[comp.text.tex] Building large diagram

gaston@cs-sun-ab.cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Gaston Groisman) (11/20/90)

I have just built this, as part of a much larger diagram.


$$
\left\{
\begin{array}{l}
  \mbox{Semiotic} 
  \left\{
  \begin{array}{l}
    \mbox{Language} \\
    \mbox{(langage)} \\
    \mbox{ } \\
    \mbox{ Other systems}
  \end{array}
  \right.
  \\
  \mbox{systems}   \\
  \mbox{ }         \\
  \mbox{Extrasemiotic phenomena} \\
  \mbox{(culture, society, politics)} 
\end{array}
\right.
$$

What I get is

             /           / Language
            |           |  (langage)
            | Semiotic <
            |           |  Other systems
            |            \
           <  systems
            |
            |
            | Extrasemiotic phenomena
            | (culture, society, politics)
             \

But what I *want* is

                         / Language
             /          |  (langage)
            | Semiotic <
            | systems   |  Other systems
            |            \
           <  
            |
            |
            | Extrasemiotic phenomena
            | (culture, society, politics)
             \
          
There are two main differences:

First I want "Semitic systems" to be one "box" but \mbox{} will not
accept \\ to break it into two lines.

Second I want the first { to go only as high as "Semiotic".  The
diagram will grow much larger in the near future and the way things
are the left { will be as tall as the whole diagram....

Though a LaTeX enthusiast, I  am far from being an expert.  Any help
will be wellcome!


 Gaston Groisman          +-------------------------------------+
 Computer Science Dep.    |      gaston@cpsc.ucalgary.ca        |
 University of Calgary    |      groisman@uncamult.bitnet       |
 Alberta, CANADA          +-------------------------------------+
-- 
 Gaston Groisman          +-------------------------------------+
 Computer Science Dep.    |      gaston@cpsc.ucalgary.ca        |
 University of Calgary    |      groisman@uncamult.bitnet       |
 Alberta, CANADA          +-------------------------------------+

eijkhout@s41.csrd.uiuc.edu (Victor Eijkhout) (11/21/90)

gaston@cs-sun-ab.cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Gaston Groisman) writes:

>  \mbox{Semiotic} 
>  \left\{
>  \begin{array}{l}
>    \mbox{Language} \\
>    \mbox{(langage)} \\
>    \mbox{ } \\
>    \mbox{ Other systems}
>  \end{array}
>  \right.
>  \\
>  \mbox{systems}   \\

>What I get is

>             /           / Language
>            |           |  (langage)
>            | Semiotic <
>            |           |  Other systems
>            |            \
>           <  systems
>            |
>            |

>But what I *want* is

>                         / Language
>             /          |  (langage)
>            | Semiotic <
>            | systems   |  Other systems
>            |            \
>           <  
>          
>There are two main differences:

>First I want "Semitic systems" to be one "box" but \mbox{} will not
>accept \\ to break it into two lines.

Try \parbox[t]{ specify width here }{Semiotic\par systems}.

>Second I want the first { to go only as high as "Semiotic".  The
>diagram will grow much larger in the near future and the way things
>are the left { will be as tall as the whole diagram....

Not so easy with legal LaTeX.
{\setbox0=\hbox{$\vcenter{  ... the language systems table ... }$}
 \ht0=0pt \box0}
In fact this is dirty. And it will hide the height fo the
inner table not only from the brace, but from anything else
outside, so you may bump into material higher up.

Victor.