Doubts for customize classicthesis

Question

I downloaded the classicthesis from its site and I was analysing the contents of the class, the manual, examples and all that. But I have few doubts yet about how to customize well the classic thesis class for my needs.

First of all I need to use the options spanish and mexico for babel. I read about the es-lcroman option necessary for write in Spanish, but I'm not sure if it works fine with the option mexicoor there is not a problem.

Well, reading the classic-thesisconfig.tex document I found a lot of option, and a very interesting way to create a preamble. I use to divide my documents and use \include commands for add them, but the options of the preamble in another document looks nice.

However, I don't know how to fix few problems, the first of all is that I don't use the natbibpackage for my references, instead I prefer to use biblatex. Now, I see in classicthesis we can use a command \PassOptionsToPackage{arg1}{arg2} and I understand that arg1 are the options of the package, and arg2 the name of the own package. But I'm not sure why it uses this instead the old \usepackage command. I also don't know if I need to use the \PassOptionsToPackage for load each package?

I'm using the KOMA script class scrbook,using letterpaper size and I want to know if with classic thesis I can still use the options of the class such as the \dictum environment or \lowertittleback or \dedication because for me there are very useful.

In fact I need to create a document in Spanish, with few margin notes in polythonic Greek, English, German, Dutch and French. And the packages I'm using are:

\usepackage[intlimits]{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsthm,amssymb,empheq,bm} % My doubt is how to add the other packages in addition of amsmath?
\usepackage{siunitx}

Instead of acronym I want to use the package glossaries for create the acronym list, a glossary and a list of symbols.

For graphics in addition to the graphicx package I need also this:

\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\usetikzlibrary{through}
\usetikzlibrary{backgrounds}
\usetikzlibrary{fit}
\usetikzlibrary{fadings}

Where and how put it?

And for the revisions before finish the thesis I need to use

\usepackage[colorinlistoftodos,spanish,textsize=footnotesize]{todonotes}

I know about the problems with biblatex and Greek but I'll find a way to solve it, (surely with xelatex) meanwhile I want to know how to add these package for work using the classicthesis style.

I have another final doubt, inside the classicthesis-config.tex document there is a part about autoreferences, I don't understand for what this can be useful but I see there is a redefinition of commands for English and German. So if I need to write in Spanish should I translate this commands into Spanish also or simply comment them?

An attempt of MWE for illustrate better my question, starting from the classicthesis.tex file would be:

\documentclass[ twoside,openright,titlepage,numbers=noenddot,headinclude,%1headlines,% letterpaper a4paper
            footinclude=true,cleardoublepage=empty,abstractoff, % <--- obsolete, remove (todo)
            BCOR=5mm,paper=letter,fontsize=10pt,%11pt,a4paper,%
            spanish,mexico,%
            ]{scrbook}
\input{classicthesis-config} % where are part of my troubles
\begin{document}
\frenchspacing
\raggedbottom
\selectlanguage{spanish} % <--- this isn't redundant?
%\renewcommand*{\bibname}{new name}
%\setbibpreamble{}
\frontmatter %All the following files previously customized
\include{FrontBackmatter/DirtyTitlepage}
\include{FrontBackmatter/Titlepage}
\include{FrontBackmatter/Titleback}
\cleardoublepage\include{FrontBackmatter/Dedication}
%\cleardoublepage\include{FrontBackmatter/Foreword}
\cleardoublepage\include{FrontBackmatter/Abstract}
\cleardoublepage\include{FrontBackmatter/Publication}
\cleardoublepage\include{FrontBackmatter/Acknowledgments}
\pagestyle{scrheadings}
\cleardoublepage\include{FrontBackmatter/Contents}

\mainmatter
\cleardoublepage
%\part{Some stuff}
\include{Chapters/Chapter01}
\cleardoublepage
%\part{The Showcase}
\include{Chapters/Chapter02}
\include{Chapters/Chapter03}

%etc.

\appendix
\cleardoublepage
\part{Appendix}
\include{Chapters/Chapter0A}

\backmatter

\cleardoublepage\include{FrontBackmatter/Bibliography}
\cleardoublepage\include{FrontBackmatter/Colophon}
\cleardoublepage\include{FrontBackmatter/Declaration}
\end{document}

I think that's all. Regards.

Answer 1

I'm afraid we have different ideas about the organization of ClassicThesis.

It's disputable recommending to say

\include{FrontBackmatter/Titlepage}

Reason 1: why putting together frontmatter and backmatter material? Just because Miede likes doing that?

Reason 2: why \include, where \input would be the command of choice?

Of course, reason 2 is the main objection: \include adds reading one more auxiliary file for nothing, as it's quite unlikely you have cross references in your title page.

About \PassOptionsToPackage I can only say one thing: don't use it. In the config file we find

\PassOptionsToPackage{latin9}{inputenc} % latin9 (ISO-8859-9) = latin1+"Euro sign"
 \usepackage{inputenc}                          

%\PassOptionsToPackage{ngerman,american}{babel}   % change this to your language(s)
% Spanish languages need extra options in order to work with this template
%\PassOptionsToPackage{spanish,es-lcroman}{babel}
 \usepackage{babel}                                     

\PassOptionsToPackage{square,numbers}{natbib}
 \usepackage{natbib}                            

\PassOptionsToPackage{fleqn}{amsmath}           % math environments and more by the AMS 
 \usepackage{amsmath}

that's simply doing complicated things instead of easy ones. Here's a simplified version.

\usepackage[latin9]{inputenc} % latin9 (ISO-8859-9) = latin1+"Euro sign"               

\usepackage[
  %ngerman,
  american,
  %spanish,es-lcroman,% es-lcroman is needed for this template
]{babel}                                     

\usepackage[square,numbers]{natbib}                            

\usepackage[fleqn]{amsmath}

Isn't this version simpler? I bet so.

---

If you don't want natbib just leave it out. You're not compelled to use that classicthesis-config* file. The same for acronym.

The config file is used by way of example. Just say

\usepackage[
  eulerchapternumbers,
  listings,
  %drafting,
  pdfspacing,
  %floatperchapter,
  %linedheaders,
  %subfig,
  beramono,
  eulermath,
  parts
]{classicthesis}                

and add after this the packages you need. Of course you can choose different options for ClassicThesis.

Answer 2

The reason why \PassOptionsToPackage is used is compatibility with LyX: if a package is loaded with options both in LyX and -config.tex a clash occurs and the document is not compilable. It seemed better to have the template compilable as-is by using \PassOptionsToPackage, even though it would lead to some options not being evaluated.

As reference, see the TeX FAQ Option clash for package.