Like displaymath, but without math-mode

Question

I often find myself doing things like

\[
\begin{tabular}{cc}
foo & bar \\
baz & qux
\end{tabular}
\]

or

\[
\begin{verbatim}
code snippet
\end{verbatim}
\]

to put a table or code snippet into my document without making it float. I'm using \[...\] because I like the way it centres its contents and leaves a little vspace above and below it. But of course \[...\] also puts me in math-mode, which is not what I want.

What's the equivalent of \[...\] that doesn't put me into math-mode?

---

In fact (if I may delve into 'opinion-based' territory for a moment), I am of the opinion that \[...\] should not enter into math-mode at all. Consider something like:

Finally, our equation becomes
\[
x^2 = y^2 - z^2,
\]
which is easily proved.

I often want to include a comma (or a full-stop, or whatever) with the equation, in order to make it flow with the rest of the surrounding text. But the comma should not be typeset in math-mode, because it is not a mathematical comma, it is a textual comma. So what I really want to type is:

Finally, our equation becomes
\begin{some-suitable-environment}
$x^2 = y^2 - z^2$,
\end{some-suitable-environment}
which is easily proved.

so that I can delimit the piece of the centred text that is actually math. Is this a sensible suggestion? Does some-suitable-environment exist?

Answer 1

\begin{center}...\end{center}

Is the non math centred display environment. (But don't use it with $ to fake a centred math display, the spacing will not be correct).

Answer 2

This may be help you to find a way

\documentclass[twocolumn]{article}

%  just for grid
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{eso-pic}

\AddToShipoutPicture{%
\begin{tikzpicture}[overlay,remember picture]
  \draw[blue!20!white,thin]
       (current page.south west) grid [xstep=10mm,ystep=4mm] (current page.north east);
\end{tikzpicture}}

\makeatletter
\newenvironment{mtc}{%
\@@line\bgroup\hss}{\hss\egroup\vspace{\belowdisplayshortskip}}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
bla bla bla bla
\[x+y=z\]
bla bla bla bla

bla bla bla bla
\begin{equation}
 2x+2
\end{equation}
bla bla bla bla
\begin{center}
bla bla bla bla
\end{center} 
\newpage
bla bla bla bla

\begin{mtc}
$x+y=z$
\end{mtc}
bla bla bla bla

bla bla bla bla

\begin{mtc}
bla bla
\end{mtc}
bla bla bla bla

\begin{mtc}
bla bla bla bla
\end{mtc} 

\end{document}

Answer 3

You can easily create a new environment that starts a display math, but typesets its contents in text mode.

\newsavebox{\wickersondisplaybox}

\newenvironment{wickersondisplay}
 {\[\begin{lrbox}{\wickersondisplaybox}}
 {\end{lrbox}\usebox{\wickersondisplaybox}\]}

\newcommand{\<}{\begin{wickersondisplay}}
\renewcommand{\>}{\end{wickersondisplay}} % \> is preempted

But it would be the wrong thing to do: use center and be happy with it.

Note also that the output of

\<
$\sum_{k=0}^n k=\frac{n(n+1}}{2}$,
\>

is very different from

\[
\sum_{k=0}^n k=\frac{n(n+1}}{2}\text{,}
\]

If all you need is a “text comma”, just use \text{,}.

Answer 4

Have you checked out the listings package? It's designed for code samples. There are lots of options, e.g. telling LaTeX what language the code sample is in, so that it can highlight stuff appropriately.

By default, the code sample takes up the whole page width. Is that a satisfactory form of centering?

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}

\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{listings}          %allow code samples
%\usepackage{caption}           %for the captionof command

%This makes all code samples have these settings by default
%Overwrite these settings by restating them in each code sample
\lstset{
    frame=single,            %outline the code
    breaklines=true,         %break apart long lines onto multiple lines
    numbers=left,
    %float=H,                %make it a float, and put it right Here
    %columns=flexible,       %makes code copy and pastable
    %language=C,             %custom language (C, HTML, TeX, Java)
    showstringspaces=false,  %hide visable 'space' markers
}

%this will make LaTeX refer to "code samples" instead of "program listings", when you caption listings
\renewcommand{\lstlistingname}{Code Sample}

\begin{document}

blah blah. Here's some text so that we can see that the listing is centered.
blah blah. Here's some text so that we can see that the listing is centered.

\begin{lstlisting}
code goes here
\end{lstlisting}

blah blah. Here's some text so that we can see that the listing is centered.
blah blah. Here's some text so that we can see that the listing is centered.

\end{document}

Answer 5

Following on from Barbara's, touhami's and David's suggestions, I came up with this implementation:

% Define {center} environment with math-mode spacing (
\def\<{\begin{displaymath}\mbox\bgroup}
\def\>{\egroup\end{displaymath}}
% )

which is used like so

Finally, our equation becomes
\<
$x^2 = y^2 - z^2$,
\>
which is easily proved.

and ensures that the comma after the equation is set in the correct (text-mode) font.