Table anchors and extra spaces in sideheads ...

[Syed Zaeem Hosain]

Hi, Stuart

Stuart Rogers wrote:
> Syed Zaeem Hosain wrote:
>> When using Sideheads, I found that if the table widths are relatively
>> small, table titles do not go into the sideheads.
>>
>> Somebody once sent me a solution, which I find myself unable to do
>> again in a new document I am working on. This solution, as I recall,
>> was to create a new paragraph format, which was over the Sidehead
>> area, but had *negative* "before pgf" and "after pgf" settings to
>> help eliminate the extra spaces to the previous body paragraphs.
>>
>> So, I redid a new format called, not surprisingly, "Table Anchor",
>> where I place the table. The font for this is set to 2 pts too.
>>
>> I can get the table to go into the sidehead doing the above, BUT
>> the extra space does not go away (although it is less than before
>> due to the font size) - remains the same as if I had left the
>> space setting at 0!
>>
>> Any hints as to how to fix this extra space problem?

> I'm a little confused by your references to sideheads, and I'm not sure 
> whether you want your table title in the sidehead or not...

Yes, the title goes into the sidehead, but the actual table left
edge is at the left edge of the body column.

WithOUT the anchor in the sidehead, if the total table width is
too small, the title ended up in the body and the table edge ended
up inside the body.

But, with the anchor in the sidehead, this seems to work correctly!
It is just the extra space problem I am left dealing with.

> But in any case, the little trick involving negative spacing is this: In 
> your dedicated and otherwise empty anchoring pgf, set the font to any 
> convenient size (does not have to be 2pt, which can make the pgf hard to 
> select) and set the Space Below to a negative number *with an absolute 
> value greater than the font size*. In the table designer, set the Space 
> Above to the same negative value.
> 
> E.g., TableAnchor pgf tag: font 10pt, Space Below -12pt
> Table tag: Space Above -12pt

Hmmm ... this is just about what I did, I think. My TableAnchor pgf
font is set to 2pt, pgf space below and pgf above is set to -14 pt,
and it still has more space than when the space above and below is
set to +12pt, and the anchor is on the previous para (rather than
in a special TableAnchor paragraph).

Am I overlooking something?

> You may also find it useful to set a unique colour for the TableAnchor 
> pgf tag, so that the pilcrow is easy to identify when text symbols are 
> visible.

Ah! I do keep my text symbols on, as I find it useful. This color
suggestion will make it easier. Thanks!

Z