Time for action – using the minipage environment

We will use the minipage environment instead of \parbox to get a text with a width of just 3 cm.

1. Modify the parbox example to get the following code:

   \documentclass{article}
   \begin{document}
   \begin{minipage}{3cm}
   TUG is an acronym. It means \TeX\ Users Group.
   \end{minipage}
   \end{document}

2. Typeset and look at the output:

   

What just happened?

By using \begin{minipage}, we started a "page in a page". We specified the width of 3cm by the mandatory argument. From this point onwards, the text lines will have a width of 3cm. They will be automatically wrapped and fully justified. We ended this restriction with \end{minipage}. Any text typed afterwards would run over the complete body text width.

Note: There won't be a page break in such a "minipage".

Have you been a hero struggling with the \parbox and all of its optional arguments? The minipage environment accepts all those arguments as well with the same meaning.

Have a go hero – creating a footnote inside...