alignment of marginal material

alignment of marginal material

[Jonathan Nicholl]

I am trying to write a macro which places a picture in the margin. I 
would like the centre of the picture to be aligned vertically with the 
centre of the paragraph in which I call the macro. The following works 
in simple cases:

\def\hazard#1{%				The argument is the text of the paragraph
	\setbox0=\vbox{#1}% 		I do this to work out the height of the paragraph
	\inleft [low] {%
		\framed%
			[height=\ht0,%	This makes the height of the frame equal to the 
height of the paragraph
			top=\vss,%
			bottom=\vss,%	These two lines centre the picture in the frame
			frame=off]%
			{\externalfigure [sharp turn sign]}%
		}%
	#1}%						It goes wrong if you replace #1 with \box0

If I type something like

\hazard{…paragraph text…}

this produces what I want. But it breaks down with mathematics.

\hazard{%
	\startformula
		…mathematics…
	\stopformula
}

produces the picture aligned with the bottom of the mathematics.

A solution to this problem escapes me. Can anyone suggest an improved 
macro?

Best wishes,

Jonathan

-----------------------

Jonathan Nicholl
Department of Philosophy
King's College London

Re: alignment of marginal material

[Hans Hagen]

At 21:40 22/02/2004, Jonathan Nicholl wrote:
>I am trying to write a macro which places a picture in the margin. I would 
>like the centre of the picture to be aligned vertically with the centre of 
>the paragraph in which I call the macro. The following works in simple cases:
>
>\def\hazard#1{%                         The argument is the text of the 
>paragraph
>         \setbox0=\vbox{#1}%             I do this to work out the height 
> of the paragraph
>         \inleft [low] {%
>                 \framed%
>                         [height=\ht0,%  This makes the height of the 
> frame equal to the height of the paragraph
>                         top=\vss,%
>                         bottom=\vss,%   These two lines centre the 
> picture in the frame
>                         frame=off]%
>                         {\externalfigure [sharp turn sign]}%
>                 }%
>         #1}%                                            It goes wrong if 
> you replace #1 with \box0
>
>If I type something like
>
>\hazard{…paragraph text…}
>
>this produces what I want. But it breaks down with mathematics.
>
>\hazard{%
>         \startformula
>                 …mathematics…
>         \stopformula
>}
>
>produces the picture aligned with the bottom of the mathematics.
>
>A solution to this problem escapes me. Can anyone suggest an improved macro?

Here is my 10 minute solution ... if i'm in the mood i can make an option 
of it

\newcounter\CurrentFigPar

\def\StartFigPar#1%
   {\doglobal\increment\CurrentFigPar
    \placefigure
      [leftmargin,line,none]{}
      {\setbox\scratchbox\hbox{#1}%
       \ifnum\MPp{figpar:b:\CurrentFigPar}=\MPp{figpar:e:\CurrentFigPar}\relax
         \scratchdimen\MPy{figpar:b:\CurrentFigPar}%
         \advance\scratchdimen-\MPy{figpar:e:\CurrentFigPar}%
         \advance\scratchdimen-\ht\scratchbox
         \advance\scratchdimen\lineheight
       \else
         \scratchdimen\zeropoint
       \fi
       \vbox{\vskip.5\scratchdimen\box\scratchbox}}%
    \indent\hpos{figpar:b:\CurrentFigPar}{\strut}\ignorespaces}

\def\StopFigPar
   {\removeunwantedspaces\hpos{figpar:e:\CurrentFigPar}{\strut}\endgraf}

\starttext

\input tufte

\StartFigPar{\externalfigure[cow.pdf][width=1cm]} \input tufte \StopFigPar

\input tufte

\stoptext