how to get the current chapter name, section name, subsection name, etc?

Question

How can one get the current name of the following: Chapter, Section, Subsection(s), frame, label, mdframed?

Answer 1

With this solution you can still use the stared versions or optional arguments of \chapter et al

\documentclass{book}
\let\Chaptermark\chaptermark
\def\chaptermark#1{\def\Chaptername{#1}\Chaptermark{#1}}
\let\Sectionmark\sectionmark
\def\sectionmark#1{\def\Sectionname{#1}\Sectionmark{#1}}
\let\Subsectionmark\subsectionmark
\def\subsectionmark#1{\def\Subsectionname{#1}\Subsectionmark{#1}}
\let\Subsubsectionmark\subsubsectionmark
\def\subsubsectionmark#1{\def\Subsubsectionname{#1}\Subsubsectionmark{#1}}

\begin{document}
\chapter{First chapter}\label{ch:first}
This is chapter~\ref{ch:first} with title ``\Chaptername''.
\section{First section}\label{sec:first}
This is section~\ref{sec:first} with title ``\Sectionname''.
\subsection{The first subsection}\label{subsec:first}
This is subsection~\ref{subsec:first} with title ``\Subsectionname''.
\subsubsection{Last subsubsection}\label{subsubsec:first}
This is subsubsection~\ref{subsubsec:first} with title ``\Subsubsectionname''.
\end{document}

Answer 2

In terms of section titles, the nameref package is ideal for this. It provides \nameref{<label>} that returns the sectional title associated with the label:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{nameref}% http://ctan.org/pkg/nameref
\begin{document}
\section{First section}\label{first}
This is section~\ref{first} with title \nameref{first}.
\subsection{Second subsection}\label{second}
This is subsection~\ref{second} with title \nameref{second}.
\subsubsection{Last subsubsection}\label{third}
This is subsubsection~\ref{third} with title \nameref{third}.
\end{document}

hyperref provides similar functionality, since it loads nameref. As such, they work together without problem, allowing hyperlinked titles. memoir does something similar to store the names/titles of sectional units.

This could be expanded to include the capture of names/titles associated with other environments or structures as well.

Answer 3

Here is one solution but is not optimal. It simply renew's the old sectioning commands and have the new ones update the currentxxx macros.

\begin{document}

\newcommand{\currentchapter}{}
\let\oldchapter\chapter
\renewcommand{\chapter}[1]{\oldchapter{#1}\renewcommand{\currentchapter}{#1}}

\newcommand{\currentsection}{}
\let\oldsection\section
\renewcommand{\section}[1]{\oldsection{#1}\renewcommand{\currentsection}{#1}}

\newcommand{\currentsubsection}{}
\let\oldsubsection\subsection
\renewcommand{\subsection}[1]{\oldsubsection{#1}\renewcommand{\currentsubsection}{#1}}

\newcommand{\currentsubsubsection}{}
\let\oldsubsubsection\subsubsection
\renewcommand{\subsubsection}[1]{\oldsubsubsection{#1}\renewcommand{\currentsubsubsection}{#1}}


\chapter{chapter test}
\section{section test}
\subsection{subsection test}

\currentchapter\\
\currentsection\\
\currentsubsection\\

\end{document}