RE: [Groff] Tables breaking across pages

[Ted Harding]

On 20-Jul-10 19:43:46, Larry Kollar wrote:
> I'm not sure when this started happening, or why, but I can reproduce
> it in 1.19.3 and in the CVS version.
> 
> Following is an example. Note that there's no .TS H/.TH pair.
> 
> mac-lkollar:/tmp lkollar$ cat test.n
> .\" ---- begin example ----
> .\" format with   groff -ms -t test.n >test.ps
> .LP
> This is a test, this is only a test.
> If this had been an actual document,
> there would have been something to read.
> .sp 7.5i
> .TS
> ;
> cb | cb || cb
> cb | cb || cb
> a  | a  || l .
> Current Smart   Server sends    Result
> Download State  OACK?   \^
> =
> disabled        Yes     Smart downloading enabled
> _
> enabled No      Smart downloading disabled
> _
> enabled Different       Smart downloading disabled
> \^      value   \^
> .TE
> .LP
> This has been a test.
> .\" ----- end example -----
> 
> MacOSX 10.4.11, Intel, groff compiled locally.
> 
> Any ideas? I can bracket tables in .KS/.KE as a workaround (confirmed),
> but that shouldn't be needed.
> -- Larry

Hi Larry,
Without .KS/.KE (or the like), a table which reaches the bottom
of the page while lines of the table remain to be output will
always split the table at that point, and the remaining lines
will be carried over to the next page. It has always been thus!

I would perhaps suggest .KF/.KE rather than .KS/.KE, since this
will float the entire table to the next page and subsequent text
will fill in the space at the bottom of the current page. This
can give a better effect than having a possibly large blank
space at the bottom of the page. However, that of course depends
on how the table relates to the surrounding text.

With A4 paper, I had to change the ".sp 7.5i" to get a split table,
and I also could not make out clearly how you intended the header
lines to be split across columns. So, guessing the latter, I have
changed your input to:

.LP
This is a test, this is only a test.
If this had been an actual document,
there would have been something to read.
.sp 8.5i
.TS
tab(#);
cb | cb || cb
cb | cb || cb
a  | a  || l .
Current Smart#Server sends#Result
Download State#OACK?#\^
=
disabled#Yes#Smart downloading enabled
_
enabled#No#Smart downloading disabled
_
enabled#Different#Smart downloading disabled
\^#value#\^
.TE
.LP
This has been a test.

Hoping this helps. Have I misunderstood?
Ted.

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Date: 20-Jul-10                                       Time: 22:39:14
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