[XeTeX] Tabular spanning columns

Axel Kielhorn a.kielhorn at web.de
Fri Oct 30 18:50:43 CET 2009


Am 30.10.2009 um 17:20 schrieb Karljurgen Feuerherm:

> Hi Axel,
>
> Thanks again, will try this this weekend.
>
> No, Babylonians in the early days read top to bottom, and then the  
> columns go from right to left. That's how it is on the Hammurapi  
> code, and why I have all those turn boxes. One is supposed to rotate  
> the paper in order to read 'properly'.

Yes, that's what I was meant to ask.

>  Eventually, though, because of the 'portrait' orientation of a  
> tablet in the hand, this becomes left to right with rows from top to  
> bottom, just like we [western Europeans] do. And most scholars read  
> it that way too.

So you have to turn the glyphs as well, right?

> That's how I was taught. I'm just odd enough to want my students to  
> do it the 'right' way ;)

I can read it neither way,

>  BTW you didn't offer a suggestion on how to bring the boxes closer  
> together, perhaps by omission (hoping :)

I thought 2 out of 3 isn't bad:-)
Did you try a negative \itemsep?

The number in the rotated box may be too large and cause extra space.

It would be good to have a minimal example that I can actually run.  
(On TL 2009 pretest or TL 2008)
In order to do this I need a font that includes the cuneiform glyphs.  
(Is there a free font available?)

Axel

PS: Should we take this off list? It is hardly relevant since this is  
not XeTeX related.


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