[Sca-cooks] OT: need computer help -- typing parallel columns

[Stefan li Rous]

Brighid ni Chiarain asked about seperete columns for translations so 
that the original and translation could be directly opposite each other.

I've got real mixed feelings about this. While the double column sounds 
good and probably works well in print publication, I'm not sure how 
well it will work when published electronically. Yes, I have an 
interest and a bias in this. :-)

I supply the documents in the Florilegium in three formats, text, RTF 
and HTML. The double columns will work in the second format just fine. 
They may work in HTML, if the user doesn't try to reduce the screen 
width to narrower than the size of the two columns plus the spacing 
originally picked. IF HTML can be done in such a way that when you 
squeeze the page size down to narrower than the original width, the 
text flows up and down in two columns then that will at least be 
readable, although the one to one line to line correspondence is likely 
to be lost.

And when translated to text, the two column original may get totally 
scrambled. Perhaps Word does a better job than I think it will. I don't 
have a real high opinion of Word's ability to create good HTML. I will 
be switching back to my own programs for the Florilegium as soon as I 
can rewrite them. But since they work from a text file only, they don't 
pick up special characters such as accents or handle two column text 
anyway.

Endnotes, using the special Word formatting tend to be a problem, at 
least for me. Mostly because when translated to text, and I believe 
HTML, Word simply loses the note. Not just the number. The entire note. 
For your earlier "Libre del Coch" translation I had to go through and 
replace each end note with a plain text version, making sure that the 
numbering was still correct. If changed in the wrong order, Word 
automatically renumbers the remaining end notes. Argh. All one hundred 
plus endnotes.

However, I will deal with what you are willing to give me. If it can't 
be translated from HTML or RTF cleanly into plain text then we'll just 
have to drop the text format.  If two column HTML causes problems below 
a certain width, then we may just have to live with that, although you 
might want to select a column size which is set for a narrow screen. If 
you are using a version of Word that generates HTML, usually Word 6.0 
or Word 98 or better, then have Word write out the article as HTML, and 
look at it before you spend a lot of time formatting it, and see how it 
comes out.

Another format, which I've been considering for some or all Florilegium 
files is Adobe PDF. Readers are widely available and those that have 
Apple OS-X can now generate PDF files as part of the operating system.

Stefan
> On 20 Oct 2003, at 13:56, Martin G. Diehl wrote:
> > An even better way is to use a table row for each paragraph
> > (and also chapter titles and/or sub headings).
>
> There actually aren't any paragraphs, but there are chapter headings.
>
> > You probably want to avoid any of these ... automatic numbering,
> > indents, bullets, ...
>
> I've included endnotes... are those likely to be a problem?
>
> > Vincenzo

--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****