretty bold (by +comparison with other fixed-width fonts), and bold small-caps is not +popular with many professional typographers). + +There's a set of ``extra'' \MF{} files on \acro{CTAN} that provide bold +versions of both \texttt{cmtt} and \texttt{cmcsc} (the small caps font). With +modern \TeX{} distributions, one may bring these fonts into use simply +by placing them in an % ! line break +\Qref*{appropriate place in the \emph{texmf} tree}{Q-install-where} +(these are \AllTeX{}-specific files, so the ``\emph{public}'' supplier +would be an appropriate place). Once you've % ! line break, again +\Qref*{rebuilt the file indexes as necessary}{Q-inst-wlcf}, +\TeX{} (and friends) will automatically build whatever font files they +need when you first make reference to them. There's a jiffy package +\Package{bold-extra} that builds the necessary font data structures +so that you can use the fonts within \LaTeX{}. + +Another alternative is to use the \Qref*{\acro{EC} fonts}{Q-ECfonts}, +which come with bold variants of the small-caps fonts. + +If you need to use Type~1 fonts, you can't proceed with Knuth-style +fonts, since there are no Type~1 versions of the \Package{mf-extra} +set. There are, however, Type~1 distributions of the EC~fonts, so you +can switch to EC and use them; alternatives are discussed in +\Qref[question]{8-bit Type~1 fonts}{Q-type1T1}. + +Of course, commercial fixed-width fonts (even the default +\FontName{Courier}) almost always come with a bold variant, so that's +not a problem. Furthermore \Qref*{\acro{PSNFSS}}{Q-usepsfont} +will usually provide ``faked'' small caps fonts, and has no +compunctions about providing them in a bold form. \FontName{Courier} +is (as we all know, to our cost) freely available; a far more +presentable monospace font is \FontName{LuxiMono}, which is also +freely available (monospace text in the typeset version of this +\acro{FAQ} uses \FontName{LuxiMono}, with the metrics and \LaTeX{} +support available on the archive. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[bold-extra.sty]\CTANref{bold-extra} +\item[bold tt and small caps fonts]\CTANref{bold} +\item[\nothtml{\rmfamily}LuxiMono fonts]\CTANref{luximono} +\end{ctanrefs} + +\Question[Q-varwidth]{Automatic sizing of \environment{minipage}} + +The \environment{minipage} environment requires you to specify the +width of the ``page'' you're going to create. This is sometimes +inconvenient: you would like to occupy less space, if possible, but +\environment{minipage} sets a box that is exactly the width you +specified. + +The \Package{pbox} package defines a \csx{pbox} whose width is exactly +that of the longest enclosed line, subject to a maximum width that you +give it. So while \cmdinvoke{parbox}{2cm}{Hello\bsbs world!} produces a +box of width exactly \texttt{2cm}, +\cmdinvoke{pbox}{2cm}{Hello\bsbs world!} produces one whose width is +\texttt{1.79cm} (if one's using the default \FontName{cmr} font for the +text, at least). The package also provides a +\cmdinvoke*{settominwidth}[min]{length}{text} (which looks (almost) +like the standard \csx{settowidth} command), and a \csx{widthofpbox} +function analogous to the \csx{widthof} command for use with the +\Package{calc} package. + +The \Package{eqparbox} package extends \Package{pbox}'s idea, by +allowing you to set a series of boxes, all with the same (minimised) +width. (Note that it doesn't accept a limiting maximum width +parameter.) The package documentation shows the following example +drawn from a joke \emph{curriculum vitae}: +\begin{quote} +\begin{narrowversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\noindent% +\eqparbox{place}% + {\textbf{Widgets, Inc.}} + \hfill +\eqparbox{title}% + {\textbf{Senior Widget Designer}} + \hfill +\eqparbox{dates}{\textbf{1/95--present}} + +... + +\noindent% +\eqparbox{place}% + {\textbf{Thingamabobs, Ltd.}} + \hfill +\eqparbox{title}% + {\textbf{Lead Engineer}} + \hfill +\eqparbox{dates}{\textbf{9/92--12/94}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{narrowversion} +\begin{wideversion} +\begin{verbatim} +\noindent% +\eqparbox{place}{\textbf{Widgets, Inc.}} \hfill +\eqparbox{title}{\textbf{Senior Widget Designer}} \hfill +\eqparbox{dates}{\textbf{1/95--present}} + +... + +\noindent% +\eqparbox{place}{\textbf{Thingamabobs, Ltd.}} \hfill +\eqparbox{title}{\textbf{Lead Engineer}} \hfill +\eqparbox{dates}{\textbf{9/92--12/94}} +\end{verbatim} +\end{wideversion} +\end{quote} +The code makes the three items on each of the heading lines have +exactly the same width, so that the lines as a whole produce a regular +pattern down the page. A command \csx{eqboxwidth} allows you to use +the measured width of a group: the documentation shows how the command +may be used to produce sensible-looking columns that mix \texttt{c}-, +\texttt{r}- or \texttt{l}-rows, with the equivalent of a |p{...}| +entry, by making the fixed-width rows an \Package{eqparbox} group, and +making the last from a \csx{parbox} using the width that's been +measured for the group. + +The \Package{varwidth} package defines a \environment{varwidth} +environment which sets the content of the box to match a ``narrower +natural width'' if it finds one. (You give it the same parameters as +you would give \environment{minipage}: in effect, it is a `drop-in' +replacement.) \Package{Varwidth} provides its own ragged text command: +\csx{narrowragged}, which aims to make narrower lines and to put more +text in the last line of the paragraph (thus producing lines with more +nearly equal lengths than typically happens with \csx{raggedright} +itself). + +The documentation (in the package file) lists various restrictions and +things still to be done, but the package is already proving useful for +a variety of jobs. +\begin{ctanrefs} +\item[eqparbox.sty]\CTANref{eqparbox} +\item[pbox.sty]\CTANref{pbox} +\item[varwidth.sty]\CTANref{varwidth} +\end{ctanrefs} + |