Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Date: 1993-10-01 01:20:37 PST

> How do I rotate text in LaTex ?

get rotate.sty - here it is anyway…

%
%   These macros allow you to rotate or flip a \TeX\ box.  Very useful for
%   sideways tables or upsidedown answers.
%
%   To use, create a box containing the information you want to rotate.
%   (An hbox or vbox will do.)  Now call \@rotr\boxnum to rotate the
%   material and create a new box with the appropriate (flipped) dimensions.
%   \@rotr rotates right, \@rotl rotates left, \@rotu turns upside down, and
%   \@rotf flips.  These boxes may contain other rotated boxes.
%
\newdimen\@rotdimen
\newbox\@rotbox

\def\@vspec#1{\special{ps:#1}}%  passes #1 verbatim to the output
\def\@rotstart#1{\@vspec{gsave currentpoint currentpoint translate
   #1 neg exch neg exch translate}}% #1 can be any origin-fixing transformation
\def\@rotfinish{\@vspec{currentpoint grestore moveto}}% gets back in synch
%
%   First, the rotation right. The reference point of the rotated box
%   is the lower right corner of the original box.
%
\def\@rotr#1{\@rotdimen=\ht#1\advance\@rotdimen by\dp#1%
   \hbox to\@rotdimen{\hskip\ht#1\vbox to\wd#1{\@rotstart{90 rotate}%
   \box#1\vss}\hss}\@rotfinish}
%
%   Next, the rotation left. The reference point of the rotated box
%   is the upper left corner of the original box.
%
\def\@rotl#1{\@rotdimen=\ht#1\advance\@rotdimen by\dp#1%
   \hbox to\@rotdimen{\vbox to\wd#1{\vskip\wd#1\@rotstart{270 rotate}%
   \box#1\vss}\hss}\@rotfinish}%
%
%   Upside down is simple. The reference point of the rotated box
%   is the upper right corner of the original box. (The box's height
%   should be the current font's xheight, \fontdimen5\font,
%   if you want that xheight to be at the baseline after rotation.)
%
\def\@rotu#1{\@rotdimen=\ht#1\advance\@rotdimen by\dp#1%
   \hbox to\wd#1{\hskip\wd#1\vbox to\@rotdimen{\vskip\@rotdimen
   \@rotstart{-1 dup scale}\box#1\vss}\hss}\@rotfinish}%
%
%   And flipped end for end is pretty ysae too. We retain the baseline.
%
\def\@rotf#1{\hbox to\wd#1{\hskip\wd#1\@rotstart{-1 1 scale}%
   \box#1\hss}\@rotfinish}%
%
%   Now the user interface for LaTeX:  \rotate[type]{text} where
%   ``type'' is `l' for left, `r' for right, `u' for upside-down, or
%   `f' for flip.  `l' is the default.
%
\def\rotate{\@ifnextchar[{\@rotate}{\@rotate[l]}}
\def\@rotate[#1]#2{\setbox\@rotbox=\hbox{#2}\@nameuse{@rot#1}\@rotbox}

Vincent White