Formatting list of figures with no space on left side

Question

Basically I want this:

Abbildungsverzeichnis

Abbildung 1: somecaptiontextxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.........................................................34

Abbildung 1 is the name of the figure. It equals figure 1, figure 2 etc. Abbildungsverzeichnis means list of figures. I didn't translate it in English, because the picture at the bottom is all in German, which shows the actual state of my list of figures.

But the code I used:

\usepackage[titles]{tocloft}

\newlength{\mylen}

\renewcommand{\cftfigpresnum}{\figurename\enspace} 
\renewcommand{\cftfigaftersnum}{:}
\settowidth{\mylen}{\cftfigpresnum\cftfigaftersnum}
\addtolength{\cftfignumwidth}{\mylen}

produced this:

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

A possible solution using tocloft:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[ngerman]{babel}
\usepackage[titles]{tocloft}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\newlength\mylen
\cftsetindents{figure}{0em}{0em}

\let\orignumberline\numberline
\let\origlistoffigures\listoffigures

\renewcommand\listoffigures{%
  \renewcommand\numberline[1]{%
    \settowidth\mylen{\figurename\enspace:##1\enspace}%
    \orignumberline{\figurename\enspace##1:\enspace\hspace{-\mylen}}\hspace{\mylen}%
  }%
  \origlistoffigures
  \let\numberline\orignumberline
}

\begin{document}

\listoffigures
\clearpage

\section{Test}

\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics[height=3cm]{example-image-a}
\caption{this is just a caption for a test figure, we add some more text here so the caption will span several lines}
\end{figure}

\end{document} 

If you are willing to change to titletoc instead of tocloft, here's how it's done:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[ngerman]{babel}
\usepackage{titletoc}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\titlecontents{figure}
  [0em]
  {}
  {\figurename\enspace\thecontentslabel:\enspace}
  {}
  {\titlerule*[1pc]{.}\contentspage}

\begin{document}

\listoffigures

\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics[height=3cm]{example-image-a}
\caption{this is just a caption for a test figure, we add some more text here so the caption will span several lines}
\end{figure}

\end{document} 

An image of the resulting LoF:

Answer 2

You would have to adjust the way tocloft constructs the LoF entry by modifying the margin lengths that are set. Below is a redefinition of \l@figure from tocloft to provide you with the necessary output:

\makeatletter
\renewcommand*{\l@figure}[2]{%
  \ifnum \c@lofdepth >\z@
    \vskip \cftbeforefigskip
    {%\leftskip \cftfigindent\relax
     \rightskip\z@%\rightskip \@tocrmarg
     \parfillskip -\rightskip
     \parindent\z@%\parindent \cftfigindent\relax
    \@afterindenttrue
     \interlinepenalty\@M
     \leavevmode
     \@tempdima \cftfignumwidth\relax
     \let\@cftbsnum \cftfigpresnum
     \let\@cftasnum \cftfigaftersnum
     \let\@cftasnumb \cftfigaftersnumb
     \null\nobreak%\advance\leftskip \@tempdima \null\nobreak\hskip -\leftskip
     {\cftfigfont #1}\nobreak
     \cftfigfillnum{#2}}%
   \fi
  }
\makeatother

The commented parts have been changed.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[ngerman]{babel}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\usepackage[titles]{tocloft}

\makeatletter
\renewcommand*{\l@figure}[2]{%
  \ifnum \c@lofdepth >\z@
    \vskip \cftbeforefigskip
    {%\leftskip \cftfigindent\relax
     \rightskip\z@%\rightskip \@tocrmarg
     \parfillskip -\rightskip
     \parindent\z@%\parindent \cftfigindent\relax
    \@afterindenttrue
     \interlinepenalty\@M
     \leavevmode
     \@tempdima \cftfignumwidth\relax
     \let\@cftbsnum \cftfigpresnum
     \let\@cftasnum \cftfigaftersnum
     \let\@cftasnumb \cftfigaftersnumb
     \null\nobreak%\advance\leftskip \@tempdima \null\nobreak\hskip -\leftskip
     {\cftfigfont #1}\nobreak
     \cftfigfillnum{#2}}%
   \fi
  }
\makeatother

\newlength{\mylen}

\renewcommand{\cftfigpresnum}{\figurename\enspace} 
\renewcommand{\cftfigaftersnum}{:\enspace}
\settowidth{\mylen}{\cftfigpresnum\cftfigaftersnum}
\addtolength{\cftfignumwidth}{\mylen}

\begin{document}

\listoffigures

\begin{figure}
  \centering
  \includegraphics[height=3cm]{example-image-a}
  \caption{this is just a caption for a test figure, we add some more text here so the caption will span several lines}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

Keeping the \rightskip \@tocrmarg option leaves you with the following output:

You could also use etoolbox to redefine \l@figure, if needed. It won't be much cleaner.