John Hendy <jw.hendy@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Tue, May 24, 2011 at 11:44 AM, Sebastien Vauban <wxhgmqzgwmuf@spammotel.com> wrote:
>
>     Hi John,
>
>     John Hendy wrote:
>     > I can control a table font size directly from the .tex file like so:
>     >
>     > ---
>     > \scriptsize{
>     > \begin{center}
>     > \begin{tabular}{lllrr}
>     >
>     > table entries here
>     >
>     > \end{tabular}
>     > \end{center}
>     > }
>     > ---
>     >
>     > Any way to pass this from org-mode? Otherwise, I keep changing the org file,
>     > exporting, and then having to add this to the tex file and re-export.
>     >
>     > I tried:
>     > ---
>     > #+begin_latex
>     > \scriptsize{
>     > #+end_latex
>     >
>     > |org|table|here|
>     >
>     > #+begin_latex
>     > }
>     > #+end_latex
>     > ---
>     >
>     > without success.
>
>     You put the things in the wrong order:
>
>     1. put a group around some LaTeX commands
>     2. add the macro \scriptsize in it
>
>     Hence:
>
>     #+begin_src org
>      #+begin_latex
>      {\scriptsize
>      #+end_latex
>
>      |org|table|here|
>
>      #+begin_latex
>      }
>      #+end_latex
>     #+end_src
>
>     should do it (not tested).
>
> I'm getting this error upon export (no PDF created):
> ---
> ! Argument of \frame has an extra }.
> <inserted text> 
>                 \par 
> l.142 }
>        
> Runaway argument?
>  \par \par \par 
> ! Paragraph ended before \frame was complete.
> <to be read again> 
>                    \par 
> l.142 }
>        
> ! Extra }, or forgotten \endgroup.
> <recently read> }
>                  
> l.142 }
>        
> ! Extra }, or forgotten \endgroup.
> \endframe ->\egroup 
>                     \begingroup \def \@currenvir {frame}
> l.145 \end{frame}
>                  
> )
> Runaway argument?
> ---
>
> I'm assuming something is not liking that dangling "}"...
>
> Thoughts?
>

I didn't try Seb's workaround but your original solution almost works:
what stops it is YAB in the latex exporter, but having been bitten by
such a couple of times in the past, I applied my usual[fn:1] workaround
and presto! it works:

,----
|
| * foo

|
| #+begin_latex
| \scriptsize{ %}
| #+end_latex
|

| #+tblname: foo
| | table | here |
| |-------+------|

| | table | here |
|
| #+begin_latex
| }
| #+end_latex

`----

The opening brace on the \scriptsize line confuses the exporter and it
leaves the table alone. Adding a commented-out closing brace unconfuses
it.

Nick

Footnotes:

[fn:1] Maybe I should add it to the FAQ?