Question: Is there a way to typeset a right double quote directly above a period (if the quotation ends with a period)? Not to the left (for example, ."), not to the right (for example, ".), but directly above. The photo below is an example from *Trees, maps and, theorems* by Jean-luc Doumont.

![Right double quote directly above period.](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iXxS8.jpg)

Answer: 
I would set this merely as an `\rlap`-ed period (or, for LaTeX's sense, `\makebox[0pt][l]`), wrapped in a macro:

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qRMwe.png)

```
\documentclass{article}
\newcommand{\qperiod}{\rlap{.}}
\begin{document}
Some text: ``\dots''.

Some text: ``\dots''

Some text: ``\dots\qperiod''
\end{document}

```

The macro-wrapping allows for modification globally, when needed.
Here I use a stack. The `stacktype` is either "L" for Long or "S" for Short (default). If "L", the stacking "distance" is from baseline to baseline. By setting to `0pt`, it says that the two components share the same baseline (in contrast, a short stack distance is the vertical gap between the top of the "anchor" and the bottom of the stacked item). The `stackalignment` defines horizontal alignment (default c=center). Here, I set it for left alignment.

```
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{stackengine}
\renewcommand\stacktype{L}
\renewcommand\stackalignment{l}
\begin{document}
by ``\dots\stackon[0pt]{.}{''}
\end{document}  

```

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6NKr7.jpg)

The same result can be achieved, bypassing all the parameter settings, by using the generic `stackengine` macro with 8 mandatory arguments:

```
by ``\dots\stackengine{0pt}{.}{''}{O}{l}{F}{F}{L}

```

The eight mandatory arguments are:

* stacking distance
* anchor item
* stacked item
* O(ver) or U(nder) stack
* l(eft) c(enter) or r(ight) horizontal alignment
* T/F for "quietstack" ("T" means created but not printed)
* T/F for "useanchorwidth" ("T" means the anchor width determines the overall stack width)
* S(hort) or L(ong) stack