% multicoltab-doc.tex -- technical documentation for the multicoltab package % Copyright (C) 2026 Andres Zanzani % % This file may be distributed and/or modified under the conditions of the % LaTeX Project Public License, either version 1.3c of this license or (at % your option) any later version. \documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{article} \usepackage[margin=2.3cm]{geometry} \usepackage[T1]{fontenc} \usepackage{booktabs} \usepackage{xcolor} \usepackage{multicol} \usepackage{multicoltab} \usepackage{hyperref} \hypersetup{ colorlinks=true, linkcolor=blue!50!black, urlcolor=blue!50!black, pdftitle={The multicoltab package}, pdfauthor={Andres Zanzani} } \newcommand{\pkg}[1]{\textsf{#1}} \newcommand{\cmd}[1]{\texttt{\textbackslash#1}} \newcommand{\file}[1]{\texttt{#1}} \newcommand{\opt}[1]{\texttt{#1}} \newcommand{\env}[1]{\texttt{#1}} \title{The \pkg{multicoltab} package} \author{Andres Zanzani\thanks{\href{mailto:azanzani@gmail.com}{azanzani@gmail.com}}} \date{Version 0.8 -- 2026-09-04} \begin{document} \maketitle \begin{abstract} \pkg{multicoltab} provides a non-floating table environment whose source rows can continue in the next column of a \pkg{multicols} layout or on a later page. It achieves this without replacing LaTeX's output routine: each source row is emitted as an independent \env{tabular} or \env{tabularx}. A break can therefore occur between rows but never in the middle of one. This manual describes the public interface, the layout model, source-row parsing, measurement, execution constraints, continuation commands, and the structure of the implementation. \end{abstract} \tableofcontents \section{Purpose and scope} Standard table environments are boxes: LaTeX cannot split a \env{tabular} at a page boundary, and \pkg{longtable} is incompatible with \pkg{multicol} because both packages need control of the output routine. \pkg{multicoltab} covers the missing case: a non-floating table or structured list that must flow through the columns created by \env{multicols}. The package has a deliberately narrow contract. A source row is the smallest unbreakable unit. The package may move a complete row to the next layout column or page, but it never splits a row internally. This is suitable for glossaries, price lists, game statistics, compact catalogues, terminology, and other data where a source row is short enough to be kept together. \subsection{What the package is and is not} \begin{center} \begin{tabular}{@{}p{.29\linewidth}p{.63\linewidth}@{}} \toprule \textbf{Use \pkg{multicoltab} when} & \textbf{Use another mechanism when} \\ \midrule Rows must flow through \env{multicols} columns or ordinary later pages. & A conventional multi-page table needs captions, footnotes, page headers, or footers. Use \pkg{longtable} outside \env{multicols}. \\ \addlinespace Each source row can remain unbroken. & A single cell must break across layout columns or pages. Restructure the data or use ordinary prose. \\ \addlinespace A table must participate in normal paragraph flow rather than float. & A floating table with placement control is required. Use \env{table}. \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} \end{center} \section{Installation and requirements} For a local installation, place \file{multicoltab.sty} in the document directory. For a persistent installation, place it in a directory searched by your TeX distribution and refresh the file-name database if required. The package requires a current LaTeX2e format with expl3 support and loads \pkg{xparse}, \pkg{array}, \pkg{tabularx}, and \pkg{keyval}. It does \emph{not} load \pkg{multicol}: load that package only when the document uses \env{multicols}. \begin{verbatim} \usepackage{multicol} % Only when multicols is needed \usepackage{multicoltab} \end{verbatim} The distribution includes regression tests for pdfTeX, LuaTeX, and XeTeX. The examples and manual are ordinary LaTeX documents and may be compiled with any of those engines. \section{Quick start} The complete public environment is: \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicoltab}[]{} \end{multicoltab} \end{verbatim} Every normal row uses the familiar alignment syntax: \begin{verbatim} left cell & right cell \\ \end{verbatim} The final row terminator is optional. The following document creates a normal two-column structured list. The table width is the current \cmd{linewidth}, so it automatically fits one \env{multicols} column. \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicols}{2} \begin{multicoltab}{@{}p{1.8cm}X@{}} Armor & Reduces the damage received by a character. \\ Shield & Improves a character's defense. \\ Torch & Provides light in dark places. \end{multicoltab} \end{multicols} \end{verbatim} \section{Table columns and layout columns} \textbf{There is no two-column limitation.} The number of columns in the \emph{table} is independent of the number of columns in the surrounding \emph{layout}. A table can have two, three, four, or more explicit columns. Likewise, \env{multicols} may have any column count accepted by \pkg{multicol}. The following example has a three-column table in a two-column layout. It does not use \cmd{multicolumn}. \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicols}{2} \begin{multicoltab}{@{}lXX@{}} Name & First value & Second value \\ Armor & 2 & 5 \\ Shield & 3 & 6 \end{multicoltab} \end{multicols} \end{verbatim} For example, the same source form works with three or four layout columns. The supplied columns example document combines three and four table columns with three- and four-column layouts. \subsection{Live three-column example} \begin{multicols}{2} \small \begin{multicoltab}{@{}lXX@{}} \mchead[\toprule][\midrule] {\textbf{Item} & \textbf{Value} & \textbf{Effect}} \\ Armor & 2 & Reduces damage received. \\ Shield & 5 & Improves defense. \\ Torch & 1 & Provides light in dark places. \end{multicoltab} \end{multicols} \section{Execution model} Understanding the execution model is important when designing tables and when placing macros with side effects in cells. The environment processes its body in three conceptual stages. \begin{enumerate} \item \textbf{Collection.} The \texttt{+b} environment argument collects the complete table body before any row is emitted. Consequently, verbatim-like commands that require normal character-by-character input scanning are not generally safe. \item \textbf{Preparation.} The package scans the direct column tokens in the preamble. In global natural-width mode, direct natural columns \texttt{l}, \texttt{c}, and \texttt{r} are measured across the source rows. Fixed and \texttt{X} columns are not measured by \pkg{multicoltab}. \item \textbf{Emission.} The body is parsed again and every source row is typeset as a separate alignment. A directly recognized preamble without \texttt{X} uses \env{tabular}; a preamble with \texttt{X}, aliases, or constructs whose expansion is unknown uses \env{tabularx}. LaTeX then sees ordinary vertical material between rows and may break there. \end{enumerate} Conceptually, a table such as \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicoltab}{lX} A & first row \\ B & second row \end{multicoltab} \end{verbatim} becomes a vertical sequence resembling: \begin{verbatim} \begin{tabularx}{}{} A & first row \\ \end{tabularx} \begin{tabularx}{}{} B & second row \\ \end{tabularx} \end{verbatim} This is the reason rows can continue across columns. Features that intrinsically span multiple ordinary alignment rows remain outside the package's scope; the supported standalone \pkg{booktabs} rules are handled as special single items. \section{Source-row syntax and parser rules} \subsection{Row terminators} At top level, \texttt{\textbackslash\textbackslash} ends a source row. The package also accepts the usual optional suffixes: \begin{center} \begin{tabular}{@{}ll@{}} \toprule \textbf{Source ending} & \textbf{Meaning} \\ \midrule \texttt{\textbackslash\textbackslash} & Normal row boundary. \\ \texttt{\textbackslash\textbackslash*} & Normal alignment ending plus a prohibitive outer break penalty. \\ \texttt{\textbackslash\textbackslash[]} & Add vertical space within the emitted alignment row. \\ \texttt{\textbackslash\textbackslash*[]} & Combine the no-break marker and alignment row space. \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} \end{center} The final terminator may be omitted. A \texttt{\textbackslash\textbackslash} inside braces is not seen as an outer row terminator; for example, a nested valid alignment may contain its own row endings. This parser protection does not make arbitrary grouped content valid inside a table cell. For an ordinary in-cell line break, use \cmd{newline}. The parser trims top-level surrounding spaces and removes top-level \cmd{par} tokens. Thus paragraph breaks written inside cells are not supported; use \cmd{newline} instead. At top level, \cmd{toprule}, \cmd{midrule}, and \cmd{bottomrule} are recognized as standalone rule items. They may use the standard \pkg{booktabs} form without a following row terminator. An explicit terminator is also accepted when a rule is written as its own source item. Optional rule-width arguments are passed unchanged to \pkg{booktabs}. \subsection{Cell counts} Rows should supply the number of cells required by their effective preamble. The final emitted \env{tabular} or \env{tabularx} remains responsible for the usual \pkg{array} diagnostics when a row contains too many cells, too few cells, or an invalid alignment construct. This design intentionally preserves familiar LaTeX error messages instead of creating a parallel cell-counting API. \section{Options} The optional environment argument is a comma-separated \pkg{keyval} list. All options are local to the environment. \begin{center} \begin{tabular}{@{}p{.30\linewidth}p{.15\linewidth}p{.46\linewidth}@{}} \toprule \textbf{Option} & \textbf{Default} & \textbf{Effect} \\ \midrule \opt{width=} & \cmd{linewidth} & Target width passed to \env{tabularx}. It has an exact stretching effect only when the preamble has an \texttt{X} column or other stretchable material. \\ \addlinespace \opt{row-sep=} & \texttt{0pt} & Vertical glue placed after each emitted source row. \\ \addlinespace \opt{break-penalty=} & \texttt{0} & Penalty after a normal row. Positive values discourage a break; negative values encourage one. \\ \addlinespace \opt{natural-widths=global} & \texttt{global} & Measure direct natural columns across the body and reuse the widths in every emitted row. \\ \addlinespace \opt{natural-widths=local} & --- & Do not perform package-level natural-cell measurement; every natural column keeps its normal per-row width. \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} \end{center} For example: \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicoltab}[width=.96\linewidth,row-sep=.6ex, break-penalty=50]{@{}p{.3\linewidth}X@{}} Short label & A longer description that may wrap. \\ Another label & Another description. \end{multicoltab} \end{verbatim} \subsection{Break penalties and headings} The \opt{break-penalty} setting applies to normal rows. A generated heading receives a prohibitive penalty, so it stays with the following row. The penalty is placed before \opt{row-sep}; the glue therefore does not introduce a separate permitted break after the heading. \section{Column specifications} The mandatory preamble is passed to \pkg{array}/\pkg{tabularx} for final typesetting. \pkg{multicoltab} additionally recognizes a conservative subset of direct column tokens to decide which natural widths can be synchronized. \begin{center} \begin{tabular}{@{}p{.28\linewidth}p{.63\linewidth}@{}} \toprule \textbf{Token} & \textbf{Meaning in \pkg{multicoltab}} \\ \midrule \texttt{l}, \texttt{c}, \texttt{r} & Natural columns. In global mode, a direct occurrence is converted to a measured fixed-width paragraph column while retaining left, centred, or right alignment. \\ \addlinespace \texttt{p\{width\}}, \texttt{m\{width\}}, \texttt{b\{width\}} & Fixed-width paragraph columns supplied by \pkg{array}. They are not measured by this package. \\ \addlinespace \texttt{X} & \pkg{tabularx} paragraph column that absorbs remaining width. Multiple \texttt{X} columns use the normal \pkg{tabularx} width algorithm. \\ \addlinespace \texttt{w\{align\}\{width\}}, \texttt{W\{align\}\{width\}} & Fixed-width single-line \pkg{array} columns. Their grouped arguments are preserved. \\ \addlinespace \texttt{>\{code\}}, \texttt{<\{code\}}, \texttt{@\{code\}}, \texttt{!\{code\}}, \texttt{|} & Standard \pkg{array} modifiers and separators are preserved for final output. \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} \end{center} \subsection{Natural and fixed widths} Use \texttt{l}, \texttt{c}, and \texttt{r} for short labels or values that need a uniform natural width across rows. Use a fixed paragraph column or \texttt{X} for prose that must wrap. A typical robust preamble is: \begin{verbatim} @{}p{2cm}X@{} \end{verbatim} The first cell has a stable label width; the second uses the rest of the available line width. Multiple \texttt{X} columns share available width: \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicoltab}{@{}lXX@{}} Name & First value & Second value \\ Armor & 2 & 5 \end{multicoltab} \end{verbatim} Relative \texttt{X} widths use the normal \cmd{hsize} convention. The assigned relative values must sum to the number of \texttt{X} columns. \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicoltab} {>{\hsize=.5\hsize}X>{\hsize=1.5\hsize}X} Short label & A wider description column. \end{multicoltab} \end{verbatim} By default, \texttt{X} behaves as a top-aligned \texttt{p} column. The standard \pkg{tabularx} hook changes this for following \texttt{X} columns: \begin{verbatim} \renewcommand{\tabularxcolumn}[1]{m{#1}} \end{verbatim} \subsection{Modifiers, aliases, and repeated specifications} Modifiers remain available for final output. Their code is not replayed during natural-width measurement because doing so would require executing arbitrary preamble code while measuring cells. Therefore, if a modifier, a custom column alias, or a repeated \texttt{*\{n\}\{...\}} specification is combined with natural columns, the package keeps the source natural columns per-row and issues a warning instead of making an unreliable global measurement. This is a deliberate safety boundary. If synchronized natural widths are required, write direct column tokens explicitly and avoid modifiers on those natural columns. Otherwise select local natural widths, fixed-width paragraph columns, or \texttt{X} columns. \subsection{Spanning cells} A literal \cmd{multicolumn} at the start of a cell is supported. Its span advances the logical column position during measurement; its content does not contribute to any individual natural-column maximum because there is no unique way to distribute a spanning width among the covered columns. \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicoltab}{lll} \multicolumn{2}{c}{Grouped values} & Total \\ Armor & Shield & 7 \end{multicoltab} \end{verbatim} Do not hide a spanning command inside an arbitrary macro when global natural width measurement matters. A row beginning with \cmd{rowcolor} followed by \cmd{multicolumn} is typeset correctly, but global natural-width synchronization is conservatively disabled for that table and a warning is issued. \section{Cell evaluation and side effects} This section is critical for macros that modify document state. The package does not measure contents in \texttt{X}, \texttt{p}, \texttt{m}, \texttt{b}, \texttt{w}, or \texttt{W} columns. In global mode it measures direct natural \texttt{l}, \texttt{c}, and \texttt{r} cells once in a box before final output. For a directly recognized preamble without \texttt{X}, rows are emitted with \env{tabular}. Combining this with \opt{natural-widths=local} gives one package-level execution of each cell. However, a preamble containing \texttt{X} uses \env{tabularx}. \pkg{tabularx} may typeset its body repeatedly while it solves the width of its \texttt{X} columns. This is standard \pkg{tabularx} behaviour and cannot be generically eliminated while retaining its width algorithm. Do not place arbitrary global side effects in cells of a table containing \texttt{X}. In particular, calculate counters, random values, file writes, index entries, or custom global assignments before the environment and insert the already calculated value in the cell. \begin{verbatim} % Preferred: calculate state before the table. \stepcounter{example} \edef\examplevalue{\arabic{example}} \begin{multicoltab}{lX} Example & \examplevalue \end{multicoltab} \end{verbatim} LaTeX counters and writes receive some protection from \pkg{tabularx} trial typesetting, but arbitrary package state does not. Treat side-effect-free cell contents as the portable rule. \section{Row formatting, rules, and colours} No wrapper is required for ordinary row formatting. Place normal table commands directly before the row cells. When \pkg{xcolor} is loaded with its \texttt{table} option, \cmd{rowcolor} colours the following source row. \begin{verbatim} Potion & Restores a small number of hit points. \\ \rowcolor{gray!20} Rope & Useful for climbing and tying equipment. \\ Map & Helps the group avoid getting lost. \end{verbatim} There are two supported ways to use the three main \pkg{booktabs} rules. Use standalone rules when the heading is not stored or repeated. The usual \pkg{booktabs} syntax is accepted: \begin{verbatim} \toprule Header & Value \\ \midrule Entry & Description \\ \bottomrule \end{verbatim} Standalone rules are emitted as empty alignments. This preserves the \pkg{booktabs} rule spacing without passing a source-row terminator after the rule's \cmd{noalign} material. Optional rule widths are accepted as usual. Use the optional before/after arguments of \cmd{mchead} when the heading and its rules must be stored and printed again after an explicit continuation. \cmd{mchead} also keeps that heading with its first data row. It is not needed merely to draw a rule. \section{Headings} \subsection{Declaring a heading} \cmd{mchead} records and prints a heading. Its syntax is: \begin{verbatim} \mchead[][]{} \\ \end{verbatim} The cell material is always the mandatory braced argument. A command that formats the heading row, such as \cmd{rowcolor}, must be placed inside that argument rather than between the optional arguments and the cell material. For \cmd{rowcolor}, load \pkg{xcolor} with its \texttt{table} option: \texttt{\string\usepackage[table] \{xcolor\}}. \begin{verbatim} \mchead[\toprule][\midrule]{% \rowcolor{gray!20}% \textbf{Patron} & \textbf{Archetypal resonances}% } \\ Patron A & Description \end{verbatim} The optional before/after material is inserted around the heading cells inside the emitted alignment. This is the heading-aware form of rule usage: \begin{verbatim} \mchead[\toprule][\midrule] {\textbf{Item} & \textbf{Description}} \\ Armor & Reduces damage. \\ Shield & Improves defense. \end{verbatim} The heading has a prohibitive outer break penalty and remains with its next emitted data row. A heading command must be a complete source row. \subsection{Repeating the last heading in place} \cmd{mcheadrepeat} prints the most recently declared heading again without forcing a column or page break. It is useful for a visible manual subdivision: \begin{verbatim} \mchead{\textbf{Item} & \textbf{Description}} \\ Armor & Reduces damage. \\ \mcheadrepeat \\ Torch & Provides light. \end{verbatim} It is an error to use \cmd{mcheadrepeat} before an earlier \cmd{mchead}. \section{Explicit continuation} \pkg{multicol} decides automatic balancing and column breaks only after it receives vertical material. It cannot reliably call back into a table to insert a repeated heading at every arbitrary automatic break. When a repeated heading is mandatory, use an explicit continuation directive. \subsection{Next \env{multicols} column} Inside \env{multicols}, \cmd{multicoltabbreak} forces the next layout column and repeats the declared heading: \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicols}{2} \begin{multicoltab}{@{}p{1.8cm}X@{}} \mchead{\textbf{Item} & \textbf{Description}} \\ Armor & Reduces damage. \\ \multicoltabbreak \\ Torch & Provides light. \end{multicoltab} \end{multicols} \end{verbatim} \subsection{Next ordinary page} Outside \env{multicols}, \cmd{multicoltabpagebreak} forces a new page and repeats the heading: \begin{verbatim} \begin{multicoltab}{@{}p{1.8cm}X@{}} \mchead{\textbf{Item} & \textbf{Description}} \\ Map & Helps avoid getting lost. \\ \multicoltabpagebreak \\ Rations & Food and water for the journey. \end{multicoltab} \end{verbatim} Both continuation commands require a preceding \cmd{mchead}, must be complete source rows, and are executed only in the emission pass. Do not use \cmd{multicoltabpagebreak} inside \env{multicols}; use \cmd{multicoltabbreak} there instead. \section{Implementation architecture} The public environment is intentionally small, but the implementation has four separate responsibilities. This overview is useful for maintainers and for users diagnosing boundary cases. \begin{center} \begin{tabular}{@{}p{.28\linewidth}p{.63\linewidth}@{}} \toprule \textbf{Component} & \textbf{Responsibility} \\ \midrule Environment setup & Initializes keys, captures the source preamble, and scopes changes with a group. \\ \addlinespace Preamble scanner & Classifies direct column tokens, records whether natural widths are safe to synchronize, and chooses \env{tabular} or \env{tabularx}. \\ \addlinespace Measurement pass & Splits normal rows at top-level \texttt{\&}, skips fixed and \texttt{X} cells, records maximum widths for direct natural cells, and advances over literal \cmd{multicolumn} spans. \\ \addlinespace Row parser and emitter & Reads top-level row terminators, recognizes heading and continuation directives, emits an independent alignment for each row, and supplies the outer break penalty and spacing. \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} \end{center} The implementation is contained in \file{multicoltab.sty}. Internal control sequence names use the \texttt{multicoltab@} prefix or expl3 names beginning with \texttt{l\_multicoltab\_}. They are implementation details, not a public API. Documents should use only the environment, the four marker commands \cmd{mchead}, \cmd{mcheadrepeat}, \cmd{multicoltabbreak}, and \cmd{multicoltabpagebreak}, and the three supported \pkg{booktabs} rule commands. \subsection{Preamble processing} The scanner intentionally does not expand custom column types. Expansion could run arbitrary user code and would make a general parser dependent on private \pkg{array} internals. Direct \texttt{l}, \texttt{c}, \texttt{r}, \texttt{X}, \texttt{p}, \texttt{m}, \texttt{b}, \texttt{w}, and \texttt{W} tokens are recognized, along with the argument groups of the standard separators and modifiers. Unknown constructs cause the conservative fallback described in Section~\ref{sec:diagnostics}. \subsection{Measurement and reconstructed preamble} In global mode, each direct natural token is reconstructed as a fixed-width paragraph column. The width is the maximum measured cell width plus a small allowance. That allowance avoids a word whose natural width is exactly the measured maximum being immediately reconsidered for hyphenation in the paragraph box. Centre and right alignment are recreated with the usual \cmd{centering}/\cmd{raggedleft} and \cmd{arraybackslash} pattern. Fixed columns retain their source specification, and \texttt{X} retains normal \pkg{tabularx} behaviour. If the preamble is not safe to measure, natural columns also retain their source form and the warning below is issued. \section{Diagnostics and troubleshooting}\label{sec:diagnostics} \begin{center} \begin{tabular}{@{}p{.43\linewidth}p{.48\linewidth}@{}} \toprule \textbf{Message or symptom} & \textbf{Cause and response} \\ \midrule \texttt{Natural-column widths cannot be synchronized for this preamble} & The preamble contains a modifier, alias, repetition, or another construct that the safe direct-token scanner does not measure. Use fixed/\texttt{X} columns, write direct tokens explicitly, or accept local natural widths. \\ \addlinespace \texttt{Heading repeated before it was declared} & Place \cmd{mchead} before \cmd{mcheadrepeat}, \cmd{multicoltabbreak}, or \cmd{multicoltabpagebreak}. \\ \addlinespace \texttt{ used outside multicoltab} & Heading and continuation markers are parser directives, valid only as complete rows in the environment. \\ \addlinespace Repeated counters or custom global changes & A table uses \texttt{X}, so \pkg{tabularx} trial typesetting is evaluating cell material. Calculate the value before the table. \\ \addlinespace \texttt{Misplaced \string\noalign} from a rule command & A rule command was used in a form not supported by the row parser. Use standalone \cmd{toprule}, \cmd{midrule}, or \cmd{bottomrule} rows, or put heading rules in the optional arguments of \cmd{mchead}. \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} \end{center} \section{Limitations and compatibility} \begin{itemize} \item A row cannot break internally. A row taller than the available layout area is moved as a whole and may still overfill an exceptionally small area. \item \cmd{multirow} across source rows is not supported. Every source row is a separate alignment. \item Floats, captions, and footnotes retain the normal restrictions of \pkg{multicol}. This package does not add float or longtable features. \item The body is collected before rows are emitted. Avoid \cmd{verb} and similar verbatim input commands in cells unless another package supplies a verified verbatim-safe mechanism. \item Paragraph breaks written as \cmd{par} in cells are removed by the row parser. Use \cmd{newline} for a line break within a cell. \item Automatic repeated headings at arbitrary \pkg{multicol} breaks are not available. Use an explicit continuation directive when repetition is required. \item A direct \cmd{multicolumn} is handled during measurement; its spanning content does not set individual natural widths. \item Standalone rules are supported for \cmd{toprule}, \cmd{midrule}, and \cmd{bottomrule} from \pkg{booktabs}. Other \pkg{booktabs} commands and \cmd{hline}/\cmd{cline} rows are not supported. \end{itemize} \section{Testing and maintenance} The distribution contains \file{build.lua} and an \pkg{l3build} regression test in \file{testfiles/regression.lvt}. The test suite covers fixed and \texttt{X} measurement avoidance, global natural measurement, local execution without \texttt{X}, multi-column and spanning rows, colours, preamble forms, row-ending suffixes, standalone \pkg{booktabs} rules, explicit page continuation, and heading protection. From the package directory, run: \begin{verbatim} l3build check l3build doc \end{verbatim} The first command executes the regression suite with pdfTeX, LuaTeX, and XeTeX. The second compiles this manual and every listed example. A release archive should contain the package file, README, license, manual source and PDF, examples and their PDFs, changelog, build configuration, and regression test sources; it should not contain TeX auxiliary files such as \file{.aux}, \file{.log}, or \file{.synctex.gz}. \section{Files in the distribution} \begin{center} \begin{tabular}{@{}ll@{}} \toprule \textbf{File} & \textbf{Purpose} \\ \midrule \file{multicoltab.sty} & Package implementation. \\ \file{multicoltab-doc.tex} & Source of this technical manual. \\ \file{multicoltab-doc.pdf} & Compiled manual. \\ \file{README.md} & Short overview and CTAN-facing quick reference. \\ \file{CHANGELOG.md} & Release history. \\ \file{LICENSE} & LPPL license notice. \\ \file{*-example.tex} & Standalone examples. \\ \file{*-example.pdf} & Compiled example output. \\ \file{build.lua} and \file{testfiles/} & \pkg{l3build} configuration and tests. \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} \end{center} \section{License and contact} This work is released under the LaTeX Project Public License, version 1.3c or later. A license notice is included in \file{LICENSE}; the full text is at \url{https://www.latex-project.org/lppl/}. Questions, bug reports, and suggestions may be sent to \href{mailto:azanzani@gmail.com}{azanzani@gmail.com}. \end{document}