<refentry id="colspec.element">
<?dbhtml filename="colspec.html"?>
<refentryinfo>
<pubdate>$Date$</pubdate>
<releaseinfo>$Revision$</releaseinfo>
</refentryinfo>

<refmeta>
<indexterm><primary>elements</primary>
<secondary>colspec</secondary></indexterm>
<refentrytitle>colspec</refentrytitle>
<refmiscinfo>Element</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
<refname>colspec</refname>
<refpurpose>&colspec.purpose;</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

&colspec.synopsis.gen;
<refsect1 condition='ref.description'><title>Description</title>

<para>
The attributes of this empty element specify the presentation characteristics
of entries in a column of a table.
</para>

<para>
Each <sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag> refers to a single column.  Columns are numbered
sequentially from left to right in the table.  If the 
<sgmltag class='attribute'>ColNum</sgmltag> attribute is not specified, the
<sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag> is for the next column after the preceeding
<sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag> or column 1 if it is the first <sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag>.
</para>

<refsect2><title>Processing expectations</title>
<para>
&format.suppress; &calssemantics;
</para>
</refsect2>




&colspec.parents.gen;
</refsect1>
<refsect1 condition='ref.elem.attrdesc'><title>Attributes</title>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry><term>align</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class="attribute">Align</sgmltag> specifies the horizontal alignment
of <sgmltag>Entry</sgmltag>s (or <sgmltag>EntryTbl</sgmltag>s) in the column. The
default alignment is inherited from the enclosing <sgmltag>TGroup</sgmltag>. 
If <literal>Char</literal> is specified, see also 
<sgmltag class="attribute">Char</sgmltag> and
<sgmltag class="attribute">CharOff</sgmltag>.
Individual <sgmltag>Entry</sgmltag>s and
<sgmltag>EntryTbl</sgmltag>s can specify an alternate alignment.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>char</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class="attribute">Char</sgmltag> specifies the alignment character when
the <sgmltag class="attribute">Align</sgmltag> attribute is set to <literal>Char</literal>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>charoff</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class='attribute'>CharOff</sgmltag> specifies the percentage of the
column's total width that should appear to the left of the first
occurance of the character identified in <sgmltag
class='attribute'>Char</sgmltag> when the <sgmltag class='attribute'>Align</sgmltag>
attribute is set to <literal>Char</literal>. This attribute is inherited from
the enclosing <sgmltag>TGroup</sgmltag>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>colname</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class="attribute">ColName</sgmltag> gives a symbolic name to a column.
The symbolic name can then be used in subsequent <sgmltag>Entry</sgmltag>s and
<sgmltag>SpanSpec</sgmltag>s to identify the column.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>colnum</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class="attribute">ColNum</sgmltag> gives the number of the column defined
by this <sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag>. If not specified, this <sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag>
describes the next column to the right of the column defined by the previous
<sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag> or the first column (column 1) if this is the first
<sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>colsep</term>
<listitem>
<para>
If <sgmltag class="attribute">ColSep</sgmltag> has the value 1 (true), then
a rule will be drawn to the right of the column described by this
<sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag>. A value of 0 (false) suppresses the rule.
The rule to the right of the last column in the table is controlled by the
<sgmltag class="attribute">Frame</sgmltag> attribute of the enclosing 
<sgmltag>Table</sgmltag> or <sgmltag>InformalTable</sgmltag> and the 
<sgmltag class="attribute">ColSep</sgmltag> of the last column in the table
is ignored. If unspecified, this attribute is inherited from 
enclosing elements. Individual <sgmltag>Entry</sgmltag>s or <sgmltag>EntryTbl</sgmltag>s
can override the <sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag> setting of this attribute.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>colwidth</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class='attribute'>ColWidth</sgmltag> specifies the desired width of the
relevant column. It can be either a fixed measure using one of the
&CALS; units (36pt, 10pc, etc.) or a proportional measure. Proportional
measures have the form <quote><emphasis>number</emphasis><literal>*</literal></quote>, meaning
this column should be <emphasis>number</emphasis> times wider than a column with
the measure <quote><literal>1*</literal></quote> (or just <quote><literal>*</literal></quote>). These two
forms can be mixed, as in <quote><literal>3*+1pc</literal></quote>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>rowsep</term>
<listitem>
<para>
If <sgmltag class="attribute">RowSep</sgmltag> has the value 1 (true), then a
rule will be drawn below the cells in the specified column. A value
of 0 (false) suppresses the rule. The rule below the last row in the
table is controlled by the <sgmltag class="attribute">Frame</sgmltag> attribute
of the enclosing <sgmltag>Table</sgmltag> or <sgmltag>InformalTable</sgmltag> and
the <sgmltag class="attribute">RowSep</sgmltag> of the last row is ignored. If
unspecified, this attribute is inherited from enclosing elements.
Individual <sgmltag>Entry</sgmltag>s or <sgmltag>EntryTbl</sgmltag>s
can override the <sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag> setting of this attribute.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</refsect1>
<refsect1 condition='ref.elem.seealso'><title>See Also</title>
&colspec.seealso.gen;
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>Examples</title>

&colspec.example.seealso.gen;
</refsect1>
</refentry>

