Modification of chapter headings

Question

I'm using document class report and I have decided for chapter headings to use one of the predefined style of Vincent Zoonekynd's like this:

\documentclass{report}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\makeatletter
\def\LigneVerticale{\vrule height 1.5cm depth 0.9cm\hspace{0.1cm}\relax}
\def\LignesVerticales{%
  \let\LV\LigneVerticale\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV}
\def\GrosCarreAvecUnChiffre#1{{\setlength{\fboxsep}{-\fboxrule}%
  \fbox{\color{white}%
  \rlap{\vrule height 0.8cm width 1cm depth 0.2cm}%
  \rlap{\hbox to 1cm{\hss\mbox{\color{black}#1}\hss}}%
  \vrule height 0pt width 1cm depth 0pt}}}
\def\@makechapterhead#1{
    \vspace*{-20pt}
    \hbox{%
    \huge\bfseries
    \LignesVerticales
    \hspace{-0.5cm}%
    \GrosCarreAvecUnChiffre{\thechapter}
    \hspace{0.2cm}\hbox{#1}%
}\par\vskip 0.5cm}
\def\@makeschapterhead#1
    \vspace*{-20pt}
   {\hbox{%
    \huge\bfseries
    \LignesVerticales
    %\hspace{0.5cm}%
    \hbox{#1}%
}\par\vskip 0.3cm}
\makeatother

    \begin{document}
    \chapter{Here we go}
    \end{document}

However, I would like to make some changes.

1. I would need to move all construction up to the page, in other words to get smaller space between the top of any page and the construction.

2. I would like to change the small box. I would prefer white square with black number (not like this one-black square with white number).

Answer 1

1. Since you've redefined \@makechapterhead and \@makeschapterhead (responsible for creating the entire chapter header when using \chapter and \chapter*, respectively), the chapter heading starts at the top of the text block. You may be referring to moving the entire text block up (or reduce the top margin). For this I would suggest using geometry.

2. Here's a MWE that provides what you're after. However, inserting a white block with a black number doesn't show up as needed:

   

   \documentclass{report}
   \usepackage{showframe}% http://ctan.org/pkg/showframe
   \usepackage{xcolor}% http://ctan.org/pkg/xcolor
   
   \makeatletter
   \def\LigneVerticale{\vrule height 2cm depth 1.4cm\hspace{0.1cm}\relax}
   \def\LignesVerticales{%
     \let\LV\LigneVerticale\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV\LV}
   \def\GrosCarreAvecUnChiffre#1{{%
     \color{white}%
     \rlap{\vrule height 0.8cm width 1cm depth 0.2cm}%
     \rlap{\hbox to 1cm{\hss\mbox{\color{black}#1}\hss}}%
     \vrule height 0pt width 1cm depth 0pt}}
   
   \def\@makechapterhead#1{\hbox{%
       \huge\bfseries
       \LignesVerticales
       \hspace{-0.5cm}%
       \GrosCarreAvecUnChiffre{\thechapter}
       \hspace{0.2cm}\hbox{#1}%
   }\par\vskip 0.3cm}
   
   \def\@makeschapterhead#1{\hbox{%
       \huge\bfseries
       \LignesVerticales
       %\hspace{0.5cm}%
       \hbox{#1}%
   }\par\vskip 0.3cm}
   \makeatother
   
   \begin{document}
   
   \chapter{A chapter}
   
   \end{document}
   

   The following definition of \GrosCarreAveUnChiffre

   \def\GrosCarreAvecUnChiffre#1{{\setlength{\fboxsep}{-\fboxrule}%
     \fbox{\color{white}%
     \rlap{\vrule height 0.8cm width 1cm depth 0.2cm}%
     \rlap{\hbox to 1cm{\hss\mbox{\color{black}#1}\hss}}%
     \vrule height 0pt width 1cm depth 0pt}}}
   

   yields a boxes chapter number:

   

   Another alternative - moving the header construction vertically is obtained using

   \def\@makechapterhead#1{%
     \vspace*{\dimexpr-\headsep-\headheight-\baselineskip}%
     \hbox{%
       \huge\bfseries
       \LignesVerticales
       \hspace{-0.5cm}%
       \GrosCarreAvecUnChiffre{\thechapter}
       \hspace{0.2cm}\hbox{#1}%
   }\par\vskip 0.3cm}
   
   \def\@makeschapterhead#1{%
     \vspace*{\dimexpr-\headsep-\headheight-\baselineskip}%
     \hbox{%
       \huge\bfseries
       \LignesVerticales
       %\hspace{0.5cm}%
       \hbox{#1}%
   }\par\vskip 0.3cm}
   

   which moves the vertical lines to the top of the page header. Of course, replacing the expression within \vspace* with a fixed dimension (say, -30pt) will displace it vertically with that amount.

   

   showframe was added to highlight the text block boundary (in response to (1) above).