Conference vaxuum::document_ft

    
    Will double-check the step-by-step (we haven't gone to print yet)
    
    Changing the way we specify table margins is on the wish-list.
    

In case anyone else is still puzzling it out, I did come up with a crock
that produces a resonable output from the table example in "Step by Step...".
I simply introduced a fourth column between the second and third original
columns to keep the third column from overwriting the second.  I still
get the "line too long" error, but at least the output looks good:

<table>(The Protein Food Group\protein_tab)
<table_setup>(4\10\25\5)
<table_heads>(Protein Foods\Examples\ \Calories Per Gram of Protein)
<table_row>(Nuts\Almonds, cashews, peanuts, macadamia nuts, and filberts.
\ \45-60 calories/gram)
<table_row>(Seeds\Sunflower, pumpkin, and poppy\ \30-55 calories/gram)
<table_row>(Dried beans\Soldier, navy, kidney, and chick peas.
\ \30-40 calories/gram)
<table_row>(Dried peas\Split, whole green, and yellow.\ \25 calories/gram)
<endtable>

    Can you tell me the date on the Step-By-Step copy you have? Also,
    could you tell me the exact page of that table example? I am fairly
    sure that the table example was fixed for the latest release, but
    want to triple check.
    Thanks. Barbara

Sure thing.....

The manual is dated Nov, 1986.  The file, which I got from 
CLOSET::USE3$:[SDML.BL7] as per the instructions on how to get T1.0, is dated
18-Nov-86.

The first appearance of the table example is on page 3-6.

The problems with it are:
    1.  "line too long" messages
    2.  The third column in the first row overwrites the tail end of the
        second column
    3.  There is lots of white space to the right of the third column; the
        table looks off-center

In doing a directory of CLOSET::USE3$:[SDML...]STEP*.*, I found a version
of STEP_BY_STEP_WRITING.LN3 dated yesterday in [.BL8], and also found 
in [.BL7] a STEP_BY_STEP_WRITING.LNO that was dated January.
    1.  Is it correct to assume the one in [.BL8] is some working version,
        and I should "keepa-my-hands-off"?
    2.  Are the [.BL7]STEP*.LNO files, with later dates, more up-to-date than
        the .LN3 versions?  I have no way of telling, as I have no access to
	an LN01.

Thanks for your help (and, of course, for such a nice product!)

    OK, I'm checking it out. I have a bad feeling that the fix slipped
    through the cracks for the version that you saw in USE3$:[SDML.BL8],
    which was an updated version for Field Test Update. Basically, the
    fix to this error is to add alittle more space to the columns
    (that is, right now the <table_setup> tag has arguments of (3\10\15),
    but it needs something like (3\15\20). I'm not quite sure of the
    numbers, need to experiment alittle.)
    
    The files you noticed in [SDML.BL8] are available for anyone, to
    go along with the Baselevel 8 software (to be released on Monday
    or Tuesday of next week, I understand, when VAXUUM is alive and
    kicking again). If you want to print out a copy before you have
    BL8 installed, feel free. I also don't know how new those [SDML.BL7]
    LNO files are, so you probably should just copy the latest LN03
    file.
    
    -Barbara
    
    -Barbara

    Whoa! Barbara, I think you're missing the point. Certainly, you
    can work "around" the problem by fiddling the numbers. However,
    that only hides the problem, it doesn't solve it. 
    
    The problem is that the software shouldn't be overwriting the
    columns in the first place (since there is room to rearrange 
    the words).  In fact, depending on the size of the increase,
    changing the column width can aggrevate the problem because
    DOCUMENT moves another word onto the first line.
    
    --Andrew

    
    Yes, this appears to be the same issue as in #337. I will be looking
    at this.
    
    patti