Text Formatting ⇒ long table: page breaks within row/cell possible?

[jamtat]

I'm having another go at learning latex having dabbled with it just a bit many years ago. The document (\documentclass{article}--if that matters) on which I'm experimenting is a parallel text: two translations from the same source set side by side in a columnar arrangement. After starting my experiment I discovered there's a special package--ledpar-- for creating parallel texts. But I started off by putting the two tests in parallel simply by using a long table (longtable package). I've put each paragraph of the two parallel texts into a table row, thus creating a document that consists in a long table of several pages, with each paragraph comprising a row of the table.

The initial results look pretty good to me. The only thing about using the table that's been a little bothersome is that page breaks seem to happen only where table rows end/begin. I'd like, however, for the rows to span pages; it's fine with me if, for example, the first few lines of a row are at the end of one page and the rest of the row's lines are on the next page. I suppose I could get an undesirable widow/orphan look by getting the program to break rows over two pages, but if that becomes a problem I'll deal with it later.

For the moment I just want to check whether it is possible to get table rows to span two pages? Also, some of my rows may end up taking more than a page; it'll be interesting to see what are the results for that scenario.

Thanks,
James

[frabjous]

I used the parcolumns package to typeset just such a document (with the original language running in parallel with two translations). Check out its documentation. If you want to see the document I typeset this way, and even download the source, click here.

[jamtat]

Thanks for your reply and recommendation, frabjous. I've taken a look at some of the documentation for parcolumns and may try some experimentation with it. But, a few questions here first, if I may.

To begin with, the document with which I'm experimenting has just the two parallel translations--there's no third column for the original language (as there was for yours). The two translations can vary fairly substantially, with one or other paragraph of the translation being several lines longer than the other. Table rows work well for the document insofar as the paragraphs are kept pretty close to parallel in those cases where one or other is significantly longer, and the whole document, i.e., the totality of paragraphs stays in sync (there's probably even a way using latex to cause shorter paragraphs to "stretch" in such a way that they stay better synched with the longer paragraphs to which they correspond--perhaps parcolumns does this, too?). Anyway, I'm just wondering how parcolumns would handle the paragraph-length discrepancy I've described?

Also, there are certain parts of this document which, due to unavailability of the second, display only one translation. These instances can be easily handled in a table by using \multicolumn{2}, which causes the two column arrangement to collapse into one (and back again when needed). How would parcolumns handle these instances?

Finally, I tried an experiment with one of the page-exceeding rows/cells found in my document. The results were unacceptable: the page-exceeding material simply gets cut off at the bottom page edge (overfull vbox). That might be dealt with by introducing manually a page break, I suppose. But if there's some solution to the matter I asked about in this thread's title, namely some way to cause table rows/cells to break across pages, that would resolve this overfull vbox problem as well, I assume. So, is there a way to do that, i.e., to have table rows/cells break across pages, or not?

The wikibook mentions supertab, xtabular, and possibly tabulary as other packages for handling long tables. Can anyone comment on how those packages would behave in the case of the many-page table with which I'm experimenting?

Thanks,
James

[frabjous]

To begin with, the document with which I'm experimenting has just the two parallel translations--there's no third column for the original language (as there was for yours).

It shouldn't matter how many columns you have.

The two translations can vary fairly substantially, with one or other paragraph of the translation being several lines longer than the other. Table rows work well for the document insofar as the paragraphs are kept pretty close to parallel in those cases where one or other is significantly longer, and the whole document, i.e., the totality of paragraphs stays in sync (there's probably even a way using latex to cause shorter paragraphs to "stretch" in such a way that they stay better synched with the longer paragraphs to which they correspond--perhaps parcolumns does this, too?). Anyway, I'm just wondering how parcolumns would handle the paragraph-length discrepancy I've described?

It's up to you to decide how you would divide the text into chunks, and for each "chunk", they would start at the same place vertically just like they do in a table. If one side of a given chunk was longer than the other, there would just be a gap at the end of one of the sides. There may be a way to stretch the lines out, but I haven't really explored that. I don't think I'd like that aesthetically. as much as there just being gaps on one of the sides.

Also, there are certain parts of this document which, due to unavailability of the second, display only one translation. These instances can be easily handled in a table by using \multicolumn{2}, which causes the two column arrangement to collapse into one (and back again when needed). How would parcolumns handle these instances?

I don't think there's a special mechanism for it, but you could just end the parcolumns environment and start a new one later.

Finally, I tried an experiment with one of the page-exceeding rows/cells found in my document. The results were unacceptable: the page-exceeding material simply gets cut off at the bottom page edge (overfull vbox).

That kind of thing would be easier to diagnose with a minimal working example.

The wikibook mentions supertab, xtabular, and possibly tabulary as other packages for handling long tables. Can anyone comment on how those packages would behave in the case of the many-page table with which I'm experimenting?

Why don't you experiment with them a bit? I think I tried xtabular but ended up liking parcolumns better for my needs. I don't really remember why now. Your mileage my vary!

[jamtat]

Here's an example of what I've been doing with the longtable package:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{longtable}
\usepackage{xtab}
\usepackage[top=1in,bottom=.5in,left=.7in,right=1in]{geometry}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\pagestyle{fancy}
\begin{document}
\title{Parallel Translations}
\fancyhead{}
\fancyfoot{}
\chead{\textsc{Parallel Translations}}
\rhead{\thepage}
\cfoot{}
\begin{center}
    \begin{longtable}{p{3.4in}|p{3.4in}}
\multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Two Columns of Parallel Text}} \\
\multicolumn{1}{c}{\emph{Column 1}}
&\multicolumn{1}{c}{\emph{Column 2}}\\
\endhead
1st text here. & 2nd text here.\\
More of 1st text here. & More of second text here.\\
Even more of 1st text here. & Even more of 2nd text here.\\
Now insert so much text that it exceed page length here. & Now also insert so much text that it exceeds the page length.
    \end{longtable}
    \begin{longtable}{p{3.4in}|p{3.4in}}
\multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Additional Set of Two Columns of Parallel Text}} \\
\multicolumn{1}{c}{\emph{Column 1}}
&\multicolumn{1}{c}{\emph{Column 2}}\\
\endhead
More 1st text here. & More second text here.\\
Even more of 1st text here. & Even more of 2nd text here.\\
    \end{longtable}
    \begin{longtable}{p{3.4in}|p{3.4in}}
\multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Yet More Two Columns of Parallel Text}} \\
\multicolumn{1}{c}{\emph{Column 1}}
&\multicolumn{1}{c}{\emph{Column 2}}\\
\endhead
Etc. 1st text. & Etc. 2nd text.\\
More page-exceeding 1st text here. & More page-exceeding 2nd text here.\\
    \end{longtable}
    \end{center}
\end{document}

I realize there may be various troubles and transgressions in this code--it's just an initial experiment. But it should give an idea of what I'm trying to do and the look I want.

One noteworthy thing is that, by using a table, I can get a repeating header in each sub-section of my pages-long table--the look I desire for this document. In my initial experimentation with parcolumns, I don't see a way to do something like that: will that be possible?

I tried xtab but I had the same problem of the overfull \vbox and the text of the page-exceeding rows/columns simply being unceremoniously cut off at the bottom page edge. So it also seems not to want to place page breaks within table rows/cells.

Maybe I should have started my experiments with a simpler document ?

Thanks,
James

[jamtat]

Drat. xtabular and even supertabular have not shown themselves up to the task of handling table rows/cells that exceed page height. parcolumns handles that part of my task nicely, but it is more labor-intensive to enter the text: even though I'm copying-and-pasting, I do have to create new colchunk sections to paste each set of parallel texts into. parcolumns also lacks in that, so far as I can tell, there's no way to create a header that repeats on each page and that will help identify subsections of my parallel text (or table, as the case may be). longtable so far gives the best-looking end result in that respect. Any other pointers for how I might accomplish the task at hand?

Thanks,
James

[jamtat]

Hey, not bad. I managed to stump the experts on the first try . But seriously . . .

This query really needs to be divided into two threads; one inquiring about using a table for what I want to do, and which should be pursued in the Graphics, Figures & Tables forum, and one focusing on using parcolumns or perhaps ledpar for accomplishing my aim, and which might best be pursued in this forum(?).

So, to give a verbal description of what I want to do, the following. I'd like each page of this document (I'm using documentclass{article}) to have a heading that tells what the name of this document is and where the page number will also appear. I've accomplished that with the fancyhead package. On most pages of the document there should also appear two columns of parallel text (the exception being occasional pages where one of the two translations I'd like to use is not available to me). Furthermore, some additional headings should appear on each page: those headings should contain 1) an identifier for each of my two columns, and 2) a heading that spans both columns and that identifies which section of the document appears on that page.

Perhaps it would be helpful to think of this as a story composed of several chapters: in addition to identifying the translation that appears in each column on every page, the section of the document (chapter) should be identified on each page as well. Yet more difficult: if a section ends mid-page, there will actually be two page headings on that sheet--one for the section/chapter that just ended and another at the beginning of the new section/chapter.

Is there some way to do this using parcolumns? Perhaps I will need to implement some other package to create these additional headings that should appear on each page?

Thanks,
James

PS I could make a mock-up of the look I want using latex or some other program and upload it here if that would help. Perhaps a visual aid is warranted in this case?

[frabjous]

Hey, not bad. I managed to stump the experts on the first try . But seriously . . .

Possibly, possibly not. You're suggesting a very complicated document layout, one which is it very likely that no one on this forum has ever done something exactly like him or herself.

I have no doubt that it could be done with LaTeX, but it would probably take me an hour or two to even design a template for it. This is your project, not ours, so it's far better for you to try it first, and then ask when you reach a particular stumbling block, ask here, and when you do so, provide sample code in the form of a minimal working example which we can try to help you tweak, if at all possible.

I'd suggest using LaTeX's normal header mechanisms along with the fancyhdr package to set up the headers. You'll probably have to manually align the column headers with the columns, but since parcolumns (and ledpar?) and similar packages allow you to specify the column widths manually, that shouldn't be a problem. Use LaTeX's marking mechanisms to get section numbers in the headers. The fancyhdr documentation covers the marking mechanisms (though it's not the clearest documentation in the world, alas), and has commands for creating new marks, which you'll probably need to use here so you can have a separate mark for each column.

A visual aid might help, but actually, half-working code is probably more useful. (You can use, e.g., the lipsum or blindtext packages to provide filler text if need be.) Verbal descriptions aren't as helpful.