Is there a way to fix the limitation of cleveref package regarding citation of subfloats?

Question

When referencing floats using \cref commands, they may sometimes yield an incorrect typesetting. That's especially true when subfloats are included.

An example is when we have float 1 with two subfloats; the range 1a and 2 to 5 will be mistaken as though it is from 1a to 5. Also, if both 1a and 1b are ncluded in the source code referencing, it is supposed to mention all of subfloats included in the source code, not only one of them (see point 2). Typeset output is shown below:

This output is generated using the following source code:

\documentclass[twocolumn]{report}

\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{subfloat}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{cleveref}
\usepackage{paralist}



\begin{document}


    \begin{subfigures}

        % Subfigure 1
        \begin{figure}[H]

            \centering
            \fbox{\Huge Figure 1a}


            \caption{Caption 1}
            \label{fig1a}

        \end{figure}


        % Subfigure 2
        \begin{figure}[H]

            \centering
            \fbox{\Huge Figure 1b}


            \caption{Caption 1b}
            \label{fig1b}

        \end{figure}


    \end{subfigures}


    % Figure 2
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 2}


        \caption{Caption 2}
        \label{fig2}

    \end{figure}


    % Figure 3
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 3}


        \caption{Caption 3}
        \label{fig3}

    \end{figure}


    % Figure 4
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 4}


        \caption{Caption 4}
        \label{fig4}

    \end{figure}


    % Figure 5
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 5}


        \caption{Caption 5}
        \label{fig5}

    \end{figure}


    % Figure 6
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 6}


        \caption{Caption 6}
        \label{fig6}

    \end{figure}



    \newpage
    Figures are correctly cited for different citation formats such as:

    \begin{enumerate}

        \item Multiple: \textbf{\cref{fig5,,fig3,,fig4,,fig2}}
        \item Range: \textbf{\cref{fig5,fig3,fig4}}
        \item Multiple and range: \textbf{\cref{fig2,fig4,fig3,fig6}}

    \end{enumerate}


    \vspace{5mm}
    But once subfigures are included, some citations formats do not work:

    \begin{enumerate}

    \item Multiple (works): \textbf{\cref{fig3,,fig4,,fig2,,fig1a}}
    \item Range: \textbf{\cref{fig1a,fig1b,fig5,fig3,fig4}} (the output should be \textbf{figs. 1a to 1b and 3 to 5})
    \item Multiple and range: \textbf{\cref{fig1a,fig2,fig4,fig3,fig6}} (the output should be \textbf{figs. 1a, 2 to 4 and 6})

    \end{enumerate}


\end{document}

I already have a solution that mitigates the problem, but not with the same expected output above.

Answer 1

We can define new float type (subfig) for cleveref

\crefformat{subfig}{fig. #1}
\crefrangeformat{subfig}{figs. #1 to #2}
\crefmultiformat{subfig}{figs. #1}{ and #1}{, #1}{ and #1}
\crefrangemultiformat{subfig}{figs. #1 to #2}{}{}{}

Then in the preamble we define a new command:

\newcommand{\labelsf}[1]{ \label[subfig]{#1} } % a new command for labeling subfigures

labelsf can now be used to label subfigures.

A full source code is shown below:

\documentclass[twocolumn]{report}

\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{subfloat}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{paralist}

\usepackage{cleveref}
\crefformat{subfig}{fig. #1}
\crefrangeformat{subfig}{figs. #1 to #2}
\crefmultiformat{subfig}{figs. #1}{ and #1}{, #1}{ and #1}
\crefrangemultiformat{subfig}{figs. #1 to #2}{}{}{}
\newcommand{\labelsf}[1]{ \label[subfig]{#1} } % a new command for labeling subfigures

\begin{document}


    \begin{subfigures}

        % Subfigure 1
        \begin{figure}[H]

            \centering
            \fbox{\Huge Figure 1a}


            \caption{Caption 1}
            \labelsf{fig1a}

        \end{figure}


        % Subfigure 2
        \begin{figure}[H]

            \centering
            \fbox{\Huge Figure 1b}


            \caption{Caption 1b}
            \labelsf{fig1b}

        \end{figure}


    \end{subfigures}


    % Figure 2
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 2}


        \caption{Caption 2}
        \label{fig2}

    \end{figure}


    % Figure 3
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 3}


        \caption{Caption 3}
        \label{fig3}

    \end{figure}


    % Figure 4
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 4}


        \caption{Caption 4}
        \label{fig4}

    \end{figure}


    % Figure 5
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 5}


        \caption{Caption 5}
        \label{fig5}

    \end{figure}


    % Figure 6
    \begin{figure}[H]

        \centering
        \fbox{\Huge Figure 6}


        \caption{Caption 6}
        \label{fig6}

    \end{figure}



    \newpage
    Figures are correctly cited for different citation formats such as:

    \begin{enumerate}

        \item Multiple: \textbf{\cref{fig5,,fig3,,fig4,,fig2}}
        \item Range: \textbf{\cref{fig5,fig3,fig4}}
        \item Multiple and range: \textbf{\cref{fig2,fig4,fig3,fig6}}

    \end{enumerate}


    \vspace{5mm}
    But once subfigures are included, some citations formats do not work:

    \begin{enumerate}

    \item Multiple (works): \textbf{\cref{fig3,,fig4,,fig2,,fig1a}}
    \item Range: \textbf{\cref{fig1a,fig1b,fig5,fig3,fig4}} (the output should be \textbf{figs. 1a to 1b and 3 to 5})
    \item Multiple and range: \textbf{\cref{fig1a,fig2,fig4,fig3,fig6}} (the output should be \textbf{figs. 1a, 2 to 4 and 6})

    \end{enumerate}


\end{document}

cref now will reference subfigures correctly, but the disadvantage of this solution are:

• we cannot find the usages of floats by double-clicking on their labels and we also cannot find the float source code by clicking on its label
• the name of the float can sometimes be repeated twice, which is redundant