[texhax] Table placement

[Robin Fairbairns]

> I am using a style sheet that allows me 6 x 8.5 inches (width by height) of
> space (1.25 inches margins all around - American paper).
> 
> I have a series of tables each of which is 6.5 inches in height from the top
> of the table to the bottom of the caption.  Each page, there are eight of
> them is formatted as follows:
> 
> \subsection{blah}
> \begin{table}
> .
> .
> .
> \end{table}
> \newpage
> 
> I want to have a subsection heading followed by the table on each page,
> however when I compile, the subsection headings are consecutively placed one
> to a page, then the tables are consecutively placed one to a page -- net
> result twice as many pages and not in the required layout.

your problem is the float placement requirements, probably
\textfraction.  the floats can't go onto the page where the subsection
titles are because there would then not be enough text according to
the rules.  even the parameters suggested in
http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=floats don't cut the
mustard, since your subsection title doesn't constitute "enough"
text.  probably.

> Any suggestions?

either do without the table environment altogether, and simply have

\subsection
<tabular env>
<caption>
\newpage

with the caption done with ccaption or capt-of package, or

use the set of parameters in the faq answer, and adjust \textfraction
down *for this set of figures only*.

\renewcommand{\textfraction}{.05}

would probably do it, but experiement with any value >0 if that isn't
good enough.  and ensure your optional argument to the table
environment includes (at least) [hbp]

*don't forget* to restore the value of \textfraction, possibly by
 enclosing the whole troublesome area in a group

{ \renewcommand{\textfraction}{...}\subsection ... \end{table} }