Initial Distribution List: item spacing

[gondree]

TP requests addition spacing between entries in the distribution list.

[toastertaster]

The Word template uses a blank line between each entry. I'll create a new branch with this fix.

[toastertaster]

I created an example fix in the branch fix-initialdistriblistspacing for dissertation.tex.

We have two options:

• add a \itemsep entry to all the example templates.
• usepackage enumitem and create a new list type environment, which specifies the spacing. Modify the templates to use the new environment. The only downside is that the package takes ownership of all list environments and I'm unsure if this would break compatibility on older documents. However, if it does not, then the spacing would transparent to the user. See http://mirrors.rit.edu/CTAN/macros/latex/contrib/enumitem/enumitem.pdf for the package documentation.

Does anyone have an opinion on how to proceed?

[gondree]

I share your concerns with using enumitem. I would prefer either of these other two options (with preference for B):

(A) We don't have anything after the distribution list. So, you could just clobber the command using the macro from the style file:

\newcommand{\NPSdistribution}[1]{
\ifnpsarticle
  \addcontentsline{toc}{section}{#1}
  \section*{#1}
\else
  \addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{#1}
  \def\chaptername{#1}
  \chapter*{#1}
\fi
  \singlespacing    % reduce extra line breaks between entries
  \let\tempone\enumerate
  \let\temptwo\endenumerate
  \renewenvironment{enumerate}{\tempone\setlength{\itemsep}{\baselineskip}}{\temptwo}
}

(B) introduce a new environment based on enumeration and use that in the Distribution List section.

• http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/94755/a-new-environment-based-on-enumerate

You could call it \begin{distributionlist} or something awkward. Then, if we need to tweak its style, we can do so from a single location.

[simsong]

I think that \begin{distributionlist} gives us the most freedom.

On Sep 17, 2013, at 4:36 AM, Mark Gondree notifications@github.com wrote:

I share your concerns with using enumitem. I would prefer either of these other two options (with preference for B):

(A) We don't have anything after the distribution list. So, you could just clobber the command using the macro from the style file:

\newcommand{\NPSdistribution}[1]{ \ifnpsarticle \addcontentsline{toc}{section}{#1} \section{#1} \else \addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{#1} \def\chaptername{#1} \chapter{#1} \fi \singlespacing % reduce extra line breaks between entries \let\tempone\enumerate \let\temptwo\endenumerate \renewenvironment{enumerate}{\tempone\setlength{\itemsep}{\baselineskip}}{\temptwo} } (B) introduce a new environment based on enumeration and use that in the Distribution List section.

http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/94755/a-new-environment-based-on-enumerate You could call it \begin{distributionlist} or something awkward. Then, if we need to tweak its style, we can do so from a single location.

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

[toastertaster]

I'll work on the branch for option B. My thinking is to leave \NPSdistribution{Initial Distribution List} alone for backwards compatibility. I will add enumitem package and make the appropriate commands for the distributionlist environment.

We'll do some testing to see if enumitem causes any issues with other list environments in the thesis.

[gondree]

Sorry for confusion --- I didn't mean to suggest using the enumitem package, but do something like

\newcommand{\NPSdistribution}[1]{
\ifnpsarticle
  \addcontentsline{toc}{section}{#1}
  \section*{#1}
\else
  \addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{#1}
  \def\chaptername{#1}
  \chapter*{#1}
\fi
  \singlespacing    % reduce extra line breaks between entries
  \newenvironment{distributionlist}{\begin{enumerate}\itemsep \baselineskip}{\end{enumerate}}
}

Then, in the template

\NPSdistribution{Initial Distribution List}
\begin{distributionlist}
\item Defense Technical Information Center\\Ft. Belvoir, Virginia
\item Dudley Knox Library\\Naval Postgraduate School\\Monterey, California
\end{distributionlist}

This should still be reverse compatible in the sense that older theses will be using the enumerate environment, and the distributionlist environment should not impact them. Or, maybe I misunderstand the concern.