Generate List/Array of Requirements

Question

There's a problem I'm trying to solve: I want to generate an Array with e.g. required Modules for a Software Installation. It should look like this:

\makebox[0pt][r]{required Modules}
\begin{tabular}[t]{p{1.8cm}p{1.8cm}}
Module01 & Module02 \\
Module03 & Module04 \\
...
\end{tabular}

I'd like to have kind of a little circle (maybe a png) in Front of each Module wich is filled, if the Module is required and empty otherwise. The Array should be generated with a simple Command like this:

\requiredModules{Module02,Module04}

so that the given Modules are the required ones...

How can i do this?

Answer 1

Here's a way with the help of expl3 and collcell:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{collcell,xparse}
\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentCommand{\requiredModules}{m}
 {
  \seq_set_split:Nnn \l_david_required_seq { , }{ #1 }
 }

\NewDocumentCommand{\checkRequired}{m}
 {
  \seq_if_in:NnTF \l_david_required_seq { #1 } { \textbullet\ } { $\circ$\ } #1
 }
\seq_new:N \l_david_required_seq
\ExplSyntaxOff

\newcolumntype{P}[1]{>{\collectcell\checkRequired}p{#1}<{\endcollectcell}}

\begin{document}
\requiredModules{Module02,Module04}

\begin{tabular}[t]{P{1.8cm}P{1.8cm}}
Module01 & Module02 \\
Module03 & Module04 \\
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

You declare the list of required modules and then prepare the table only changing the p specifiers to P.

Each table entry is checked against the list and, if present, a bullet is printed, otherwise a hollow circle.

The list is reset when \requiredModules is found. So you can even reuse a big table:

\newcommand{\moduletable}{%
  \begin{tabular}[t]{P{1.8cm}P{1.8cm}}
  \hline
  Module01 & Module02 \\
  Module03 & Module04 \\
  \hline
  \end{tabular}}

Then

\requiredModules{Module01,Module04}\moduletable

\requiredModules{Module01,Module02}\moduletable

would print

---

If you have defined the table as above, you can simplify the final input by adding another definition:

\newcommand{\generateModuleTable}[1]{%
  \requiredModules{#1}\moduletable}

So, the full code for printing the two tables above would be

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{collcell,xparse}
\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentCommand{\requiredModules}{m}
 {
  \seq_set_split:Nnn \l_david_required_seq { , }{ #1 }
 }

\NewDocumentCommand{\checkRequired}{m}
 {
  \seq_if_in:NnTF \l_david_required_seq { #1 } { \textbullet\ } { $\circ$\ } #1
 }
\seq_new:N \l_david_required_seq
\ExplSyntaxOff

\newcolumntype{P}[1]{>{\collectcell\checkRequired}p{#1}<{\endcollectcell}}

%%% Define the big table
\newcommand{\moduletable}{%
  \begin{tabular}[t]{P{1.8cm}P{1.8cm}}
  \hline
  Module01 & Module02 \\
  Module03 & Module04 \\
  \hline
  \end{tabular}}

\newcommand{\generateModuleTable}[1]{%
  \requiredModules{#1}\moduletable}



\begin{document}

\generateModuleTable{Module01,Module04}

\generateModuleTable{Module01,Module02}

\end{document}