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From: bed_gdg@SHSU.BITNET ("George D. Greenwade")
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: LaTeX line spacing, revisited by a LaTeX user
Message-ID: <00944395.9f6101e0.27412@SHSU.BITNET>
Date: 14 Feb 91 21:04:04 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 99

First, the "simplicity" of a style shouldn't be attacked.  Why did I choose
to reply to this with a style?  Well, the Subject was:
kat> Subject: LaTeX line spacing...
and the question posed was:
kat> I have a question about single spacing Table in a double spacing (set by
kat> \beselinestretch=2.0) document. Is there a easy solution to have
kat> single spacing Tables in a double spacing document? Thanks!
 
The first thing that scare me is that few of us LaTeX-users fully comprehend
the impact of a document-wide parameter, such as \baselinestretch=2.0 (or
for that matter, the nuances of something seemingly innocuous, like
parindent=0pt), which can have devastating effects if an environment uses it
in an interesting manner.  Instead, and I will speak strictly for myself on
this, I appreciate LaTeX precisely because it protects me from these errors
and I don't have to worry about them (usually; just in case ll is listening
in 8-)).  Subsequently, we have seen:
 
xf> The original post asks a ``simple'' solution I don't understand why
xf> people tend to give ``complicated'' solution. I am surprised that it
xf> needs a doublespace.sty to do double spacing. As a Plain TeX user, I
xf> may underestimate the problem you have. The following ``simple'' LaTeX
xf> file I wrote using Plain TeX commands switch back and forth between
xf> double spacing and single spacing [or any kind of spacing with slight
xf> modifications], am I so naive?
 
Again, to not offend anyone's sensitivities, for this LaTeX user, "simple"
means find a style, see if it has what I want, then use it in this instance
for life.  The underestimation of TeX users of LaTeX users knowledge of the
underlying aspects of what makes LaTeX tick is often overlooked.  I use
LaTeX because I don't want to learn TeX comprehensively.  Just as many of
you use an editor and didn't write one for special use because writing an
editor can be a real pain.  I'll use this example because, along with a
knowledgeable and patient friend, I did write a (La)TeX-oriented editor
precisely because I wasn't satisfied with plain old EVE under TPU.  Does
that make EVE a bad product?  Nope, just means I know more about how it
works than the average user.  Do I criticize other editors?  You bet!  Do I
criticize others who don't use my editor in TeX environments?  Nope (but I
should 8-)).  Anyway, enough of that parallel; let's see what doublespace
does to the document suggested as a template (I'll comment in what
doublespace would require):
 
xf> %%% Cut Here %%%
xf> \documentstyle{article}    %\documentstyle[doublespace]{article}
xf> \begin{document}
xf>
xf> \multiply\baselineskip by 2  %not used; this is default in doublespace.sty
xf>
xf> I am not a \LaTeX user so I don't know much about \LaTeX. I think \LaTeX
xf> is designed the way it is, if you ask it to do something it was not designed
,
xf> it is not fair.
xf>
xf> \baselineskip=0.5\baselineskip %\begin{singlespace}
xf> \bigskip                       % nope
xf>
xf> In that case, I think you need to use Plain \TeX\ instead of \LaTeX.
xf> Thanks for eplain, we Plain \TeX users have both the \LaTeX's convenience
xf> and Plain \TeX's flexiblility.
xf>                                                 %okay, this works for
xf> {\halign to 1.0 in{\hfil#\hfil&\hfil#\hfil\cr   %tabular and the TeX
xf>  cattle&herd\cr                                 %equivalent, but does it
xf>  fish&school\cr                                 %LaTeX's table which is
xf>  lion&pride\cr}}                                %a float?  Not without a
xf>                                                 %lot more code?  Haven't
xf> \begin{tabular}{|c|c|} \hline                   %tried it, but what happens
xf> \begin{tabular}{c} Column \\ \#1 \end{tabular} &       %to footnotes here
xf> \begin{tabular}{c} Column \#2 \end{tabular} \\ \hline  %under this code?
xf> 1985 & 43.2 \\ \hline                           %Remember, the question,
xf> 1992 & 51.6 \\ \hline                           %from a LaTeX user, was
xf> \end{tabular}                                   %about table!
xf>
xf> \multiply\baselineskip by 2     %\end{singlespace}
xf>
xf> As I said in the first paragraph, I am not a \LaTeX user. The solution I
xf> provide here used \TeX\ commands. Is this waht the original post asks?
xf>
xf> \end{document}
xf> %%% Cut Here %%%
 
Final point.  The argument is moot.  LaTeX people handle things a little
differently, using the same base product as TeX people, due to the work
Lamport put into LaTeX and the work of others who, over the years, have
designed outstanding and innovative style files for the product.  A TeX
die-hard can talk until (s)he is blue in the face, and I will probably never
change (but I might have to learn a little here and there); similarly, I
don't expect a LaTeXie can talk a TeXie into switching.  Fortunately,
between both groups, we have a few things in common so we can at least
communicate, compare, and work to get the best output possible.
 
In best wishes and not intending to ruffle any feathers (but sure I will).
 
George
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George D. Greenwade, Ph.D.                            Bitnet:  BED_GDG@SHSU
Department of Economics and Business Analysis         THEnet: SHSU::BED_GDG
P. O. Box 2118                                        Voice: (409) 294-1266
Sam Houston State University                          FAX:   (409) 294-3612
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