triplefil.tex

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\documentclass[a4paper]{article}

\title{Do you need some stretch?}
\author{Marcin Woli\'nski}

\begin{document}
\maketitle
\thispagestyle{empty}

\TeX's \verb|\leaders| primitive can be used to fill arbitrary space
with a stretchable line (cf.\ \verb|\hrulefill|).  It is also possible
to have an expandable triple line:

\def\triplefil{%
  \leaders\hrule height4pt depth-3.2pt\hfil \hskip0pt plus-1fil
  \leaders\vrule height1.6pt depth0pt\hfil \hskip0pt plus-1fil
  \leaders\vrule height-.6pt depth1pt\hfil } 
\def\triplefilledline#1{%
  \hbox to\hsize{%
    \vrule height4ptdepth3ptwidth.8pt \triplefil \vrule
    height10ptdepth1ptwidth.4pt \enspace\strut#1\enspace \vrule
    height10ptdepth1ptwidth.4pt \triplefil \vrule
    height4ptdepth3ptwidth.8pt } }

\bigskip
\triplefilledline{The St.\ Anford Orchestra}


\bigskip
\triplefilledline{Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky}

\begin{verbatim}
\def\triplefil{%
    \leaders\hrule height4pt depth-3.2pt\hfil
    \hskip0pt plus-1fil
    \leaders\vrule height1.6pt depth0pt\hfil
    \hskip0pt plus-1fil
    \leaders\vrule height-.6pt depth1pt\hfil
}
\def\triplefilledline#1{%
  \hbox to\hsize{%
    \vrule height4ptdepth3ptwidth.8pt
    \triplefil
    \vrule height10ptdepth1ptwidth.4pt
    \enspace\strut#1\enspace
    \vrule height10ptdepth1ptwidth.4pt
    \triplefil
    \vrule height4ptdepth3ptwidth.8pt
} }
\triplefilledline{The St.\ Anford Orchestra}
\triplefilledline{Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky}
\end{verbatim}

To understand what happens here one needs to count stretchability of
leaders and glue in \verb|\triplefil|.  It is: 1fil (from
\verb|\hfil|) + $-1$fil (from \verb|\hskip|) + 1fil + $-1$fil + 1fil,
which sums up to 1fil.  So when \TeX\ needs to set \verb|\triplefil|
to, say, 37pt it stretches each fil of glue to that length.  The first
leaders become 37pt wide, then comes \verb|\hskip| to $-37$pt
($-1$fil), and so \TeX\ overprints the second \verb|\leaders| on the
first, and the same repeats with the next glue and leaders.

This trick opens space for countless variations:

\def\lquadruple{%
    \leaders\hrule height6.2pt depth-6pt\hskip0ptplus3fil
    \hskip0pt plus-2fil
    \leaders\vrule height4.2pt depth-4pt\hskip0ptplus3fil
    \hskip0pt plus-2fil
    \leaders\vrule height2.2pt depth-2pt\hskip0ptplus3fil
    \hskip0pt plus-2fil
    \leaders\vrule height0.2pt depth0pt\hskip0ptplus3fil
}
\def\rquadruple{%
    \leaders\vrule height0.2pt depth0pt\hskip0ptplus3fil
    \hskip0pt plus-2fil
    \leaders\vrule height2.2pt depth-2pt\hskip0ptplus3fil
    \hskip0pt plus-2fil
    \leaders\vrule height4.2pt depth-4pt\hskip0ptplus3fil
    \hskip0pt plus-2fil
    \leaders\hrule height6.2pt depth-6pt\hskip0ptplus3fil
}
\def\quadfilledline#1{%
  \hbox to\hsize{%
    \lquadruple
    \enspace\strut#1\enspace
    \rquadruple
  }
}

\bigskip
\quadfilledline{The St.\ Anford Orchestra}
\bigskip
\quadfilledline{Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky}
\bigskip

%Note: The autor is not at all sure he has invented this trick himself.
%If this invention is yours please claim the authorship.
\end{document}

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