[texhax] FW: Re: Longtable position

[Uwe Lueck]

Sorry, I should have explained why I considered that pointer relevant:

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: "Uwe Lueck" <uwe.lueck at web.de>
Gesendet: 19.06.2011 20:39:40
An: "Peeyush Mehta" <pmehta at iitk.ac.in>, "texhax at tug.org" <texhax at tug.org>
Betreff: Re: [texhax] Longtable position

> "Peeyush Mehta" <pmehta at iitk.ac.in> wrote 19.06.2011 16:16:26:
>> [...] I have a document that has large number of tables.
>> After 5 tables (using tabular float), I have a longtable.
>> My problem is that in the output, the longtable is appearing before these five tables.
>> I use \begin{table}[h!] for proper positioning of the 5 tables along with the text.
>> Also, there is no text in-between the five tables.
>> They all appear together followed by a longtable.
>> I understand that I cannot use [h!] in the longtable.
>> Can someone please suggest the solution?
>
> [...]
> http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=figurehere

... namly, my diagnosis (guessing) is that your attempt to place the
5 "short" tables "right here" is failing, rather than that you were
lacking control of placing the `longtable'. So I guess you need
to improve placement of the "small" tables with `float.sty''s
optional parameter `H', or perhaps you could simply place
the "small" tables together in a `center' environment instead of
using `table' environments. If this is a good idea may depend on
whether you need captions for referring (or so).

You might also rethink why to place the "small" tables "right here".
The rather normal use of "floating" tables is just as with `figures'
or (actually) graphics, i.e., the normal way of referring to them by
"see ..." (may be adding "on page ..."). Normally one really allows
"floating" because "right here" typically does not work "typographically",
actually because this would result in large empty spaces on the
pages, which wastes space and paper and looks ugly and confusing.
So I think that people trying the `h' or `H' parameter just should need
to learn what "floats" are good for.

Another idea coming to my mind "newly": I wonder if there is a way
to use a `longtable' as a real float; somebody else may know better. (!!!)

You might also look if alternatives to `longtable' provide something
more in this direction; I have made a little list of what I have been
aware of at

    http://www.webdesign-bu.de/uwe_lueck/heyctan.htm#longtable

the UK FAQ or other documentation may tell more.

HTH -- Uwe.