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

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

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

<para>
A <sgmltag>SpanSpec</sgmltag> associates a name with a span between two columns
in a table. In the body of the table, cells can refer to the span by name.
Cells that refer to a span will span horizontally from the first column
to the last column, inclusive.
</para>
<para>
Cells can also form spans directly, by naming the start and end
columns themselves.  The added benefit of a <sgmltag>SpanSpec</sgmltag>
is that it can associate formatting information (such as
alignment and table rule specifications) with the span.  This information
does not need to be repeated then, on each spanning cell.
</para>
<refsect2><title>Processing expectations</title>
<para>
&format.suppress; &calssemantics;
</para>
<para>
The <sgmltag class='attribute'>NameSt</sgmltag> and <sgmltag
class='attribute'>NameEnd</sgmltag> attributes of a <sgmltag>SpanSpec</sgmltag> must
refer to named <sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag>s in the same table.  In other 
words, if the <sgmltag>SpanSpec</sgmltag>

<screen>
<![CDATA[
<spanspec spanname="fullyear" namest="jan" nameend="dec"/>
]]>
</screen>

exists in a table, <sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag>s named <quote>jan</quote>
and <quote>dec</quote> must also exist in the same table.
</para>
</refsect2>



&spanspec.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 span. 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 <sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag> of the column specified in
<sgmltag class='attribute'>Namest</sgmltag> or from the enclosing <sgmltag>TGroup</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 spanning column described by this
<sgmltag>SpanSpec</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.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>nameend</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class="attribute">NameEnd</sgmltag> is the name (defined in a 
<sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag>) of the rightmost column of the span.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>namest</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class="attribute">NameSt</sgmltag> is the name (defined in a 
<sgmltag>ColSpec</sgmltag>) of the leftmost column of the span.
</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 all the cells in this <sgmltag>Span</sgmltag>.
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.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>spanname</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class="attribute">SpanName</sgmltag> specifies a name by which 
subsequent <sgmltag>Entry</sgmltag> and <sgmltag>EntryTbl</sgmltag>s can refer to the
span defined in this <sgmltag>SpanSpec</sgmltag>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</refsect1>
<refsect1 condition='ref.elem.seealso'><title>See Also</title>
&spanspec.seealso.gen;
</refsect1>

</refentry>

