I'm trying to learn how to use the package "reledpar". In particular I would like to have multiple texts on a page and their translations on the facing page. Thus I saw that using reledpar package (coming with the reledmac) could be the path to follow.

I start by the following simple code:

documentclass[twoside]{book}



usepackage{reledmac}

usepackage{reledpar}



begin{document}



begin{pages}

begin{Leftside}

beginnumbering

pstart

1L first left text: Received shutters expenses 

ye he pleasant. Drift as blind above at up. No up simple county stairs 

do should praise as. Drawings sir gay together landlord had law 

smallest. Formerly welcomed attended declared met say unlocked. 

Jennings outlived no dwelling denoting in peculiar as he believed. 

Behaviour excellent middleton be as it curiosity departure ourselves. 

pend

%

pstart

setcounter{pstartL}{0}

2L second left text: On no twenty spring of in 

esteem spirit likely estate. Continue new you declared differed 

learning bringing honoured. At mean mind so upon they rent am walk. 

Shortly am waiting inhabit smiling he chiefly of in. Lain tore time 

gone him his dear sure. Fat decisively estimating affronting 

assistance not. Resolve pursuit regular so calling me. West he plan 

girl been my then up no. 

pend

endnumbering

end{Leftside}

begin{Rightside}

beginnumbering

pstart

1R first right text: Received shutters expenses                 

ye he pleasant. Drift as blind above at up. No up simple county stairs     

do should praise as. Drawings sir gay together landlord had law 

smallest. Formerly welcomed attended declared met say unlocked. 

Jennings outlived no dwelling denoting in peculiar as he believed. 

Behaviour excellent middleton be as it curiosity departure ourselves. 

pend

%

pstart

setcounter{pstartR}{0}

2R second right text: On no twenty spring of in     

esteem spirit likely estate. Continue new you declared differed 

learning bringing honoured. At mean mind so upon they rent am walk. 

Shortly am waiting inhabit smiling he chiefly of in. Lain tore time 

gone him his dear sure. Fat decisively estimating affronting 

assistance not. Resolve pursuit regular so calling me. West he plan 

girl been my then up no. 

pend

endnumbering

end{Rightside}

end{pages}

Pages



end{document}

However, both in the Leftside and Rightside, I would like the line numbering to restart from 0 when the second text starts. To do so, I checkd on the CTAN documentation, and I inserted

setcounter{pstartL}{0}



setcounter{pstartR}{0}

To set the pstart counter to zero again. However nothing happen in the result, and I really cannot understand why.

Also I would like to spread more the two texts on both sides, hence to insert more vertical space where now I have the % sign. I tried inserting it manually (which is obviously not the best solution), but it's not really a good result. Do any of you have a suggestion?

I Thank you already in advance for any comment and answer on this subject!

you have to questions in your question. In the future, it would be better to have one question for each problem.
However, here the answer

Linenumbering

pstartL and pstartR counters are counter used to number pstart on Left and Right side. It must be used in the case you want the pstart to be numbered, using numberpstarttrue from reledmac. But what you want to manage here are not the number associated to each pstart, but the number associated to each line (line numbering, not pstart numbering).

reledmac/ reledpar has native system to have line number reset at each pstart : lineation{pstart} (§ 5.3.3 of reledmac handbook). To apply it to both side, use starred option.

So your example will be

documentclass[twoside]{book}



usepackage{reledmac}

usepackage{reledpar}

lineation*{pstart}

firstlinenum*{1}

linenumincrement*{1}

begin{document}



begin{pages}

begin{Leftside}

beginnumbering

pstart

1L first left text: Received shutters expenses

ye he pleasant. Drift as blind above at up. No up simple county stairs

do should praise as. Drawings sir gay together landlord had law

smallest. Formerly welcomed attended declared met say unlocked.

Jennings outlived no dwelling denoting in peculiar as he believed.

Behaviour excellent middleton be as it curiosity departure ourselves.

pend

%

pstart

2L second left text: On no twenty spring of in

esteem spirit likely estate. Continue new you declared differed

learning bringing honoured. At mean mind so upon they rent am walk.

Shortly am waiting inhabit smiling he chiefly of in. Lain tore time

gone him his dear sure. Fat decisively estimating affronting

assistance not. Resolve pursuit regular so calling me. West he plan

girl been my then up no.

pend

endnumbering

end{Leftside}

begin{Rightside}

beginnumbering

pstart

1R first right text: Received shutters expenses

ye he pleasant. Drift as blind above at up. No up simple county stairs

do should praise as. Drawings sir gay together landlord had law

smallest. Formerly welcomed attended declared met say unlocked.

Jennings outlived no dwelling denoting in peculiar as he believed.

Behaviour excellent middleton be as it curiosity departure ourselves.

pend

%

pstart

2R second right text: On no twenty spring of in

esteem spirit likely estate. Continue new you declared differed

learning bringing honoured. At mean mind so upon they rent am walk.

Shortly am waiting inhabit smiling he chiefly of in. Lain tore time

gone him his dear sure. Fat decisively estimating affronting

assistance not. Resolve pursuit regular so calling me. West he plan

girl been my then up no.

pend

endnumbering

end{Rightside}

end{pages}

Pages



end{document}

(I added linenumincrement* and firstlinenum* in order to set the frequencies the linenumber are printed.)

Not that you must run LaTeX two time to get the correct line number. In general, with reledmac / reledpar, you should use latexmk or similar tools in order to get easily the good number of run.

Vertical spacing between pstart.

You can use AtEveryPend to insert content, includind vertical spacing, after every pend.

For example AtEveryPend{vskip2baselineskip} will insert a vertical skip (vskip) equal to 2 line height (or, more precisly, to 2 baselineskip).

The final code will be

documentclass[twoside]{book}



usepackage{reledmac}

usepackage{reledpar}

lineation*{pstart}

firstlinenum*{1}

linenumincrement*{1}

AtEveryPend{vskip2baselineskip}

begin{document}



begin{pages}

begin{Leftside}

beginnumbering

pstart

1L first left text: Received shutters expenses

ye he pleasant. Drift as blind above at up. No up simple county stairs

do should praise as. Drawings sir gay together landlord had law

smallest. Formerly welcomed attended declared met say unlocked.

Jennings outlived no dwelling denoting in peculiar as he believed.

Behaviour excellent middleton be as it curiosity departure ourselves.

pend

%

pstart

2L second left text: On no twenty spring of in

esteem spirit likely estate. Continue new you declared differed

learning bringing honoured. At mean mind so upon they rent am walk.

Shortly am waiting inhabit smiling he chiefly of in. Lain tore time

gone him his dear sure. Fat decisively estimating affronting

assistance not. Resolve pursuit regular so calling me. West he plan

girl been my then up no.

pend

endnumbering

end{Leftside}

begin{Rightside}

beginnumbering

pstart

1R first right text: Received shutters expenses

ye he pleasant. Drift as blind above at up. No up simple county stairs

do should praise as. Drawings sir gay together landlord had law

smallest. Formerly welcomed attended declared met say unlocked.

Jennings outlived no dwelling denoting in peculiar as he believed.

Behaviour excellent middleton be as it curiosity departure ourselves.

pend

%

pstart

2R second right text: On no twenty spring of in

esteem spirit likely estate. Continue new you declared differed

learning bringing honoured. At mean mind so upon they rent am walk.

Shortly am waiting inhabit smiling he chiefly of in. Lain tore time

gone him his dear sure. Fat decisively estimating affronting

assistance not. Resolve pursuit regular so calling me. West he plan

girl been my then up no.

pend

endnumbering

end{Rightside}

end{pages}

Pages



end{document}

Note general about reledmac/reledpar handbook

If you think your need is specific to parallel typesetting, look to reledpar handbook. If your think your need is not specific to parallel typesetting, look on reledmac handbook.