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From: julian@uhunix2.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Julian Cowley)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: How to handle footnotes in double-column format?
Keywords: output routines, double columns, footnotes
Message-ID: <12904@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Date: 7 May 91 06:27:38 GMT
Sender: news@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu
Organization: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Lines: 26

Here's a question for all you output routine hackers out there.

I'm trying to write a double-format output routine that can
handle column-wide footnotes and can balance columns when
two-column mode ends.  Usually double columns are handled in one
of two ways: a) using a \lr switch like in Chapter 23 of the
TeXbook, or b) setting \vsize to 2\vsize and using \vsplit to get
the columns.  When using method a), footnotes can easily be
handled since TeX allocates the space for the footnotes
automatically within the column.  The problem with this method is
that it makes it hard to balance the columns when two-column mode
ends, since the right column begins with \topskip glue; when the
material from the left column is added to the right column, the
\topskip glue interferes with the baselines.  Unless there is a
tricky way to convert the \topskip glue into \baselineskip glue,
I don't think there is much hope with this method.

Ok, why not use method b), which makes it much easier to balance
the columns?  Well, then it is impossible to tell which column
the footnote came from, since the output routine gets called only
after both columns of text have been read in.

Surely this problem must have been handled before.  Any suggestions?

Julian Cowley / U. of Hawaii at Manoa	| "Don't use footnotes in your
julian@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu		|  books, Don." -- Jill Knuth