Re: [6727] vbox instead of vtop for multi-line entry

[Gavin Smith]

On 26 October 2015 at 21:39, Karl Berry <address@hidden> wrote:
>     +   * doc/texinfo.tex (\entry): Use a \vbox instead of a \vtop, for
>     +   better column balancing
>
> If I recall correctly, the point of the \vtop is to make it so the
> baseline of the first entry in the left and right columns starts at the
> same place.  Perhaps especially when one first entry is multiple lines
> and the other first entry is a single line.

That sounds right. I'm fairly sure I added this \vtop myself (in order
to add a penalty before the last index entry of a letter section) but
I must have forgotten the reason for using it. I encountered the
opposite problem in a couple of places, at the *bottom* of columns.

I went looking for the problem you mentioned, and found it: see attached image.

> In any case, in this scenario, I think a \strut should be added to the
> beginning of the \vbox.  (No harm to do it with \vtop, either.)

I believe this suggestion is made in Chapter 12 of "The TeXbook",
after Exercise 12.15.
>
>     and to stop an index entry overlapping text after the index.
>
> Seems like could add a \strut to the end of the index entry to solve that.
> That's probably a good idea anyway.
>
> k

vbox.png
Description: PNG image