columns and vglue

[Ed L Cashin <ecashin@coe.uga.edu>]

I would like to use columns in a document.  To help the columns line
up, I would like to use vglue between the things in the columns.

I like the method of stretching and shrinking glue because it will
stretch or shrink to the exact distance necessary to achieve the most
appealing layout.  I know there are grid features in context, but I
would like to know whether I can use simple boxes and glue rather than
using the grid.  

In the code below the columns are balancing nicely, but, changing the
null definition of \thingskip to "\vskip\thingskipamt" (and thereby
adding vertical glue between the things in the columns) makes the
columns turn out unbalanced.  Why?  Wouldn't it be easier (or at least
just as easy) for tex to balance the columns when there's glue giving
some breathing room?  

Here's the code:

\def\lyrics{``Rock over London!  Rock on Chicago!  Budweiser -- it's
	the king of beers.''}   % (Wesley Willis)

\newskip\thingskipamt \thingskipamt=1ex plus 2ex minus .5ex
% \def\thingskip{\vskip\thingskipamt}
\def\thingskip{}
\def\mything{\framed{\vbox{foo\par bar\par baz\par\lyrics}}\thingskip}

\starttext
\mything
\startcolumns[n=2]
\mything
\mything
\mything
\mything
\stopcolumns

\blank[2*big]

\startcolumns[n=3]
\mything
\mything
\mything
\mything
\mything
\mything
\stopcolumns

\stoptext

-- 
--Ed Cashin                     PGP public key:
  ecashin@coe.uga.edu           http://www.coe.uga.edu/~ecashin/pgp/