[texhax] difference between tabular* and tabularx?

[Paul Tremblay]

On Fri, Apr 14, 2006 at 11:55:38PM +0200, Uwe Lück wrote:
> And now let's be a little nicer -- the main difference is:
> ******************************************************************************
>     tabular* adjusts the space between text of adjacent columns
>     to get a given table width, tabularx leaves this intercolumn
>     space fixed, instead adjusts the text width within the "X"
>     columns for same purpose.
> ******************************************************************************

Yes, although even then that distinction is not completely clear. I
didn't realize there was a doc directory in my main TeX directory with
lots of PDFs. I'm glad I found this.

If I'm understanding things correctly, though, one can achieve the
same table with tabluar* as with tabularx; the only difference is that
the X columns in tabularx automatically adjust the widht of p type
(paragraph type) columns. 

> (Other differences, as listed in Companion -- 1st ed. -- matter only
> in extreme situations. -- The first sentence of the FAQ on this is
> even shorter, perhaps more elegant.)
> 
> 
> Anyway, I think, one should not leave tabular for something else as
> for saving lines ... otherwise, just take the most narrow tables (... 
> roughly).
> -- And tabular* doesn't save lines (!).

I'm lost here. What do  you mean save lines and not save lines?

> 
> All the best,
>   Uwe.
> 
> P.S. 1: I am somewhat sorry for my reference to the LaTeX
> Companion (1st ed.) for another reason: I used tabularx
> some weeks ago, but found myself unable to recall how
> `X'  works in tabularx from that Companion edition half an
> hour ago (until my own memory helped me again).
> -- In some sections it seems to have been meant to be
> nothing but a /supplement/ to other documentation already
> existing.
> 
> P.S. 2: FAQ indeed -- !!! Bravely skip the first sections on
> "How to pronounce TeX" etc. on the main page, and then
> you will find many links to subsections that you have been
> wanted to know for long ... e.g. symbols ... (and wouldn't
> have asked here ...)
> 

Sorry to be dense, but what do you mean by the LaTeX companion? I have
a hard copy of *A Guide to LaTeX,* but this book has a copyright of
1999. 

Thanks 

Paul

-- 

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*Paul Tremblay         *
*phthenry at iglou.com    *
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