[comp.text.tex] Lasy

young@emx.utexas.edu (Young U. Ryu) (05/04/91)

I have created the following \(La)TeX macros for the following
purpose. Macros work fine, I think. But I can't explain
how and why. Help me explain them...

Thanks.

Young U. Ryu
The Univ. of Texas at Austin
(young@emx.utexas.edu)

--------------------------------------------------------------
Purpose: the text height the (only) first page of every chapter 
         = \textheight - \footskip                ^^^^^

Macros:
   %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
   %%% Part 0
   \makeatletter   %\catcode`@=11
   \newlength{\regular@textheight}
   \newlength{\short@textheight}
   \setlength{\regular@textheight}{\textheight}
   \setlength{\short@textheight}{\textheight}
   \addtolength{\short@textheight}{-\footskip}
   %%% Part 1
   \def\short@page{\setlength{\textheight}{\short@textheight}
      \@colht\textheight \@colroom\textheight \vsize\textheight}
   \def\regular@page{\setlength{\textheight}{\regular@textheight}
      \@colht\textheight \@colroom\textheight \vsize\textheight}
   %%% Part 2
   \let\@oldopcol\@opcol
   \def\@opcol{\regular@page\@oldopcol}
   %%% Part 3
   \def\chapter{\clearpage \short@page
      \thispagestyle{plain} \global\@topnum\z@
      \@afterindentfalse \secdef\@chapter\@schapter}
   \makeatother   %\catcode`@=12
   %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Result: They work fine, I'm sure! (?)
             ^^^^
Question: I don't know why and how it works.
          Does anyone can explain?
          (I understand Parts 0 and 1.
	   Macros of Parts 2 and 3 are understandable,
	   But I don't know how \(La)TeX uses them.)