[texhax] placing texts in boxes (flowing from one page to another)

[Donald Arseneau]

Christopher Brewster <cbrewster at gmail.com> writes:

> If I want to place text in a succession of boxes, the best solution I  have
> found is the framed package.
> However, if I have more than one \begin{framed} ... \end{framed} next  to one
> another they suddenly space out some times when I want them to  stay close
> together.

I don't know what you mean by "suddenly" or "some times".  If there 
is an inconsistency you need to give a concrete demonstration for 
debugging.

The space between consecutive framed environments is \topsep plus a 
baseline skip (note I didn't say \baselineskip, the parameter; the 
distance is \baselineskip - \FrameHeightAdjust).  To make two frames 
abut (touch) you can (locally) set length \topsep as 0pt, and put a 
\nointerlineskip command in between the environemnts.

There is another way to defeat the usual "\addvspace{\topsep}"
and that is to fake a preceding skip, using a commandm like this:
\newcommand\notopsep{\vskip-\topsep \vskip\topsep}
Then you can put 
\notopsep \nointerlineskip
between framed environments to make them touch.  (You can
likewise use \notopsep between lists or quotations or whatever.)

While \topsep is the spearation LaTeX always inserts for set-off 
paragraph environments like lists and center (-ed text) and 
quotations, should it really be used by framed?  I think framed 
separation looks good with just the baselineskip.  Perhaps it 
should be a new length parameter that *defaults* to \topsep.  
Opinions please?


Donald Arseneau                          asnd at triumf.ca