[tex-eplain] Formatting Table Captions

[John R. Culleton]

On Thursday 24 May 2007 17:44, Nate Lowrie wrote:
> I am required to format tables for a thesis I am preparing in a
> certain way.  The thesis class I was given has not been updated yet
> and I cannot figure out how to get the formatting the way it needs
> to be.  Here is the formatting requirements:
>
> c.	All tables are to be labeled with the word Table and the
> corresponding number at the top left corner above the actual table
> followed by a double space. The title  is positioned beneath the
> table number and is underlined followed by a double space down to
> the actual table.
> d.	Table spacing is as follows: from the text to the table number
> there are two double spaces, from the table number to the table
> title is one double space and from the table title to the actual
> table is one double space.  The table back to the text is two
> double spaces.
>
> I have the spacing down.  However, I cannot find a way to make the
> title line up horizontally with the left edge of the text.
>
> Any help is appreciated.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Nate Lowrie
> _______________________________________________
> tex-eplain at tug.org

This is not an eplain problem AFAIK but a LaTeX problem. LaTeX is 
great if what you want to accomplish has been predigested by someone 
else into a class or a style. Unusual requirements, however, cause 
problems.  Thet's why we have eplain :<) But if you work in plain 
pdftex or Context there are a variety of table writers to choose 
from.   

I your situation I might go back to the original primitive TeX table 
writing routines as defined in _The TeXBook_.  There is also a handy 
and simple table program in the TeXsis package.  I use it for 
formatting invoices.  

In a recent Context project I split the task into two pieces. Frst I 
created a macro to put the header infromation in the right place, 
typeface etc. Then I used the "Natural Tables" package that works 
well with Context.  

Since you wrote to the eplain group you might find it useful to 
download the eplain manual from the eplain site as well as "A Gentle 
Inroduction to TeX" to be found here:
http://wexfordpress.com/wextex.html

There is life after LaTeX, and for me it is a very good life. 

-- 
John Culleton
Able Indexing and Typesetting
Precision typesetting (tm) at reasonable cost.
Satisfaction guaranteed. 
http://wexfordpress.com