# How to show line (symbol) in text

In latex how to show different types of line, in symbol form as ---- and other forms, in text line.

• \tikz\draw[...] ...;? – Henri Menke Nov 30 '15 at 8:16

With TikZ you can define your own dash and dot patterns and embed the picture inline using \tikz. As none of the macros in TikZ is e-TeX protected you have to take care of that by yourself by using \protected\def or in this case \DeclareRobustCommand.

\documentclass{article}
\pagestyle{empty}
\usepackage{mathtools,tikz,caption}
\captionsetup{labelfont=sc,labelsep=period}
\DeclareRobustCommand\sampleline[1]{%
\tikz\draw[#1] (0,0) (0,\the\dimexpr\fontdimen22\textfont2\relax)
-- (2em,\the\dimexpr\fontdimen22\textfont2\relax);%
}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}
\caption{One-dimensional Fourier spectra for Case A ($M = 1.5$) at (\emph{a}, \emph{c}) near the wall, $1 - \lvert y \rvert = 0.04$, and (\emph{b}, \emph{d}) at the centerline:
\sampleline{}, $\rho$;
\sampleline{dashed}, $u$;
\sampleline{dotted}, $v$;
\sampleline{dash pattern=on .7em off .2em on .2em off .2em}, $w$;
\sampleline{dash pattern=on .7em off .2em on .05em off .2em}, $T$.
(\emph{a}, \emph{b}) Streamwise;
(\emph{c}, \emph{d}) spanwise.}
\end{figure}
\end{document}


You can play around with some \rules:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xhfill}

\begin{document}

One-dimensional Fourier spectra for Case~A ($M = 1.5$) at $(a,c)$ near the wall,
$1 - |y| = 0.04$, and $(b,d)$ at the centerline:
\rule[.5ex]{2em}{.4pt},~$p$;
\makebox[2em]{\xdotfill{.4pt}},~$u$;
$\cdot\,\cdot\,\cdot\,\cdot\,\cdot$,~$v$;
\rule[.5ex]{1em}{.4pt}\,\rule[.5ex]{.2em}{.4pt}\,\rule[.5ex]{1em}{.4pt},~$w$;
\rule[.5ex]{1em}{.4pt}\,$\cdot$\,\rule[.5ex]{1em}{.4pt},~$T$.
$(a,b)$ Streamwise;
$(c,d)$ spanwise.

\end{document}


Note that \leaders and \rules have problems surviving \captions, so you may be forced to use the optional argument if you want alternative content to migrate successfully to the LoF/LoT.

• I think the line corresponding to u should be dashed, rather than loosely dotted. Also a,b,c, and d are presumably labels for subfigures, i.e. no math variables. – Henri Menke Nov 30 '15 at 8:37