Path: sparky!uunet!pipex!unipalm!uknet!fulcrum!inmos!wraxall.inmos.co.uk!frogland!des From: des@inmos.co.uk (David Shepherd) Newsgroups: comp.text.tex Subject: Re: when is whitespace ignored by LaTeX? Message-ID: <1993Jan26.170011.5669@wraxall.inmos.co.uk> Date: 26 Jan 93 17:00:11 GMT References: <1993Jan25.213654.29814@eng.ufl.edu> Lines: 57 X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

John R Ruckstuhl Jr (ruck@alpha.ee.ufl.edu) wrote: : Would someone give me a few rules of thumb w.r.t. ignorable whitespace?

: In LaTeX, I wrote something like:

:
\begin{picture}(850,1100)
\par
: \multiput(12,0)(200,0){2}{ % 2 columns
: \multi...
...s
: \framebox (200,133){\parbox[b]{1.75in}{yakyak}}
: }
: }
\par
:
\end{picture}

: but the frameboxes were about a character space right of where I wanted : them (relative to edge of the picture box). Inserting a , : solved the problem, but is really sensible in a picture : environment?

The noindent had no effect - it just caused following spaces to be ignored

: The local guru says this is magic, and after awhile I'll get a feeling : for when whitespace counts and when it doesn't, but I'm hoping someone : here can make the rules simple and clear for me.

I think a simple outline is as follows (assuming you haven't done anything like changing cat-codes or doing etc):

1) whitespace at start of line is ignored 2) whitespace after a macro name is ignored 3) other whitespace is not ignored

You're problem has occured because you've introduced whitespace to align comments. You really need to insert the comment – try instead:


\begin{picture}(850,1100)
\par
\multiput(12,0)(200,0){2}{% 2 columns
\multiput(...
...7}{% 7 rows
\framebox (200,133){\parbox[b]{1.75in}{yakyak}}
}
}
\end{picture}

A rule of thumb is "if in doubt put a in each line".

– ————————————————————————– david shepherd: des@inmos.co.uk tel: 0454-616616 x 625 inmos ltd, 1000 aztec west, almondsbury, bristol, bs12 4sq Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television - Husbands and Wives