Margins

[Robert Hemenway]

Dear SysOp,

In Xy3 and Sig I could extend the line length temporarily to adjust for bad
word breaks and so forth--with an  followed later by an , on macro
keys. Handy. And I could radically shorten or lengthen right margins in a file
with an , or whatever. None of this works in Xy4 with the recommended
settings in which OF controls both left and right margins. With OF=10DI,10DI,
LM=0, and RM=110, I find no way to extend the line length, though it can be
shortened. An  shortens it and an  restores it to the original
length, but an initial , say, has no effect.

I've got around it finally, after a couple of hours of noodling, with default
settings of OF=10,0 (plus OD=0 and OS=1), LM=0, and RM=65. This gives the same
line length as the customary setting, and restores the easy control of the
right margin that we had in previous versions. Seems to be fine so long as you
don't need OS=0. Don't need, that is, to have margins flopped for odd-numbered
and even-numbered pages.

But now--I use a LaserJet--each time I print I get the error message: "Left
margin/white space on this printer must be at least 2.5DI." This has always
popped up occasionally with the LaserJet and it's easy to ignore, but it's a
nuisance. And here there's no reason for it that I can see, and it always
happens. The left margin is what it should be. The white space on the printout
of a full page of 8pt z's is 10 left and 10 right.

Any way to turn the message off?

I may be violating some sacred XyW principle, and perhaps there's trouble down
the line. But right now, it all seems to work. Let me know what, if anything,
I'm doin' wrong. From past messages here, I guess I'm not the only one who's
been baffled at times by the new format controls. Do you know why they were
changed?

I'll be grateful for any advice.