%Date: Thu, 16 May 91 14:59 PDT
%From: David Guichard <GUICHARD%WHITMAN.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
%Subject: Re: eplain
%To: karl@cs
%
%Karl--
%
%Here are my multi-column macros and a rewrite of the double columns section
%of eplain.texinfo. I included a \quadcolumns because this seems potentially
%useful on landscape pages.
%
%I ran into a couple of problems/bugs/features of the original macros that I
%think I've fixed.
%
%First, if I started double columns and then returned to single column before
%the output routine was invoked, but there was too much text in the columns to
%fit on the current page, then all of the text was put on the next page, leaving
%lots of blank space on the first page. I think I've fixed this by changing how
%\vsize is defined.
%
%Next, unless I'm doing something screwy, it looks to me like eplain goofs up on
%footnotes and topinserts issued in multicolumn mode. I think I've got things
%changed around so they work.
%
%I also discovered that the "\vskip\interfootnoteskip" in the vfootnote macro
%will produce a parskip even if the interfootnoteskip is 0---was this
%intentional? If not, perhaps you'd like to add \parskip=0pt to vfootnote.
%(I have already added it to the modified vfootnote in the columns macro).

\newskip\abovecolumnskip \abovecolumnskip = \bigskipamount
\newskip\belowcolumnskip \belowcolumnskip = \bigskipamount
\newdimen\gutter \gutter = 2pc
\newdimen\c@lumnhsize
\newtoks\previousoutput
\newcount\number@fcolumns
\newbox\@partialpage
\newdimen\singlec@lumnhsize
\newdimen\singlec@lumnvsize
\newtoks\previousoutput
\let\@ndcolumns=\relax
%
% We have a few synonymous ways to refer to multiple column modes.
%
\def\doublecolumns{\@columns2}
\def\triplecolumns{\@columns3}
\def\quadcolumns{\@columns4}
\def\begincolumns#1{\ifcase#1\relax \or \singlecolumn \or \@columns2 \or%
                             \@columns3 \or \@columns4 \else \relax \fi}
\def\singlecolumn{\@ndcolumns\vskip\belowcolumnskip\nointerlineskip}
\let\endcolumns=\singlecolumn
%
\def\@columns#1{%
   \@ndcolumns%
   \begingroup
%
% We redefine the main footnote macro so footnotes will extend across
% the whole page, not just the width of a column. Likewise for @ins,
% the insertion macro.
%
   \def\vfootnote##1{\insert\footins\bgroup\hsize=\singlec@lumnhsize
    \interlinepenalty\interfootnotelinepenalty
    \splittopskip\ht\strutbox % top baseline for broken footnotes
    \advance\splittopskip by \interfootnoteskip
    \splitmaxdepth\dp\strutbox
    \floatingpenalty\@MM
    \leftskip\z@skip \rightskip\z@skip \spaceskip\z@skip \xspaceskip\z@skip
    \everypar = {}%
    \parskip0pt
    \the\everyfootnote
    \vskip\interfootnoteskip
    \indent\llap{##1\kern\footnotemarkseparation}\footstrut\futurelet\next\fo@t}
   %
   \def\@ins{\par\begingroup\setbox\z@\vbox\bgroup\hsize=\singlec@lumnhsize}
   \global\let\@ndcolumns=\@@endcolumns
   \global\number@fcolumns=#1
   \global\c@lumnhsize = \hsize   % If \hsize changed, get the new value.
   \par   % Shouldn't start in horizontal mode.
   \global\previousoutput = \expandafter{\the\output}%
   \global\advance\c@lumnhsize by -#1\gutter
   \global\divide\c@lumnhsize by #1
   \global\output = {%
      \global\setbox\@partialpage =
         \vbox{\unvbox255\vskip\abovecolumnskip}%
   }%
   \pagegoal = \pagetotal
   \eject % Now expand the \output just above.
   \global\output = {\c@lumnoutput}%
   \global\singlec@lumnhsize = \hsize
   \global\singlec@lumnvsize = \vsize
   \hsize = \c@lumnhsize
%
% Compute the proper vsize based on what's already on the page
% and the number of columns. Also change the mag factor for insertions.
%
   \global\advance\vsize by -\ht\@partialpage
   \global\advance\vsize by -\ht\footins
   \ifvoid\footins\else \global\advance\vsize by -\skip\footins \fi
   \global\advance\vsize by -\ht\topins
   \ifvoid\topins\else \global\advance\vsize by -\skip\topins \fi
   \global\vsize = #1\vsize
   \multiply\count\footins by #1 \multiply\count\topins by #1
}%
%
% When this is invoked box 255 should contain just the right amount of
% material, whether triggered by an output routine or a change in the
% number of columns. Because columns have to contain a whole number of
% lines of type, we take a bit of care with balancing the heights of the
% columns to prevent either losing material or having a very short last
% column.
%
% Note: when a page ends due to \bye or \eject, box 255 will contain lotsa
% white space, so the columns will not look balanced. To fix this use
% \singlecolumn before ending the page.
%
\def\@columnsplit{%
   \splittopskip = \topskip
   \splitmaxdepth = \baselineskip
   \dimen0 = \ht255
   \divide\dimen0 by \number@fcolumns
   \begingroup % the balancing act
      \vbadness = 10000 \loop \setbox8=\copy255
      \global\setbox1 = \vsplit8 to \dimen0 \global\wd1 = \hsize
      \global\setbox3 = \vsplit8 to \dimen0 \global\wd3 = \hsize
      \ifnum\number@fcolumns>2%
        \global\setbox5 = \vsplit8 to \dimen0
        \global\wd5 = \hsize \fi
      \ifnum\number@fcolumns>3%
        \global\setbox7 = \vsplit8 to \dimen0
        \global\wd7 = \hsize \fi
      \ifdim\ht8>0pt \advance\dimen0 by 1pt \repeat
   \endgroup
   \global\setbox255 = \vbox{%
         \unvbox\@partialpage
         \ifcase\number@fcolumns \relax\or\relax\or%
           \hbox to \singlec@lumnhsize{\box1\hfil\box3}\or%
           \hbox to\singlec@lumnhsize{\box1\hfil\box3\hfil\box5}\or%
           \hbox to\singlec@lumnhsize{\box1\hfil\box3\hfil\box5\hfil\box7}\or%
           \else\relax\fi%
         }%
}%
\def\c@lumnoutput{%
   \@columnsplit
   \hsize = \singlec@lumnhsize % Local to the \output group.
   \vsize = \singlec@lumnvsize
   \the\previousoutput
%
% Now the correct vsize is the original vsize times the
% number of columns.
%
   \global\vsize=\number@fcolumns\singlec@lumnvsize
}%
\def\@@endcolumns{%
   \global\let\@ndcolumns=\relax%
   \par % Shouldn't start in horizontal mode.
   \global\output = {\global\setbox1 = \box255}%
   \pagegoal = \pagetotal
   \eject
   \global\setbox255 = \box1
   \@columnsplit
   \global\vsize = \singlec@lumnvsize
   \global\output = \expandafter{\the\previousoutput}%
   \endgroup
   \ifvoid\topins\else\topinsert\unvbox\topins\endinsert\fi
   \unvbox255
}%

\endinput

@node Multiple columns, Footnotes, Margins, User definitions
@section Multiple columns

@cindex double column output
@cindex triple column output
@cindex quadruple column output
@cindex multiple column output
  Eplain provides for double, triple and quadruple
column output:  you just say
@code{\doublecolumns},
@findex doublecolumns
@code{\triplecolumns}
@findex triplecolumns
or @code{\quadcolumns}
@findex quadcolumns
and from that point on, the manuscript will be
set in columns.  If you want to go back to one column, say
@code{\singlecolumn}.
@findex singlecolumn

  The columns macros insert the value of the glue parameter
@code{\abovecolumnskip}
@findex abovecolumnskip
before the multi-column text, and the value of the glue parameter
@code{\belowcolumnskip}
@findex belowcolumnskip
after it.  The default value for both of these parameters is
@code{\bigskipamount}, i.e., one linespace.

  The columns are separated by the value of the dimen parameter
@code{\gutter}.
@findex gutter
The default value for @code{\gutter} is two picas.

  The macros take into account only the insertion classes
@cindex insertion classes
defined by plain @TeX{}, namely, footnotes and @code{\topinsert}s.  If
you have defined additional insertion classes, you will need to change
the macros which implement multi-column mode.  Furthermore, the insertions
do not respect the column widths; if you want them to, you have to
change the way your output routine works.  (Eplain uses whatever the
current output routine is; it is not tied to @code{\plainoutput}.)
@findex plainoutput

@xx: \columnfill 
@xx: \singlecolumn to balance columns
@xx: footnote/topinsert width of whole page
@xx: \vfootnote resets \parskip