Re: Multi-columns in ms, again

[Oliver Corff]

Dear All,

in a follow-up to myself:

If I understood where the whole .1C definition ends, I could copy that
block into an own macro definition and from there eliminate just those
commands which flush the old page and begin a new page. I could even
ignore the tests for floats and footnotes because no such thing will
appear in my text.

Or I am completely, utterly and totally mistaken?

Best regards,

Oliver.

PS: Why do I want to do that? I am translating a scientific paper which
by all appearance seems to be typeset with a troff-like system. It is
typeset in two columns (except for title and abstract), and in the
center of one of the pages there is a table which, while not being very
high, spans across the whole page. The order of text blocks respects the
table and shows the following pattern:

TEXT 1    TEXT 2

VERY WIDE TABLE

TEXT 3    TEXT 4

For the convenience of the reader of the translation (who has access to
the original and might want to check a few numbers) I'd like to
reproduce the layout.

If that is really not possible, I still can shift the very wide, but not
very high table to the end.



On 20/11/2023 19:55, Oliver Corff wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> in April 29, I asked whether there is a possibility to resume one-column
> text after a two-column text on the same page. Your answers, uni sono,
> said what the the manual says: returning to one-column mode will always
> finish the page and begin a new one.
>
> The reason for this behaviour is to "[m]ake sure we don't exit if there
> are still floats or footnotes left-over." (line 578 of s.tmac, groff
> 1.22.4)*
>
> I am by far not familiar enough to modify the macros in s.tmac, so may I
> kindly ask for some guidance?
>
> Task: create a private 1C-style command which
>
>     - perhaps named .1Cs ("s" as in simplified or stripped down)
>     - flushes the material not yet typeset, happily ignoring any floats
> of footnotes, in two balanced columns; certainly using .pg*end-col, I
> assume?
>     - returns to one-column mode, trusting that
>     - my file is a clean text file without surprises, so need to take
> care of footnotes etc.
>
> I could start with line 527 of s.tmac, that's where the definition of
> .1C starts.
>
> But how many lines between 527 and 601 do I really have to copy into a
> private macro definition file? While I understand individual definitions
> (the macro names are quite transparent) I fail to make sense of how
> everything works together.
>
> Thank you very much for your occasional enlightenment,
>
> Best regards,
>
> Oliver.
>
> * Please bear with me that this particular machine hasn't yet been
> upgraded to groff 1.23. It will happen.
>
>
> --
> Dr. Oliver Corff
> Wittelsbacherstr. 5A
> 10707 Berlin
> GERMANY
> Tel.: +49-30-85727260
> mailto:oliver.corff@email.de
--

Dr. Oliver Corff
Wittelsbacherstr. 5A
10707 Berlin
G E R M A N Y
Tel.: +49-30-85727260
Mail:oliver.corff@email.de