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<body id="top" lang="en">
<a name="Line-breaking" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="Line-breaking-1" class="anchor"></a>
<h2 class="chapter">Line breaking</h2>

<a name="index-line-breaking" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-breaking-lines" class="anchor"></a>

<p>The first thing LaTeX does when processing ordinary text is to
translate your input file into a sequence of glyphs and spaces.  To
produce a printed document, this sequence must be broken into lines
(and these lines must be broken into pages).
</p>
<p>LaTeX usually does the line (and page) breaking in the text body for
you but in some environments you manually force line breaks.
</p>
<p>A common workflow is to get a final version of the document content
before taking a final pass through and considering line breaks (and page
breaks).  This differs from word processing, where you are formatting
text as you input it.  Putting these off until the end prevents a lot of
fiddling with breaks that will change anyway.
</p>


<hr>
<a name="g_t_005c_005c" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="g_t_005c_005c-1" class="anchor"></a>
<h3 class="section"><code>\\</code></h3>

<a name="index-_005c_005c-force-line-break" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-new-line_002c-starting" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-line-break_002c-forcing" class="anchor"></a>

<p>Synopsis, one of:
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\\
\\[<var>morespace</var>]
</pre></div>

<p>or one of: 
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\\*
\\*[<var>morespace</var>]
</pre></div>

<p>End the current line.  The optional argument <var>morespace</var> specifies
extra vertical space to be inserted before the next line.  This is a
rubber length (see <a href="latex2e_14.html#Lengths">Lengths</a>) and can be negative.  The text before
the line break is set at its normal length, that is, it is not stretched
to fill out the line width.  This command is fragile (see <a href="latex2e_12.html#g_t_005cprotect">\protect</a>).
</p>
<p>The starred form, <code>\\*</code>, tells LaTeX not to start a new page
between the two lines, by issuing a <code>\nobreak</code>.
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\title{My story: \\[0.25in]
       a tale of woe}
</pre></div>

<p>Explicit line breaks in the main text body are unusual in LaTeX.  In
particular, don&rsquo;t start new paragraphs with <code>\\</code>.  Instead leave a
blank line between the two paragraphs.  And don&rsquo;t put in a sequence of
<code>\\</code>&rsquo;s to make vertical space. Instead use
<code>\vspace{<var>length</var>}</code>, or
<code>\leavevmode\vspace{<var>length</var>}</code>, or
<code>\vspace*{<var>length</var>}</code> if you want the space to not be thrown
out at the top of a new page (see <a href="latex2e_19.html#g_t_005cvspace">\vspace</a>).
</p>
<p>The <code>\\</code> command is mostly used outside of the main flow of text
such as in a <code>tabular</code> or <code>array</code> environment or in an
equation environment.
</p>
<p>The <code>\\</code> command is a synonym for <code>\newline</code>
(see <a href="#g_t_005cnewline">\newline</a>) under ordinary circumstances (an example of an
exception is the <code>p{...}</code> column in a <code>tabular</code>
environment; see <a href="latex2e_8.html#tabular">tabular</a>).
</p>
<p>The <code>\\</code> command is a macro, and its definition changes by context
so that its definition in normal text, a <code>center</code> environment, a
<code>flushleft</code> environment, and a <code>tabular</code> are all different.
In normal text when it forces a linebreak it is essentially a shorthand
for <code>\newline</code>.  It does not end horizontal mode or end the
paragraph, it just inserts some glue and penalties so that when the
paragraph does end a linebreak will occur at that point, with the short
line padded with white space.
</p>
<p>You get &lsquo;<samp>LaTeX Error: There's no line here to end</samp>&rsquo; if you use
<code>\\</code> to ask for a new line, rather than to end the current line.
An example is if you have <code>\begin{document}\\</code> or, more likely,
something like this.
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\begin{center}
  \begin{minipage}{0.5\textwidth}
  \\
  In that vertical space put your mark.
  \end{minipage}
\end{center}
</pre></div>

<p>Fix it by replacing the double backslash with something like
<code>\vspace{\baselineskip}</code>.
</p>

<hr>
<a name="g_t_005cobeycr-_0026-_005crestorecr" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="g_t_005cobeycr-_0026-_005crestorecr-1" class="anchor"></a>
<h3 class="section"><code>\obeycr</code> &amp; <code>\restorecr</code></h3>

<a name="index-_005cobeycr" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-_005crestorecr" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-new-line_002c-output-as-input" class="anchor"></a>

<p>The <code>\obeycr</code> command makes a return in the input file (&lsquo;<samp>^^M</samp>&rsquo;,
internally) the same as <code>\\</code>, followed by <code>\relax</code>.  So each
new line in the input will also be a new line in the output.  The
<code>\restorecr</code> command restores normal line-breaking behavior.
</p>
<p>This is not the way to show verbatim text or computer code.
See <a href="latex2e_8.html#verbatim">verbatim</a> instead.
</p>
<p>With LaTeX&rsquo;s usual defaults, this
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">aaa
bbb

\obeycr
ccc
ddd
   eee

\restorecr
fff
ggg

hhh
iii
</pre></div>

<p>produces output like this.
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">  aaa bbb
  ccc
ddd
eee

fff ggg
  hhh iii
</pre></div>

<p>The indents are paragraph indents.
</p>

<hr>
<a name="g_t_005cnewline" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="g_t_005cnewline-1" class="anchor"></a>
<h3 class="section"><code>\newline</code></h3>

<a name="index-_005cnewline" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-new-line_002c-starting-_0028paragraph-mode_0029" class="anchor"></a>

<p>In ordinary text, this ends a line in a way that does not right-justify
the line, so the prior text is not stretched. That is, in paragraph mode
(see <a href="latex2e_17.html#Modes">Modes</a>), the <code>\newline</code> command is equivalent to
double-backslash (see <a href="#g_t_005c_005c">\\</a>).  This command is fragile
(see <a href="latex2e_12.html#g_t_005cprotect">\protect</a>).
</p>
<p>However, the two commands are different inside a <code>tabular</code> or
<code>array</code> environment. In a column with a specifier producing a
paragraph box such as typically <code>p{...}</code>, <code>\newline</code> will
insert a line end inside of the column; that is, it does not break the
entire tabular row.  To break the entire row use <code>\\</code> or its
equivalent <code>\tabularnewline</code>.
</p>
<p>This will print &lsquo;<samp>Name:</samp>&rsquo; and &lsquo;<samp>Address:</samp>&rsquo; as two lines in a
single cell of the table.
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\begin{tabular}{p{1in}{\hspace{2in}}p{1in}}
  Name: \newline Address: &amp;Date: \\ \hline
\end{tabular}
</pre></div>

<p>The &lsquo;<samp>Date:</samp>&rsquo; will be baseline-aligned with &lsquo;<samp>Name:</samp>&rsquo;.
</p>

<hr>
<a name="g_t_005c_002d-_0028hyphenation_0029" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="g_t_005c_002d-_0028discretionary-hyphen_0029" class="anchor"></a>
<h3 class="section"><code>\-</code> (discretionary hyphen)</h3>

<a name="index-_005c_002d-_0028hyphenation_0029" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-hyphenation_002c-forcing" class="anchor"></a>

<p>Tell LaTeX that it may hyphenate the word at that point.  When you
insert <code>\-</code> commands in a word, the word will only be hyphenated at
those points and not at any of the hyphenation points that LaTeX
might otherwise have chosen.  This command is robust (see <a href="latex2e_12.html#g_t_005cprotect">\protect</a>).
</p>
<p>LaTeX is good at hyphenating and usually finds most of the correct
hyphenation points, while almost never using an incorrect one.  The
<code>\-</code> command is for exceptional cases.
</p>
<p>For example, LaTeX does not ordinarily hyphenate words containing a
hyphen.  Below, the long and hyphenated word means LaTeX has to put
in unacceptably large spaces to set the narrow column.
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\begin{tabular}{rp{1.75in}}
  Isaac Asimov &amp;The strain of
               anti-intellectualism
               % an\-ti-in\-tel\-lec\-tu\-al\-ism
               has been a constant thread winding its way through our
               political and cultural life, nurtured by
               the false notion that democracy means that
               `my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge'.
\end{tabular}
</pre></div>

<p>Commenting out the third line and uncommenting the fourth makes a much
better fit.
</p>
<p>The <code>\-</code> command only allows LaTeX to break there, it does not
require that it break there.  You can insist on a split with something
like <code>Hef-\linebreak feron</code>.  Of course, if you later change the
text then this forced break may look very odd, so this approach requires
care.
</p>

<hr>
<a name="g_t_005cdiscretionary" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="g_t_005cdiscretionary-_0028generalized-hyphenation-point_0029" class="anchor"></a>
<h3 class="section"><code>\discretionary</code> (generalized hyphenation point)</h3>
<a name="index-hyphenation_002c-discretionary" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-discretionary-hyphenation" class="anchor"></a>

<p>Synopsis:
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\discretionary{<var>pre-break</var>}{<var>post-break</var>}{<var>no-break</var>}
</pre></div>

<p>Handle word changes around hyphens.  This command is not often used in
LaTeX documents.
</p>
<p>If a line break occurs at the point where <code>\discretionary</code> appears
then TeX puts <var>pre-break</var> at the end of the current line and puts
<var>post-break</var> at the start of the next line.  If there is no line
break here then TeX puts <var>no-break</var>
</p>
<p>In &lsquo;<samp>difficult</samp>&rsquo; the three letters <code>ffi</code> form a ligature.  But
TeX can nonetheless break between the two f&rsquo;s with this.
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">di\discretionary{f-}{fi}{ffi}cult
</pre></div>

<p>Note that users do not have to do this.  It is typically handled
automatically by TeX&rsquo;s hyphenation algorithm.
</p>

<hr>
<a name="g_t_005cfussy-_0026-_005csloppy" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="g_t_005cfussy-_0026-_005csloppy-1" class="anchor"></a>
<h3 class="section"><code>\fussy</code> &amp; <code>\sloppy</code></h3>

<a name="index-_005cfussy" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-_005csloppy" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-line-breaks_002c-changing" class="anchor"></a>

<p>Declarations to make TeX more picky or less picky about line
breaking.  Declaring <code>\fussy</code> usually avoids too much space between
words, at the cost of an occasional overfull box.  Conversely,
<code>\sloppy</code> avoids overfull boxes while suffering loose interword
spacing.
</p>
<p>The default is <code>\fussy</code>.  Line breaking in a paragraph is
controlled by whichever declaration is current at the blank line, or
<code>\par</code>, or displayed equation ending that paragraph.  So to affect
the line breaks, include that paragraph-ending material in the scope of
the command.
</p>


<hr>
<a name="sloppypar" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="sloppypar-1" class="anchor"></a>
<h4 class="subsection"><code>sloppypar</code></h4>

<a name="index-sloppypar" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-sloppypar-environment" class="anchor"></a>

<p>Synopsis:
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\begin{sloppypar}
  ... paragraphs ...
\end{sloppypar}
</pre></div>

<p>Typeset the paragraphs with <code>\sloppy</code> in effect (see <a href="#g_t_005cfussy-_0026-_005csloppy">\fussy &amp; \sloppy</a>).  Use this to locally adjust line breaking, to avoid
&lsquo;<samp>Overfull box</samp>&rsquo; or &lsquo;<samp>Underfull box</samp>&rsquo; errors.
</p>
<p>The example is simple.
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\begin{sloppypar}
  Her plan for the morning thus settled, she sat quietly down to her
  book after breakfast, resolving to remain in the same place and the
  same employment till the clock struck one; and from habitude very
  little incommoded by the remarks and ejaculations of Mrs.\ Allen,
  whose vacancy of mind and incapacity for thinking were such, that
  as she never talked a great deal, so she could never be entirely
  silent; and, therefore, while she sat at her work, if she lost her
  needle or broke her thread, if she heard a carriage in the street,
  or saw a speck upon her gown, she must observe it aloud, whether
  there were anyone at leisure to answer her or not.
\end{sloppypar}
</pre></div>


<hr>
<a name="g_t_005chyphenation" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="g_t_005chyphenation-1" class="anchor"></a>
<h3 class="section"><code>\hyphenation</code></h3>

<a name="index-_005chyphenation" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-hyphenation_002c-defining" class="anchor"></a>

<p>Synopsis:
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\hyphenation{<var>word1</var> ...}
</pre></div>

<p>Declares allowed hyphenation points within the words in the list.  The
words in that list are separated by spaces.  Show permitted points for
hyphenation with a dash character, <code>-</code>.
</p>
<p>Here is an example:
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\hyphenation{hat-er il-lit-e-ra-ti tru-th-i-ness}
</pre></div>

<p>Use lowercase letters.  TeX will only hyphenate if the word matches
exactly.  Multiple <code>\hyphenation</code> commands accumulate.
</p>

<hr>
<a name="g_t_005clinebreak-_0026-_005cnolinebreak" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="g_t_005clinebreak-_0026-_005cnolinebreak-1" class="anchor"></a>
<h3 class="section"><code>\linebreak</code> &amp; <code>\nolinebreak</code></h3>

<a name="index-_005clinebreak" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-_005cnolinebreak" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-line-breaks_002c-forcing" class="anchor"></a>
<a name="index-line-breaks_002c-preventing" class="anchor"></a>

<p>Synopses, one of:
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\linebreak
\linebreak[<var>zero-to-four</var>]
</pre></div>

<p>or one of these.
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\nolinebreak
\nolinebreak[<var>zero-to-four</var>]
</pre></div>

<p>Encourage or discourage a line break.  The optional <var>zero-to-four</var>
is an integer that allows you to soften the instruction.  The default is
4, so that without the optional argument these commands entirely force
or prevent the break.  But for instance, <code>\nolinebreak[1]</code> is a
suggestion that another place may be better.  The higher the number, the
more insistent the request.  Both commands are fragile
(see <a href="latex2e_12.html#g_t_005cprotect">\protect</a>).
</p>
<p>Here we tell LaTeX that a good place to put a linebreak is after the
standard legal text.
</p>
<div class="example">
<pre class="example">\boilerplatelegal{} \linebreak[2]
We especially encourage applications from members of traditionally
underrepresented groups.
</pre></div>

<p>When you issue <code>\linebreak</code>, the spaces in the line are stretched
out so that it extends to the right margin.  See <a href="#g_t_005c_005c">\\</a>
and&nbsp;<a href="#g_t_005cnewline">\newline</a> to have the spaces not stretched out.
</p>





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