Conference vaxuum::document_ft

488.0. "<rule> out of context--an unplanned feature?" by COOKIE::JOHNSTON () Tue Jun 09 1987 19:29

I hestitate to enter this note because I think we've found a feature 
that isn't supposed to be there...and I'm afraid you might take it away!
(Grit teeth....)

We wanted to produce a table that had column totals enclosed between rules
something like that shown below.  The first rule had to be produced with 
<rule>; the ending rule was produced by the doctype, to end the table.
 


           GENRAL       59.7 %       48.2 %       45.9 %       -2.3%

           CXCAD        61.7 %       54.7 %       55.7 %       +1.0%

           PHOBIA       68.8 %       59.2 %       46.5 %       -12.7%

           COOKIE       66.0 %       61.9 %       51.9 %       -10.0%

           SSDEVO       70.3 %       60.3 %       63.7 %       +3.4%
           __________________________________________________________

           CX-ALL       65.1 %       56.6 %       52.7 %       -3.9%
           __________________________________________________________


Trying to use <rule> in the context of <table_row> produced a broken
rule, even when used with <span>.  (We tried it 3 or 4 different ways.) So we
used <rule> by itself.  DOCUMENT gave an error, warning us that <rule> was out
of context...but it gave us exactly what we wanted nonetheless.  The source
code is shown below. 


<TABLE>
<TABLE_ATTRIBUTES>(WIDE)
<TABLE_SETUP>(5\11\11\11\11)
<TABLE_ROW>(GENRAL  \ 59.7 % \ 48.2 % \ 45.9 % \ - 2.3 %)
<TABLE_ROW>(CXCAD   \ 61.7 % \ 54.7 % \ 55.7 % \ + 1.0 %)
<TABLE_ROW>(PHOBIA  \ 68.8 % \ 59.2 % \ 46.5 % \- 12.7 %)
<TABLE_ROW>(COOKIE  \ 66.0 % \ 61.9 % \ 51.9 % \- 10.0 %)
<TABLE_ROW>(SSDEVO  \ 70.3 % \ 60.3 % \ 63.7 % \ + 3.4 %)
<RULE>
<TABLE_ROW>(CX--ALL \ 65.1 % \ 56.6 % \ 52.7 % \ - 3.9 %)
<ENDTABLE>


The file was processed under BL7.

Frankly, we like what happened when we misused <rule>, including the 
uncluttered code. Any chance you will relax the <table_row> context 
and officially allow <rule> within the broader context of <table>?  

We bring it up now, cuz we didn't want to wrongly assume it's there for BL8 
and V1.0.

If you will not allow it, please advise on how to get a solid rule 
within <table_row>.


Thanx,

Rose

    <rule> used to be allowed between rows in bl6. Some of our writers
    found, to their dismay, that that ``out of context'' message  after
    they'd run the converter. The cases I've seen generally came a writer's
    wish to have a rule between all rows. I think that such a case would
    be better handled in an attributes or setup section.
    
    This comes back to the need to have a rule of either an arbitrary
    or a user-specified length throughout the document. While a rule
    isn't alphanumeric, it is a text element, as much as stuff in math
    mode. A <rule> tag with an optional width argument might be a solution
    to these problems.

	Correct me if I'm wrong but...

	<TABLE_ROW>(<SPAN>(number of columns)<RULE>)

	will put a rule in a given table. The only difference is that
	it puts some extra /vskip before the rule is output.

	I don't like that extra /vskip and prefer the action of <RULE>
	not inside <TABLE_ROW>. But I dont like the messages is gives
	when I do that. Just adding my 2 cents!

chris

    
    The current behavior (.0) is what it is for V1.0. Arbitrary rules
    of arbitrary lengths is on the wishlist for a future version.
    
    patti

    Could we also have "arbitrary" (I assume you mean, user-settable)
    widths?  Measured in points?
    
    Pilar.

    
    when we turn it loose, it will be both for height and width.
    
    -pa