Re: columns, footnotes

[Robert Holmgren holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

** Reply to note from Carlo Caballero  Sat, 31 May 1997 22:02:14 -0400 (EDT)

>> From: Peter Evans 

>> If I attempt to delete a vertical block... soon after starting up
>> XyWin, the program will usually lock up.

> I've found that Xy3 locks up if the first action I take (besides calling
> up a file and scrolling down) is to attempt to define a column table from
> the TOP of the column.

If indeed the lockups are caused by columnar blocks, it's worth noting that
in Xy4|XyWin there is an undocumented Column Function CF, which moves,
deletes, and DeFines (e.g. preparatory to copying) whole columns in Column
Tables. You'll find information on CF's eight different usages at
http://idt.net/~holmgren/XYFUNC.ZIP. I have had a collateral problem
MoVing whole rows in Column Tables; I get incessant GPFs if I use func MV;
the manual workaround is to DeFine the row, CoPy it, then delete the
DeFined block with func RD (or the variant funcs DN and NU). For an
automated solution, see http://idt.net/~holmgren/MOVEROW.ZIP.

> I do find that XY3 will NOT treat
> footnotes properly if the PL setting (**not used in those
> later versions anyway**) doesn't have enough "slack" between variables...

I suspect that often PL _is_ still being used. Old habits die hard, but BT
is the command to use in Xy4|XyWin to bring footnotes to heel. You can
poll VA$PB to see which command (BT|PL) is controlling text length (0=Page
Length (PL); 1=Bottom Margin (BT)). $PB is not documented in any manual
(AFAIK). Obviously, if user adjusts BT but PL is controlling, there won't
be reliable improvement to footnote placement!


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Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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