🚀 go-pugleaf

> From: asnd@msr.triumf.ca (Donald Arseneau)
> Date: 12 Jan 1993 15:59 PST
>
> >>From: pflynn@ccvax.ucd.ie (Peter Flynn)
> >>\divide\lines by\baselineskip
> >>
> >>and you have the approximate number of lines in the box, because the
> >>calculations were done in sp's.
> >>
> >
> >Sorry, but I don't see what this has to do with the fact that TeX
> >internally calculates in sp:
> >height+depth / height of line
> >will always give the number of lines (approximately, if lines are
> >not fixed spaced) - regardless of the length unit used.
>
> Yes it gives a number (integer).  But it is in a length register.
> So what length is it??  If the number is 5, the length is 5sp.
>
> Continuing, if you want to subsequently set \lines to have a minimum
> value of 2,
>   \ifnum\lines<2 \lines=2sp \fi
>
> If you want to increment the line count,
>   \advance \lines 2sp
>
> Donald
>
Just in order to complete the discussion of this topic:
Yes, I overlooked that the result of the division is in a dimension
register (I just calculated length divided by length is a dimensionless
number)

Nevertheless, in essence my statement is true:
-- a ›dimen-counter may be used in the context of a number:
      ›ifnum›dimen0=2  (e.g.)
-- and by setting ›count0=›dimen0 you may transform the dimension to
   a number
(otherwise it would be complicated --- though possible --- to
extract the number of lines)

Peter