memoir class - Mixed portrait and landscape pages

Question

Section 4.2.2. in Notes on book design makes a reference to mixed portrait and landscape pages.

I am aware of pdflscape, that allows such a mixing, but as this manual is written by the author of memoir I would assume that such a scenario should be achievable also using the built-in capabilities of the package itself.

I am unable to find any references in the main manual, and would appreciate any comments pointing me in the right direction, as I am sure I must have been overlooking this feature.

Answer 1

I don't think there's any specific functionality within memoir for this. But pdflscape is compatible with memoir so there should be no problem with using it.

Answer 2

It's true that memoir and pdflandscape are compatible.

\documentclass[ebook]{memoir}
\usepackage{pdflscape}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}

\chapter[Testing Mixed Orientations]{Testing Mixed Page Orientations}
\section{Portrait}
\lipsum

\begin{landscape}
\section{Landscape}
\lipsum
\end{landscape}

\section{Portrait Again}
\lipsum

\end{document}

Notice that although the middle pages are rotated from their normal orientation and the page text is upright, the page header is rotated, too.

Answer 3

Should you want to rotate only the textblock, and leave the headers and footers in place, xcoffins can help. Here's a rather rough example, quickly adapted from a more complex piece of work involving a table:

\documentclass{memoir}
\usepackage{fixltx2e}
\usepackage{xcoffins}
\usepackage{capt-of}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\pagestyle{companion}
\begin{document}
\NewCoffin \stats
\SetVerticalCoffin \stats {\textheight}{%
    \lipsum[1-6]
% -------------------------------------------
\vspace*{0.5\onelineskip}
\captionof{table}{A tablefull of lipsum}
\label{tab:lips}
}
\RotateCoffin \stats {90}
\begin{table}
\raggedright
\noindent\TypesetCoffin \stats [t,r](0pt,\onelineskip)
\end{table}
\end{document}