Re: Indenting text block on title page

[David Kastrup]

Guy Stalnaker <address@hidden> writes:

> Mr. Bruni,
>
> The simplified example as edited by you does work. If I modify \halign
> #-5 to #-10 the column does indeed shift horizontally.
>
> If I may be so bold, can you, will you, explain what the \halign
> values mean?

-1 = #LEFT means align (the reference point) to the left border of the
 text, 1 = #RIGHT means align to the right border of the text, 0 =
 #CENTER means align to the center of the text.

#-5 extrapolates, so it puts the reference point two times the length of
the text (#RIGHT - #LEFT = 2) to the left of the text.

> This is obviously my lack of understanding at work. Why a
> four-character word moves to the right exactly as I expect it to yet a
> seven-work phrase of text moves five times as far thus requiring use
> of a *smaller* value to position the line correctly is very, very
> confusing. Also, why the - instead of a +. Intuitively I'd think -
> means go <-- way (i,e., back, to the left) while + means go --> way
> (i.e., forward, to the right). Obvious that is not what happens.

I'd probably rather use something like

\line { \hspace ...  ... }
or \translate #'(... . ...) ...

myself.  Then you can directly work with units of spacing rather than
jiggling with alignments.

-- 
David Kastrup