Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!murtoa.cs.mu.oz.au!ditmela!yarra!melba.bby.oz.au!leo!zvs From: zvs@bby.oz.au (Zev Sero) Newsgroups: comp.text.tex Subject: multicolumn in tabular* Message-ID: Date: 23 Feb 90 05:29:53 GMT Sender: news@melba.bby.oz.au Organization: Burdett, Buckeridge and Young Ltd. Lines: 26 Consider the following file: \documentstyle{article} \textwidth 180mm\textheight 250mm \topmargin -15mm\oddsidemargin -19mm \tabcolsep 1.5mm \begin{document} \begin{tabular*}{180mm}{@{\extracolsep{\fill}}|l*{3}{|*{2}{r}}|} \hline %\multicolumn{7}{|c|}{'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and %gimble in the wabe; all mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome} \\ Values & 82.77 & 95.69 & 11.86 & 10.34 & 37.72 & 43.79 \\ \hline\end{tabular*}\end{document} The spacing between the columns is perfectly even, as you would expect. Now uncomment the multicolumn. This multicolumn spans the entire table, so it should have no effect on intercolumn spacing. But in fact, the longer the text in the multicolumn, the more the space between the last two columns stretches, and the space between the other column shrinks! With the text as above, there is over 10 cm between 37.72 and 43.79, and practically nothing between the other columns! Why is this so? It really is annoying. -- Zev Sero - zvs@bby.oz.au Megalomaniacs are simply people who know damn well they can run the universe better then God or the present governors. - Abner Doon (Orson S. Card)