Columns AND background

Columns AND background

[Giuseppe Bilotta]

Hello,

I would like to be able to obtain balanced columns with a gray
background.

If I use the background option in the startcolumns command I do
get a background for each column, but there is an annoying (for
me) gray space in the space left between the column. Even setting
distance=0pt doesn't help here. (BTW, there is an error in
TeXShow, because option=background and option=none|empty are
listed separately)

If OTOH I use startcolumns inside a vbox inside a framed, columns
don't get balanced, even if I set balance=yes. I noticed that the
vbox is enough to cancel the balancing. But it's needed if I must
use the framed.

Any ideas?

--
Giuseppe "Oblomov" Bilotta

Re: Columns AND background

[Hans Hagen]

At 10:28 PM 11/12/2001 +0100, you wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I would like to be able to obtain balanced columns with a gray
>background.
>
>If I use the background option in the startcolumns command I do
>get a background for each column, but there is an annoying (for
>me) gray space in the space left between the column. Even setting
>distance=0pt doesn't help here. (BTW, there is an error in
>TeXShow, because option=background and option=none|empty are
>listed separately)
>
>If OTOH I use startcolumns inside a vbox inside a framed, columns
>don't get balanced, even if I set balance=yes. I noticed that the
>vbox is enough to cancel the balancing. But it's needed if I must
>use the framed.
>
>Any ideas?

You don't want to know this, do you?

\starttext

\setupcolors[state=start]

\definetextbackground[gb][state=start]
\definetextbackground[bg][state=start,backgroundcolor=red]
\definetextbackground[gg][state=start,backgroundcolor=green]

\starttextbackground[gb]
   \input tufte \par
   \input tufte \par
   \startnarrower
     \starttextbackground[bg]
       \input tufte
       \starttextbackground[gg]
         Now, who is this GB?
       \stoptextbackground
       \input tufte
     \stoptextbackground
   \stopnarrower
   \input tufte \par
   \startcolumns
     \input tufte \par
   \stopcolumns
   \startcolumns
     \starttextbackground[gg]
     \input tufte
     \stoptextbackground
   \stopcolumns
\stoptextbackground

\stoptext

BTW, for running text this works ok, even with hanging indentation and so.

If I have time i will see if i can make backgrounds support columns, but 
this is not trivial (something is already build into the column set 
mechanism).

Hans
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                                   Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE | pragma@wxs.nl
                       Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
  tel: +31 (0)38 477 53 69 | fax: +31 (0)38 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re[2]: Columns AND background

[Giuseppe Bilotta]

Tuesday, November 13, 2001 Hans Hagen wrote:

HH> At 10:28 PM 11/12/2001 +0100, you wrote:
>>Hello,
>>
>>I would like to be able to obtain balanced columns with a gray
>>background.
>>
>>If I use the background option in the startcolumns command I do
>>get a background for each column, but there is an annoying (for
>>me) gray space in the space left between the column. Even setting
>>distance=0pt doesn't help here. (BTW, there is an error in
>>TeXShow, because option=background and option=none|empty are
>>listed separately)
>>
>>If OTOH I use startcolumns inside a vbox inside a framed, columns
>>don't get balanced, even if I set balance=yes. I noticed that the
>>vbox is enough to cancel the balancing. But it's needed if I must
>>use the framed.
>>
>>Any ideas?

HH> You don't want to know this, do you?

Reading the solution, no! :-)

HH> \definetextbackground[gb][state=start]
HH> \definetextbackground[bg][state=start,backgroundcolor=red]
HH> \definetextbackground[gg][state=start,backgroundcolor=green]

HH> \starttextbackground[gb]

[snip]

HH> \stoptextbackground

HH> \stoptext

Thanks.

HH> If I have time i will see if i can make backgrounds support columns, but 
HH> this is not trivial (something is already build into the column set 
HH> mechanism).

Oh, this is enough already (at least by now ...)

--
Giuseppe "Oblomov" Bilotta