[texhax] '\settabs 2 \columns' produces obscene whitespace.

[Paul Isambert]

 You're using "\break" way too much! I don't know what you think it is, 
but \break means TeX is forced to break here, either a line (if it's 
building a paragraph) or a page (if it's building a page).
The \break you insert before "Director" produces the page break you're 
getting in your document. The reason why there's so much space before 
the table is because TeX breaks the page, but likes to see it filled, 
and thus uses the \vfil you've inserted before, whose job is precisely 
that: provide free space when needed.
If you're trying to learn TeX and already use inserts and tables, well, 
you've not taken the easiest road.
So, here are some corrections:

- Setting \parskip=0pt only once is enough.
- If you want one-line paragraphs, nothing special is needed, so 
"Objective:\par" suffices. If you want a blank line after, say 
"\Objective:\par\vskip\baselineskip" (the \par is useless here but clearer).
- I can't see what you're trying to achieve with \hfil's and \break's...
- \hsize=8in is a big value, hence your uncentered "Director" (it is 
centered on a line larger than the page).
- What is the goal of \baselineskip=1pt in the insert?
- By the way, what is the goal of this insert? If you want a header, try 
\headline={<header>}; if you just want something at the top of your 
page, then, just type it!
- \it\smallrm doesn't work: \it is one font, \smallrm is another; plain 
TeX doesn't accumulate font information. So you should preload a small 
italic font and use it there.
- Producing "Cert #1" and "Cert #2" requires \# instead of # directly, 
because # is a special character.
- \end\bye is redundant: just use \bye.

So here's an improved version. After "Objective" and elsewhere, you can 
add \vskip\baselineskip to add a blank line:

\raggedright
\nopagenumbers
\font\bigrm = cmr10 scaled \magstep 2
\font\smallrm = cmr10 scaled \magstep 1
\font\smallit = cmti10
\parskip = 0 pt

\bgroup
\baselineskip = 1 pt
\centerline{\it Resume of X}
\rightline{Phone: 555-555-5555}
\rightline{Cell: 555-555-5555}
\rightline{unknown at unknown.com}
\hrule
\egroup
\vskip\baselineskip

Objective:\par % \vskip\baselineskip
I wish to work at this position. This is taking up some space.\par

\noindent Education:
\item{(1)}asfasfd {\it XXXX}
\item{(2)}sadf, {\it XXXX}
\item{(3)}asdf, {\it XXXX}

\vskip\baselineskip
\noindent Certifications:
\item{(1)}Cert ...
\item{(2)}Cert ...

\vskip\baselineskip
\noindent Experience:
\settabs 2 \columns
\+\smallit XXXX, Inc. (Baltimore, MD / Lancaster, PA) & June 2007 - 
Present \cr

\vskip\baselineskip
\centerline{\bigrm Director}

\bye

A better version would have \def\vsep{\vskip\baselineskip}and then use 
\vsep where \vskip\baselineskip appears, so that if you want another 
length, you can change all spaces at once. And a better version still 
would be in your head to know what you want; what I've done is an 
assumption based on your original document.

Best,
Paul


Kevin O'Mara a écrit :
> As an exercise in trying to learn TeX, I am trying to create my resume 
> in TeX. I get to a point where I want to add in my employer and years 
> employed in a 2 column table (without lines). However, whenever I 
> specify two columns, I get a lot of whitespace between the Top and the 
> Base of the document.  Between the hrule and the word "Objective".  
> What is going on here? It is taking up useful space, and I can't seem 
> to get rid of it with \hfills and \vfills. Thanks.
>
>
> \raggedright
> \nopagenumbers
> \font\bigrm = cmr10 scaled \magstep 2
> \font\smallrm = cmr10 scaled \magstep 1
> \tolerance = 10000
> \topinsert
> \baselineskip = 1 pt
> \centerline{\it Resume of X}
> \hfil \break
> \rightline{Phone: 555-555-5555}
> \hfil \break
> \rightline{Cell: 555-555-5555}
> \hfil \break
> \rightline{unknown at unknown.com}
> \hrule
> \vfil
> \endinsert
> \parskip = 0 pt
> \vfil
> Objective:
> \parskip = 0 pt
> \break
> \par I wish to work at this position. This is taking up some space.
> \parskip = 0pt
> \noindent
> \hfil \break \break
> Education:
> \item{(1)}asfasfd \it XXXX \rm
> \item{(2)}sadf, \it XXXX \rm
> \item{(3)}asdf, \it XXX \rm
> \hfil \break \break
> Certifications:
> \item{(1)}Cert #1
> \item{(2)}Cert #2
> \hfil \break \break
> Experience:
> \break
> \hsize = 8 in
> \settabs 2 \columns
> \+ \it \smallrm XXXX, Inc. (Baltimore, MD / Lancaster, PA) & June 2007 
> - Present \cr
> \break
> \centerline{\bigrm Director}
> \hfil \vfil \break \break
> \rm
> \end
> \bye
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