At 06:16 PM 1/9/2003 +0200, you wrote:

As the TABLE manual is not very easily available (and may be not even applicable here), I hope that somebody can answer to my question...

i patched so much in TaBLe that i will probably rewrite it some day [btw, there is a new table mechanism under construction, meant for multiple page tables, which splits tables over spreads (multiple spreads), i.e. one can have tables with 1000 rows and 400 columns; repeat header rows and leading columns, and alike; typically a mechanism for database output]

I had to make a floating table. After a good deal of investigation in the Beginner's Manual and the list archives I've gotten everything else into place but the row spacing.

good, that's the best way to learn -)

My table (shortened version) is built like this:

\setuptables[bodyfont={9pt,ss},distance=small]

\placetable[here,force][table:specs]{Specifications} \starttable[|l|lw(8cm)|l|] \HL \VL \bf Abbrev. \VL \bf Product name \VL \bf Code \VL \SR \HL \VL bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \SR \HL \VL bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \FR \VL bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \LR \HL \VL bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \FR \VL bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \MR \VL bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \LR \HL \stoptable

or: \startbuffer \starttable[|l|lw(8cm)|l|] \HL \VL \bf Abbrev. \VL \bf Product name \VL \bf Code \VL \SR \HL \VL \strut bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \SR \HL \VL bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \FR \VL bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \LR \HL \VL \strut bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \FR \VL \strut bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \MR \VL \strut bog. \VL Bogus text for testing \VL -X \VL \LR \HL \stoptable \stopbuffer \placetable[here,force][table:specs]{Specifications}{\getbuffer} [this way you can also do: \externalfiguru[buffer][type=buffer,width=5cm]} and it's more readable]

I managed to make the lines come somewhat tighter together by \setuptables[distance=small] but they are not close enough. I tried replacing \MR with \NR and other variants thereof, but that wasn't really a satisfying solution.

So, how do I tell my ConTeXt how small I want "distance=small" to be (without affecting the text in the document)?

\setuptables[bodyfont={9pt,ss}] \showstruts \setuptables[distance=none] \getbuffer \setuptables[height=0,depth=0] \getbuffer \setuptables[height=\strutheightfactor,depth=\strutdepthfactor] \getbuffer

PS. Any easy way to color/shade a table cell/row?

with this kind of tables: a way yes, easy, depends; did you try the bTABLE mechanism? Hans ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE | pragma@wxs.nl Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: +31 (0)38 477 53 69 | fax: +31 (0)38 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------- information: http://www.pragma-ade.com/roadmap.pdf documentation: http://www.pragma-ade.com/showcase.pdf -------------------------------------------------------------------------