How to place adjacent Tikz-Nodes with the same (dynamic) height and combined width of the usual text width?

Question

I have a command \entry which places two tikz-nodes next to each other. How can I make sure both nodes always have the same height (while also keeping the vertical centering of the text inside)?

Also, how come the right node extends the \linewidth, if both nodes together (0.25\linewidth+0.75\linewidth) should be equal to exactly one \linewidth? I would expect the total width of both nodes to be equal to the text width of the bottom text. How would I fix that?

MWE:

\documentclass[
    12pt,
    parskip=half,
]{scrartcl}
\usepackage[
    a4paper,
    left=25mm,
    right=20mm,
    top=25mm,
    bottom=30mm,
    showframe,
]{geometry}
\usepackage{blindtext}
% Font
\usepackage{inconsolata}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\renewcommand*\familydefault{\sfdefault} %% Only if the base font of the document is to be sans serif
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning}
\definecolor{colour-a}{HTML}{eefaea}
\definecolor{colour-b}{HTML}{e8f4f2}
\newcommand\entry[2]{%
    \begin{tikzpicture}
        \node(node-a)[fill=colour-a, text width=0.25\linewidth] {
            \textbf{#1}
        };
        \node(node-b)[fill=colour-b, right=0pt of node-a, align=left, text width=0.75\linewidth]{
            #2
        };
        \draw[thick] (node-b.south west)--(node-b.north west);
    \end{tikzpicture}
    \par % end of previous paragraph
    %\vspace*{1ex}% optional vertical  space in between
}
\begin{document}
    \entry{%
        test1
    }{
        test1
    }
\entry{%
    test2 \\
    test2 \\
    test2 \\
}{
    test2
}

\entry{%
    test3
}{
    test3 \\
    test3 \\
    test3 \\
}

\entry{%
    test4
}{
    \footnotesize \blindtext
}

\textbf{Bottom Text}: \\
\blindtext

\end{document}

On both sides of text width twice the inner xsep gets added. Re Same height: Potentially Q107227. Re Vertical alignment: Potentially Q139719 (but I don't think you actually want that?) — Qrrbrbirlbel, Oct 16 '22 at 09:01
You could also measure both nodes and just fill the background accordingly with the background layer. — Qrrbrbirlbel, Oct 16 '22 at 09:25
There might be a convenient solution with tcolorbox or nicematrix but I don't use those packages myself. You could also just use a tabular with one vertical line and \cellcolor. — Qrrbrbirlbel, Oct 16 '22 at 10:04

Simon Dispa · Answer 1 · 2022-10-17T13:42:08.047

Your question was answered by Zarko. It is necessary to add twice the inner spacing to the width of the text to obtain the node whose full width will be, e.g. 0.25\textwidth.

But it's worth considering that using a tabular(x) with a column X will simplify the code as the computation to fit to \linewidth will be handled internally.

nicematrix (uses tikz internally) allows the command Block to center vertically and color the cell, and also use \\ inside.

As a bonus, notice that the vertical lines take on the length of the tallest cell.

\documentclass[
12pt,
parskip=half,
]{scrartcl}
\usepackage[
a4paper,
left=25mm,
right=20mm,
top=25mm,
bottom=30mm,
]{geometry}
\usepackage{blindtext}
% Font
\usepackage{inconsolata}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\renewcommand*\familydefault{\sfdefault} %% Only if the base font of the document is to be sans serif
%**************************************** added <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
\usepackage{ragged2e} %\justifying
\usepackage{showframe}
\usepackage{nicematrix}
\definecolor{colour-a}{HTML}{eefaea}
\definecolor{colour-b}{HTML}{e8f4f2}
\newcolumntype{P}[1]{m{#1}}
\newcommand\dateentry[2]{% *********  changed <<<<<<<<<<<<
\begin{NiceTabularX}{\textwidth}{P{0.25\textwidth}| X}

    \Block[l, fill= colour-a ]{1-1}{#1}&\Block[fill= colour-a]{1-1}{\justifying#2} \
\end{NiceTabularX}
\par% end of previous paragraph
}
%*********************************************************
\begin{document}
\dateentry{test1}{test1}
\dateentry{test1 \\ test2 \\ test2}{test2}
\dateentry{test3}{ test3 \\ test3 \\ test3}
\dateentry{test4}{ \footnotesize \blindtext }   


\textbf{Bottom Text}: \newline

\blindtext
\end{document}

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 17 '22 at 08:37

This is a proposal with sidebyside tcolorboxes instead of TikZ nodes. In this case the total width is \linewidth by deafult without no worries.

sidebyside boxes are unbreakable, but as TiKZ nodes are also unbreakable, this shouldn't be a problem.

\documentclass[12pt,parskip=half]{scrartcl}
\usepackage[
    a4paper,
    hmargin={25mm,20mm}, vmargin={25mm,30mm},
    showframe,
            ]{geometry}
\usepackage{blindtext}
% Font
\usepackage{inconsolata}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\renewcommand*\familydefault{\sfdefault} % Only if the base font is sans serif
\usepackage[most]{tcolorbox}
\newtcolorbox{mysidebysidebox}[1][]{
    sidebyside,
    sidebyside align=center seam,
    lefthand width=.25\linewidth,
    sharp corners,
    bicolor,
    overlay={\draw[black, very thick] (segmentation.north)--(segmentation.south);},
    frame hidden,
    colback=colour-a,
    colbacklower=colour-b,
    #1
}
\newcommand{\entry}[3][]{%
    \begin{mysidebysidebox}[#1]
    #2\tcblower #3
    \end{mysidebysidebox}
}
\definecolor{colour-a}{HTML}{eefaea}
\definecolor{colour-b}{HTML}{e8f4f2}
\begin{document}
    \entry{%
        test1
    }{
        test1
    }
\entry{%
    test2 \\
    test2 \\
    test2 \\
}{
    test2
}

\entry{%
    test3
}{
    test3 \\
    test3 \\
    test3 \\
}

\entry[colbacklower=blue!20]{%
    test4
}{
    \footnotesize \blindtext
}

\textbf{Bottom Text}: \\
\blindtext

\end{document}

Zarko · Answer 3 · 2022-10-17T14:17:07.400

Edit:
Apparently I read the title of the question too superficially:(.

Your conclusion wrong. See @Qrrbrbirlbel comment. Possible solution is to define text width for example as

text width=0.25\linewidth-2*\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/inner xsep}

A (relatively) simple way that both nodes will have the same height, is replacing them with one multi part node

\documentclass[12pt,parskip=half]{scrartcl}
\usepackage[
    a4paper,
    hmargin={25mm,20mm}, vmargin={25mm,30mm},
    showframe,
            ]{geometry}
\usepackage{blindtext}
% Font
\usepackage{inconsolata}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\renewcommand*\familydefault{\sfdefault}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{shapes.multipart}
\definecolor{colour-a}{HTML}{eefaea}
\definecolor{colour-b}{HTML}{e8f4f2}
\newcommand\entry[2]%
{
\begin{tikzpicture}[
mpnh/.style = {
    rectangle split, rectangle split horizontal,
    rectangle split parts=2,
    rectangle split part fill={colour-a,colour-b},
               }
                 ]
\node (a) [mpnh] {
    \nodepart[text width=0.25\linewidth-2\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/inner xsep}]{one} \textbf{#1}
    \nodepart[text width=0.75\linewidth-2\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/inner xsep}]{two} #2
                };
\draw[thick] (a.one split north)--(a.one split south);
\end{tikzpicture}\par
}
\begin{document}
    \entry{test 1}{test 1}
    \entry{test 2a\
           test 2b\
           test 2c}{test 2}
    \entry{test 3}{test 3a \
                   test 3b \
                   test 3c}
    \entry{test 4}{\blindtext}
\textbf{Bottom Text}: \
    \blindtext
\end{document}

Another way is use table instead of draw node. With use of the tabularray package code is much simpler and shorter:

\documentclass[12pt,parskip=half]{scrartcl}
\usepackage[a4paper,
            hmargin={25mm,20mm}, vmargin={25mm,30mm},
            showframe,
            ]{geometry}
\usepackage{blindtext}
% Font
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{inconsolata}
\usepackage{microtype}
\renewcommand*\familydefault{\sfdefault}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{tabularray}
\makeatletter
\ExplSyntaxOn
\pretocmd{@declaredcolor}{\my@hack@color{#1}}{}{}
\def\my@hack@color#1{@ifundefined{@backslashchar color@#1}{\MyDefineColor{#1}}{\relax}}
\cs_generate_variant:Nn \seq_set_split:Nnn { Nnx }
\NewDocumentCommand \MyDefineColor { m } {
  \seq_set_split:Nnx \l_tmpa_seq {|} {#1}
  %\seq_show:N \l_tmpa_seq
  \exp_args:Nnxx \definecolor{#1} { \seq_item:Nn \l_tmpa_seq {1} } { \seq_item:Nn \l_tmpa_seq {2} }
}
\ExplSyntaxOff
\makeatother
\definecolor{colour-a}{HTML}{eefaea}
\definecolor{colour-b}{HTML}{e8f4f2}
\newcommand\entry[2]%
{
\begin{tblr}{colspec = {X[1, l,   bg={HTML|eefaea}] | 
                        X[3, j,m, bg={HTML|e8f4f2}]}}
\textbf{#1} &   #2

\end{tblr}\par
}
\begin{document}
    \entry{test 1}{test 1}
    \entry{test 2a\
           test 2b\
           test 2c}{test 2}
    \entry{test 3}{test 3a \
                   test 3b \
                   test 3c}
    \entry{test 4}{\small   \blindtext}
\textbf{Bottom Text}: \
    \blindtext
\end{document}

How to place adjacent Tikz-Nodes with the same (dynamic) height and combined width of the usual text width?

3 Answers3