control of \emergencystretch

[Werner LEMBERG]

This input:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

\input texinfo.tex

@setfilename emergencystretch

@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}

@emergencystretch .05@hsize

@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}
@code{foo_bar_foo_bar_foo_bar}

@bye

----------------------------------------------------------------------

produces the attached output.  Clearly the second paragraph is much
better than the first one.  I wonder whether the default value of
\emergencystretch (0.15\hsize) is perhaps too large...


    Werner

[Karl Berry]

Hi Werner,

(Sorry for the delayed reply.)

    better than the first one.  I wonder whether the default value of
    \emergencystretch (0.15\hsize) is perhaps too large...

Other people have sent reports that it is too small.  Of course any
given value will be suboptimal for some documents, possibly even a
majority.  The current value was my best attempt based on running a
bunch of manuals.  I don't really want to change the default again (and
hence everyone's line breaks).

@tex
\global\emergencystretch = ...
@end tex

Best,
Karl