German date notation in paragraphs

Question

According to the DIN ISO 8601 a German date needs to be formated without a linebreak between in it. So LaTeX have to break before or after the date. Instead sometimes a date exceeds the linewidth.

See the MWE:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[ngerman]{isodate}
\numdate
\overfullrule=3pt

\begin{document}
\lipsum[2]
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefgh \printdate{16.09.2014} abcdefg hijklmnop
\end{document}

How to handle this issue, that the date isn't exceeding?

Answer 1

If you write a whole line with only two words, what should TeX do?

Solution for daily usage: \usepackage{microtype}.

Answer 2

I suggest that you enclose the offending paragraph in a sloppyparenvironment, i.e.

Your MWE:

\documentclass{scrartcl}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[ngerman]{isodate}
\numdate
\overfullrule=3pt


\begin{document}
\lipsum[2]
\begin{sloppypar}
abcdefghijklmnop qrstuvwxyzabcdefg hijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefgh \printdate{16.09.2014} abcdefg hijklmnop
\end{sloppypar}
\end{document}

Of course, in your example, you will have an awfull linebreaking due to lack of possible breakpoint in the example. In real text, where the lines are compose of several words, and using microtype, that will normally not be a big problem, but be prepared to edit the text (if you are authorised) to avoid such consequences.

I suggest you start using microtypeand in the absolutely last touch up of the document (the final, final final version), you use sloppypar only if nothing else you are allowed to do, works.