faq 3.20 (18aug10)

git-svn-id: svn://tug.org/texlive/trunk@19623 c570f23f-e606-0410-a88d-b1316a301751

1 files changed, 76 insertions, 40 deletions

diff --git a/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-wdidt.tex b/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-wdidt.tex
index 161e96497de..42b53018a4a 100644
--- a/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-wdidt.tex
+++ b/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-wdidt.tex
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% $Id: faq-wdidt.tex,v 1.4 2010/03/26 22:48:51 rf10 Exp rf10 $
+% $Id: faq-wdidt.tex,v 1.5 2010/04/28 06:13:10 rf10 Exp rf10 $
 
 \section{Why does it \emph{do} that?}
 
@@ -1322,10 +1322,11 @@ linespread changes within a paragraph: read % ! line break
 
 \Question[Q-baselinepar]{Only one \csx{baselineskip} per paragraph}
 
-The \csx{baselineskip} is not (as one might hope) a property of a
-line, but of a paragraph.  As a result, in a \texttt{10pt} (nominal)
-document (with a default \csx{baselineskip} of \texttt{12pt}), a
-single character with a larger size, as:
+The \csx{baselineskip}, which determines the space between lines, is
+not (as one might hope) a property of a line, but of a paragraph.  As
+a result, in a \texttt{10pt} (nominal) document (with a default
+\csx{baselineskip} of \texttt{12pt}), a single character with a larger
+size, as:
 \begin{quote}
 \begin{verbatim}
 {\Huge A}
@@ -1335,7 +1336,34 @@ will be squashed into the paragraph: \TeX{} will make sure it doesn't
 scrape up against the line above, but won't give it ``room to
 breathe'', as it does the text at standard size; that is, its size
 (\texttt{24.88pt}) is taken account of, but its \csx{baselineskip}
-(\texttt{30pt}) isn't.  Similarly
+(\texttt{30pt}) isn't.  This problem may be solved by a \emph{strut}:
+the name comes from movable metal typography, and refers to a spacer
+that held the boxes (that contained the metal character shapes) apart.
+Every time you change font size, \LaTeX{} redefines the command
+\csx{strut} to provide the equivalent of a metal-type strut for the
+size chosen.  So for the example above, we would type
+\begin{quote}
+\begin{verbatim}
+Paragraph text ...
+   {\Huge A\strut}
+   ... paragraph continues ...
+\end{verbatim}
+\end{quote}
+This technique \emph{only} works for such very short intrusions; if
+you need several lines, you should convert your intrusion into an
+\environment{quote} environment, since it's not possible to provide a
+\csx{strut} command for every line of the intrusion, in a sensible
+way, so proceed by:
+\begin{quote}
+\begin{verbatim}
+\begin{quote}
+  \Huge A LENGTHY TEXT ...
+  SHOUTING AT THE READER!
+\end{quote}
+\end{verbatim}
+\end{quote}
+
+The contrary case:
 \begin{quote}
 \begin{verbatim}
 Paragraph text ...
@@ -1344,59 +1372,67 @@ Paragraph text ...
       ... paragraph continues ...
 \end{verbatim}
 \end{quote}
-will look silly, since the \texttt{8pt} interjection will end up set
-on the \texttt{12pt} \csx{baselineskip} of the paragraph, rather than
-its preferred \texttt{8.5pt}.  Finally, something like
+will look wrong, since the \texttt{8pt} interjection will
+end up set on the \texttt{12pt} \csx{baselineskip} of the paragraph,
+rather than its preferred \texttt{8.5pt}.  A \csx{strut} here is no
+help: there is no such thing as a ``negative strut'', that draws lines
+together, so once more, one falls back on the \environment{quote} to
+separate the interjection:
+\begin{quote}
+\begin{verbatim}
+Paragraph text ...
+\begin{quote}
+  \footnotesize Extended interjection ...
+  ... into the paragraph.
+\end{quote}
+... paragraph continues ...
+\end{verbatim}
+\end{quote}
+
+The same effect is at work when we have something like:
 \begin{quote}
 \begin{verbatim}
 Paragraph text ...
   ... paragraph body ends.
-{\footnotesize Short comment on paragraph.}
+{\footnotesize Comment on the paragraph.}
 
 Next paragraph starts...
 \end{verbatim}
 \end{quote}
-will set the body of the first paragraph on the constricted
-\csx{baselineskip} of the \csx{footnotesize} comment.
-
-So, how to deal with these problems?  The oversized (short) section is
-typically corrected by a \emph{strut}: this word comes from movable
-metal typography, and refers to a spacer that held the boxes (that
-contained the metal character shapes) apart.  Every time you change
-font size, \LaTeX{} redefines the command \csx{strut} to provide the
-equivalent of a metal-type strut for the size chosen.  So for the
-example above, we would type
+which will set the body of the first paragraph on the constricted
+\csx{baselineskip} of the \csx{footnotesize} comment.  Solve this
+problem by ending the initial paragraph before starting the comment:
 \begin{quote}
 \begin{verbatim}
 Paragraph text ...
-   {\Huge A\strut}
-   ... paragraph continues ...
+  ... paragraph body ends.
+\par\noindent
+{\footnotesize Comment on the paragraph.}
+
+Next paragraph starts...
 \end{verbatim}
 \end{quote}
-However, more extended insertions (whether of larger or smaller text)
-are always going to cause problems; while you can strut larger text,
-ensuring that you strut every line will be tiresome, and there's no
-such thing as a ``negative strut'' that pulls the lines together for
-smaller text.
+(We suggest \csx{noindent} to make the comment look as if it is part
+of the paragraph it discusses; omit \csx{noindent} if that is inappropriate.)
 
-The only satisfactory way to deal with an extended insertion at a
-different size is to set it off as a separate paragraph.  A
-satisfactory route to achieving this is the \environment{quote}
-environment, which sets its text modestly inset from the enclosing
-paragraph:
+A variation of the previous issue arises from a paragraph whose size
+is different from those around it:
 \begin{quote}
 \begin{verbatim}
-Paragraph text ...
-\begin{quote}
-  \footnotesize This is an inset account
-  of something relevant to the enclosing
-  paragraph...
+{\Large (Extended) IMPORTANT DETAILS ...}
+
+Main body of text...
+\end{verbatim}
 \end{quote}
-... paragraph continues ...
+Again, the problem is solved by inserting a paragraph marker in
+the text with a different size:
+\begin{quote}
+\begin{verbatim}
+{\Large (Extended) IMPORTANT DETAILS ...\par}
+
+Main body of text...
 \end{verbatim}
 \end{quote}
-Such quote-bracketing also deals with the problem of a trailing
-comment on the paragraph.
 
 \Question[Q-tocloftwrong]{Numbers too large in table of contents, etc.}