--- loncom/xml/londefdef.pm	2006/08/16 20:14:24	1.333
+++ loncom/xml/londefdef.pm	2006/08/31 18:45:42	1.334
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # Tags Default Definition Module 
 #
-# $Id: londefdef.pm,v 1.333 2006/08/16 20:14:24 albertel Exp $
+# $Id: londefdef.pm,v 1.334 2006/08/31 18:45:42 albertel Exp $
 # 
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
@@ -1210,14 +1210,22 @@ sub start_br {
 	#
 	for (my $i=$#tempo;$i>=0;$i--) {
 	    if (($tempo[$i] eq 'b') || ($tempo[$i] eq 'strong') ||
-                ($tempo[$i] eq 'ol') || ($tempo[$i] eq 'ul') ||
-                ($tempo[$i] eq 'td') || ($tempo[$i] eq 'th'))  {
+                ($tempo[$i] eq 'ol') || ($tempo[$i] eq 'ul'))  {
 		$signal=1;
-		last;
+	    }
+	    if (($tempo[$i] eq 'td') || ($tempo[$i] eq 'th')) {
+		my $colspan = 
+		    &Apache::lonxml::get_param('colspan', $parstack,
+					       $safeeval, $i, 0);
+		if ($colspan) {
+		    $signal = 2;
+		}
 	    }
 	}
-	if ($signal) {
+	if ($signal eq 1) {
 	    $currentstring .= ' \vskip 0 mm ';
+	} elsif ($signal eq '2') {
+	    # multicol doesn't like blank lines
 	} elsif ($$tagstack[-2] ne 'sub' && $$tagstack[-2] ne 'sup') {
 	    $currentstring .= '\strut \\\\ \strut ';
 	}