[OS X TeX] Quote environmnet versus lists

[Martin Costabel]

On 23/01/11 18:36 , Chris Goedde wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Basic LaTeX question here. Consider the sample TeX file below. The first
> list (not in quotes) has noticeable inter-paragraph spacing for each
> item. If I use the exact same list inside the quote environment, the
> inter-paragraph spacing for items disappears, or if it is still there,
> it's so tiny as to be almost invisible. (The inter-item spacing is still
> there, though it seems smaller.) Two questions: why is this happening,
> and how can I restore the inter-paragraph spacing for items in my lists
> when they are inside the quote environment? I've tried various things,
> (it seems like \parsep ought to control this), without success.

The parameter you can change inside the environment is \parskip.

> Ideal
> solutions will live in a .sty file somewhere, e.g. a redefinition of one
> of the environments, or setting a parameter on one of the environments.

You can change \@listii (that's what defines the parameters for a 
secondary list environment) in your preamble or in a style file. The 
relevant definition for your situation is in size11.clo, it is

\def\@listii {\leftmargin\leftmarginii
               \labelwidth\leftmarginii
               \advance\labelwidth-\labelsep
               \topsep    4.5\p@ \@plus2\p@ \@minus\p@
               \parsep    2\p@   \@plus\p@  \@minus\p@
               \itemsep   \parsep}

You see the definition of \parsep here, and \parsep is transferred to 
\parskip in latex.ltx's definition of \list.

-- 
Martin