Argthtjtr

I want to implement a macro that takes exactly one parameter and will create a line above and below the content and ignores the text indentation.

This is meant to place some event information in protocols no matter what context I am in right now (e.g. within an enumerate or itemize).

It should interrupt the current block and always use the complete column width and then continue the block afterwards.

However, I am having problems with the vertical centering:

newcommand{bartext}[1]{

    kern4pt % space above the rules

    hrule height 0.5pt

    vspace{0.1cm}

    noindent #1

    vspace{0.1cm}

    hrule height 0.5pt

    kern4pt % space below the rules

}



% Example Usage:



begin{itemize}

   item First Point

   item Second Point

   bartext{Charlie enters the meeting}

   item third point

   fouth point

end{itemize}

The text "Charlie enters the meeting" should begin at the left, like the "Some text before".

also the lines are placed pretty odd an the text within the lines isnt vertically centered.

Any clues/ suggestions?

You can use a (non-floating) float:

documentclass{article}

usepackage{array,float}

newcommand{bartext}[1]{%

parmedskip

begingroup

intextsep=smallskipamount

extrarowheight =3pt %or perhaps a bit less ...

arrayrulewidth=.5pt

 begin{figure}[H]%

 begin{tabular}{@{}p{textwidth}@{}}

 hline

 #1

 \hline

 end{tabular}%

 end{figure}%

parendgroup}



begin{document}

a

   bartext{Charlie enters the meeting}

b

begin{itemize}

   item First Point

   item Second Point

   bartext{Charlie enters the meeting}

   item third point

   item fouth point

end{itemize}

end{document}

Assuming that you do not want to use something like

end{itemize}

bartext{...}

begin{itemize}[resume*]

you could use the following code that is inspired by How can I check if the current code is inside a certain environment?

documentclass{article}

usepackage{enumitem}

usepackage{lipsum}





makeatletter

defitemizename{itemize}

defenumeratename{enumerate}

newcommand{bartext}[1]{%

  ifx@currenviritemizename

    end{itemize}

    kern4pt % space above the rules

    hrule height 0.5pt

    vspace{0.1cm}

    noindent #1

    vspace{0.1cm}

    hrule height 0.5pt

    kern4pt

    begin{itemize}[resume*]

  else

    ifx@currenvirenumeratename

    end{enumerate}

    kern4pt % space above the rules

    hrule height 0.5pt

    vspace{0.1cm}

    noindent #1

    vspace{0.1cm}

    hrule height 0.5pt

    kern4pt

    begin{enumerate}[resume*]

  else

    kern4pt % space above the rules

    hrule height 0.5pt

    vspace{0.1cm}

    noindent #1

    vspace{0.1cm}

    hrule height 0.5pt

    kern4pt

  fi

  fi}

newcommand@myenvname{myenv}

makeatother



begin{document}



lipsum[5]



begin{itemize}

   item First Point

   item Second Point

   bartext{Charlie enters the meeting}   

   item third point

   item fouth point

end{itemize}



lipsum[5]



begin{enumerate}

   item First Point

   item Second Point

   bartext{Charlie enters the meeting}   

   item third point

   item fouth point

end{enumerate}



lipsum[5]



bartext{Charlie enters the meeting}  



end{document}

You can use the functionalities of enumitem:

documentclass{report}%{memoir}

usepackage{enumitem}

usepackage{lipsum}



newcommand{bartext}[1]{

kern4pt % space above the rules

hrule height 0.5pt

vspace{0.1cm}

noindent #1

vspace{0.1cm}

hrule height 0.5pt

kern4pt % space below the rules

}



begin{document}



Some text. Some more text. Some more text. Some more text. Some more text. Some more text. Some more text. Some more text. Some more text.



begin{itemize}[after=vspace*{-topsep}]

   item First Point

   item Second Point

end{itemize}

   bartext{Charlie enters the meeting}

begin{itemize}[resume*, before=vspace*{-topsep}]

   item third point

   item fourth point

end{itemize}



end{document}