7.1 Using LaTeX in labels

You can use all LaTeX macros in PP3 labels that are allowed in horizontal boxes (like \mbox{...}). Additionally, you can use many commands from the PSTricks package.

The most important pitfall is the backslash \, because when using quotes as string delimiters, you have to write is as `\\'.

Let's have a look at a more complex example:

     text "\\small Wolf 359\\hskip0.3em
           \\psdots[dotstyle=+,dotangle=45](0,0)"
          at 10.902 7.32 color 0.3 0.3 0.9333 towards W_ ;

This prints an `x' at the position of the star Wolf 359 and prints the label `Wolf 359' at the top left next to it:

The row of LaTeX macros consists of the following elements:

\small

This prints the whole label in a small typeface. Please note that such commands only apply to the current label, since the label will be typeset within a box. In effect, the next label will be big again, unless you say `\small' there, too.

\hskip0.3em

This adds a horizontal skip at its position. Its width is 0.3em, where `em' is the width of the letter `M'. In this case, it creates a little bit of space between the `Wolf 359' and the `x'.

\psdots[dotstyle=+,dotangle=45](0,0)

This is a PSTricks command. Normally it prints a dot at the current position on the text baseline. However the `dotstyle=+' option makes it a `+', and the `dotangle=45' option turns it by 45 degree, which makes it an `x' effectively.

The clever bit is the fact that this macro is the very last one in the row. Since it says `towards W_' (towards left, on baseline) in the PP3 command, this means that the `x' lies exactly on the celestial coordinates given after the `at' option.