🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <670@bobkat.UUCP>, pedz@bobkat.UUCP (Pedz Thing) writes:
> How do I move to an absolute position on the page with TeX?  This can
> be answered if I can find the current possition on the page (in
> absolute terms) and then do the apropriate relative movements.  So if
> I can find the current position, that would answer my question as
> well.

Finding the current postition is probably imposssible.  After all, TeX
itself doesn't know until it does a \shipout.  A general-purpose "now
move to position (x,y) and continue from there" macro is probably also
impossible, but some things could be done by moving chunks of text around
in boxes (move the existing page contents (\box255) into another box;
remember (x,y) somewhere; get the ouput processor to put the bits at the
right places; etc..  if you can get that to work without mucking up insertions
and the like you are smarter than I am.)

However, placing things in absolute positions on the page is much easier.
Define a new class of insertion which is always overlaid on the page at
a fixed place (say by forcing it to zero height and depth and putting it
at the top of the page).  You can then move around inside the insertion
to wherever you please.  An imperfect but cheap way to get the same 
effect is to have things hang out of the bottom of \headline; you may have
trouble getting the positioning exactly right under all circumstances.

No, I am not volunteering to implement any of this.

Brendan McKay.