[Tex/LaTex] distinct command for \widowpenalty and \clubpenalty in footnotes

footnotespage-breakingwidows-orphans

I have found that setting \widowpenalty=10000\clubpenalty=10000 in the main document has not prevented widows and clubs from appearing occasionally in footnotes in a long and complex document I am working on.

I eliminated those widows and clubs by adding the same commands to a new command for creating footnotes:

\newcommand\footy[1]
 {\footnotemark{}%
  \footnotetext{\widowpenalty=10000\clubpenalty=10000\relax#1}%
 }

but it seems to me that this is rather wasteful since it calls the two penalty commands over and over again. Is there, instead, a pair of commands that specify widow and club penalties for footnotes, and that only need to be called once?

Best Answer

Define for example \interfootnotelinepenalty=100 or try 10000· Macro \footnote uses the given \interfootnotelinepenalty if a pagebreak is necessary in your footnote.

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Adding floating space between main text and footnotes

To do this, I use both the \widowpenalty as well as placing \vfill glue into a redefinition of \footnoterule.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\let\svfootnoterule\footnoterule
\renewcommand\footnoterule{\vfill\svfootnoterule}
\widowpenalty=9999
\begin{document}
\lipsum[1-3]
This is a test\footnote{My footnote}
\lipsum[3]
a\\b\\c\\d\\e

\lipsum[5]
\clearpage
\lipsum[1-3]
This is a test\footnote{My footnote}
\lipsum[3]
a\\b\\c\\d\\e\\f

\lipsum[5]
\end{document}

enter image description here

And now, for the second image, here is the same text, with one extra line "f" below "e", that would otherwise cause a widow. I have confirmed that footnote is at the same vertical space on the page in both instances.

enter image description here

[Tex/LaTex] How do \widowpenalty and \clubpenalty interact for a 2-line paragraph

Let's look at what we get when we add \showoutput. I just show the diagnostic messages relative to the first pair of lines:

Completed box being shipped out [1]
\vbox(633.0+0.0)x407.0
.\glue 16.0
.\vbox(617.0+0.0)x345.0, shifted 62.0
..\vbox(12.0+0.0)x345.0, glue set 12.0fil
...\glue 0.0 plus 1.0fil
...\hbox(0.0+0.0)x345.0
..\glue 25.0
..\glue(\lineskip) 0.0
..\vbox(550.0+0.0)x345.0
...\write-{}
...\glue(\topskip) 10.0
...\rule(0.0+0.0)x*
...\penalty 10000
...\glue 384.0
...\glue 0.0
...\glue(\parskip) 0.0 plus 1.0
...\glue(\baselineskip) 5.05556
...\hbox(6.94444+0.0)x345.0, glue set 306.11107fil
....\hbox(0.0+0.0)x15.0
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 l
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 i
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 n
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 e
....\glue 3.33333 plus 1.66666 minus 1.11111
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 1
....\penalty 10000
....\glue 0.0 plus 1.0fil
....\penalty -10000
....\glue(\rightskip) 0.0
....\glue(\rightskip) 0.0
...\penalty 10000
...\penalty 300
...\glue(\baselineskip) 5.05556
...\hbox(6.94444+0.0)x345.0, glue set 321.11107fil
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 l
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 i
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 n
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 e
....\glue 3.33333 plus 1.66666 minus 1.11111
....\OT1/cmr/m/n/10 2
....\penalty 10000
....\glue(\parfillskip) 0.0 plus 1.0fil
....\glue(\rightskip) 0.0
...\glue(\parskip) 0.0 plus 1.0
...\glue(\baselineskip) 5.05556

It's quite clear what happens: the command \\* does \vadjust{\penalty10000} and this \vadjust item find its way after the line containing line 1. But also the normal penalty pertaining to the paragraphs are added. In this case, the sum of \clubpenalty and \widowpenalty is inserted, resulting in \penalty300. Any penalty in the outer vertical list is a feasible page break point, and TeX can and does choose it in the seventh two line pair.

What does this mean? Simply that \\* should not be used in a paragraph for inhibiting a page break. In general \\ should not be used for breaking a line, to tell the complete truth.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Adding floating space between main text and footnotes

[Tex/LaTex] How do \widowpenalty and \clubpenalty interact for a 2-line paragraph

Related Question