problem: long descriptions

problem: long descriptions

[Zeljko Vrba]

Hi! I'm writing reference manual for a C/C++ library and I have the
following problem: When I define a description, long prototypes are not
line-broken. For example, I've set up

\definedescription
  [methref]
  [location=top,headstyle=\tt]

When I have
\startmethref{a very long prototype.........................}
blah blah blah
\stopmethref

the argument is not line-broken and it goes out of the page boundary. The
text shows properly only in the next line. I have something like the following
in mind, but I don't know how to do it:

I'd like the typeset layout to look something like this

a very long prototype proto..  Text describing the method
proto proto proto proto proto  Text describing the method
proto proto                    Text describinb the method
More text describing the method. More text. More text
More text.

Prototype may be framed. The text widths should be 0.5 and 0.5 of textwidth
for both the prototype and the description.

I hope you understood what I want :) I was thinking something like typesetting
prototype in the box and then using floating mechanism (\startXXXleft, would
that work at all?), but is there a more straightforward way?

Another unrelated question: is there a bold typewriter (CM) font somewhere?

Re: problem: long descriptions

[Hans Hagen]

At 09:06 AM 11/9/2002 +0100, you wrote:

>Hi! I'm writing reference manual for a C/C++ library and I have the
>following problem: When I define a description, long prototypes are not
>line-broken. For example, I've set up
>
>\definedescription
>   [methref]
>   [location=top,headstyle=\tt]
>
>When I have
>\startmethref{a very long prototype.........................}
>blah blah blah
>\stopmethref
>
>the argument is not line-broken and it goes out of the page boundary. The
>text shows properly only in the next line. I have something like the following
>in mind, but I don't know how to do it:
>
>I'd like the typeset layout to look something like this
>
>a very long prototype proto..  Text describing the method
>proto proto proto proto proto  Text describing the method
>proto proto                    Text describinb the method
>More text describing the method. More text. More text
>More text.
>
>Prototype may be framed. The text widths should be 0.5 and 0.5 of textwidth
>for both the prototype and the description.
>
>I hope you understood what I want :) I was thinking something like typesetting
>prototype in the box and then using floating mechanism (\startXXXleft, would
>that work at all?), but is there a more straightforward way?

How about:

\definefloat[Prototype]
\setupfloat[Prototype][default={left,none}]

% default is a new parameter, you need a recent version fot this, else
% \placePrototype[left]{none}

\defineframedtext[Prototype][width=.5\textwidth,bodyfont=8pt]

\placePrototype\empty
\startPrototype
\input knuth
\stopPrototype
\input tufte

\def\StartPrototype{\placePrototype\empty\startPrototype}
\def\StopPrototype {\stopPrototype}

\StartPrototype
\input knuth
\StopPrototype
\input tufte

Hans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        information: http://www.pragma-ade.com/roadmap.pdf
                     documentation: http://www.pragma-ade.com/showcase.pdf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------