[texhax] implementing Information Mapping block label

[Fehd, Ronald J. (CDC/CCHIS/NCPHI)]

This message provides information about 

* Information Mapping

* a hack to implement 
  the InfoMapping Block Label
  in the refart and refrep class

** Information Mapping

* Common Knowledge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_mapping

* visionary: Robert Horn, information presentation theorist
http://www.stanford.edu/~rhorn/ (obviously a Mac user, eh?!)

* Information Mapping, the company
"Making Information Work."
http://www.infomap.com/

* writing technical documentation is not like writing literature

* concept to replace 'paragraph': Block
  * Block Label in left column, bold, ragged right
  * Description in right column, 
    contains max of 9 (7 +-2) information items
    usually sentences, 
    but also lists (description, enumerate, itemize)
    and charts, figures, etc.


** The RefMan, RefArt and RefRep classes

http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/refman/layout_e.pdf

* example:
\documentclass[10pt,smallborder]{refart}%*-margins=0.25 in, for screen
viewing only
%\documentclass[10pt]{refart}
\settextfraction{0.618}%default= .7 phi=0.6.18

* layout widths

| <-- fullwidth (full page width) ... --> |

is divided by the command settextfraction into left and right columns

| <-- leftmarginwidth --> | <-- textwidth ... --> |

* left margin commands

\marginpar{Text is set left (justified)}

\marginlabel{Text is set flush right}


** Problem Statement

* Sectioning commands are set in a box which width is fullwidth
and therefore are across both left and right columns,
i.e.: leftmarginwidth into textwidth.

* Q: How do I implement the Information Mapping Block Label?
or
* Q: How do I provide a box for a Block Label, 
     in the left column only,
     with text in bold face, 
     and ragged right? 


** Kludge

%%refart adjustments to left and right column widths
%%note: implements Info Map style of Block Label as boxed paragraph
%%note: leftmarginwidth is defined by refart
%%\settextfraction{0.618}%default= .7 phi=0.6.18
\newcommand{\marginparX}[1]%
           {\hspace{0pt}%strut
            \marginpar{\parbox[t]%
            {0.764\leftmarginwidth}%phi+phi*(1-phi))
            {\raggedright\textbf{#1}}}}

%%usage:
\marginparX{The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over the Lazy Dog}%
Program development proceeds through these stages:

%%expected output: columnsep is three spaces for this demo

The Quick Brown Fox    Program development proceeds 
Jumped Over the Lazy   through these stages:
Dog

** Commentary

* Why do I need a strut 
  -- \hspace{0pt} -- 
  before the marginpar?

* Yes, I thought about modifying the sectioning commands,
I think that the paragraph or paragraph* 
would be the appropriate one to use.
However I couldn't easily see how to wedge the parbox 
into the section command syntax.

I would appreciate reading your commentary 
on this issue.

thanx in advance for your holiday musings

Ron Fehd on SAS-L: 
         the LaTeX maven  
         the macro maven  CDC Atlanta GA USA RJF2 at cdc dot gov