Usage of table/figures shown in caption

Question

Is there a way to add the usage of a table/reference in the caption of the reference/table in LaTeX?

For example:

\begin{table}
    \begin{tabular}{ll}
    \textbf{Name} & \textbf{Description} \\
        Foo & bar \\
        Foo & bar
    \end{tabular}
    \caption{Nice Table. Used on pages [2,3,4].}
    \label{tab:table}
\end{table}

I would like the "Used on pages[2,3,4]." to appear automatically and linked to the correct reference, to all the locations in the document that use \ref{tab:table}.

Anyone knows a package that takes care of this?

Answer 1

I want to provide two solutions. The first works without using the package hyperref. The second answer supports hyperlinks.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{etoolbox,xstring,xspace}
\makeatletter
\let\origref\ref
\renewcommand*\ref[1]{%
  \origref{#1}\xlabel{#1}}
\def\xlabel#1{%
   \ifcsdef{siteref@doc@#1}{}{\csgdef{siteref@doc@#1}{,}}%
    \@bsphack%
       \csxdef{siteref@doc@#1}{\csuse{siteref@doc@#1},\thepage}%
         \protected@write\@auxout{}%
        {\string\SiteRef{siteref@#1}{\csuse{siteref@doc@#1}}}%
     \@esphack%
}

\newrobustcmd*\SiteRef[2]{\csgdef{#1}{#2}}

\newrobustcmd*\xref[1]{%
\ifcsundef{siteref@#1}{%
     \@latex@warning@no@line{Label `#1' not defined}
     }{%
       [\StrGobbleLeft{\csuse{siteref@#1}}{2}]\xspace%
   }%
}
\makeatother
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
\ref{tab:table}
\lipsum[1]
\begin{table}[!ht]
    \begin{tabular}{ll}
    \textbf{Name} & \textbf{Description} \\
        Foo & bar \\
        Foo & bar
    \end{tabular}
    \caption{Nice Table. Used on pages \xref{tab:table}.}
    \label{tab:table}
\end{table}

\lipsum
\ref{tab:table}
\end{document}

Modifications to work with hyperref

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{etoolbox,xstring,xspace}
\usepackage[colorlinks=true]{hyperref}
\makeatletter

\AtBeginDocument{%
\let\origref\ref
\renewcommand*\ref[1]{%
  \origref{#1}\xlabel{#1}}
}
\newrobustcmd*\xlabel[1]{%
   \ifcsdef{siteref@doc@#1}{}{\csgdef{siteref@doc@#1}{,}}%
    \@bsphack%
    \begingroup
       \csxdef{siteref@doc@#1}{\csuse{siteref@doc@#1},\thepage}%
         \protected@write\@auxout{}%
        {\string\SiteRef{siteref@#1}{\csuse{siteref@doc@#1}}}%
     \endgroup
     \@esphack%
}

\newrobustcmd*\SiteRef[2]{\csgdef{#1}{#2}}

\newrobustcmd*\xref[1]{%
\ifcsundef{siteref@#1}{%
     \@latex@warning@no@line{Label `#1' not defined}
     }{%
    \begingroup
      \StrGobbleLeft{\csuse{siteref@#1}}{2}[\@tempa]\relax%
      \def\@tempb{}%
      \@tempcnta=0\relax%
      \@tempcntb=\@ne\relax%
      \def\do##1{\advance\@tempcnta\@ne}%
      \expandafter\docsvlist\expandafter{\@tempa}%
       \def\do##1{%
         \ifnum\@tempcntb=\@tempcnta\relax%
            \hyperpage{##1}%
         \else
            \hyperpage{##1},%
          \fi%
          \advance\@tempcntb\@ne
       }%
       [\expandafter\docsvlist\expandafter{\@tempa}]\xspace%
    \endgroup
   }%
}
\makeatother

\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
\ref{tab:table}
\lipsum[1]
\begin{table}[!ht]
    \begin{tabular}{ll}
    \textbf{Name} & \textbf{Description} \\
        Foo & bar \\
        Foo & bar
    \end{tabular}
    \caption{Nice Table. Used on pages \xref{tab:table}.}
    \label{tab:table}
\end{table}

\lipsum
\ref{tab:table}
\end{document}

---

The package crossreference defines the command \xref too. So if you are load the package you have to rename the command \xref.

Answer 2

You can get page numbers by putting labels where the table is used and adding \pageref{..}, but \pageref is "fragile", so must be preceded with a \protect, e.g.,

Table \ref{tab:table}\label{tabuse:table} used here...

then in the caption:

\caption{Nice Table. Used on page \protect\pageref{tabuse:table}.}

A dirty trick for articles is to enter an empty ToC line:

\caption[]{Nice Table. Used on page \pageref{tabuse:table}.}