# Aligning definitions for acronyms/abbreviations

I am currently doing a "Nomenclature" type list in my thesis (attached image).

I am using a template provided by the university for this particular section:

\usepackage{usnomencl}
:
\chapter{Terminology and Nomenclature}
\begin{Nomencl}
\NomGroup{Constants}%-----------------------------------------------
\item[$\mathscr{F}$] Faraday\textquotesingle s constant, 96,485 C mol$^{-1}$
\item[${g}_{\mathrm{n}}$] Gravitational acceleration, 9.81 m s$^{-2}$
\item[$R$] Universal gas constant, 8.314 J K$^{-1}$ mol$^{-1}$

\NomGroup{Variables}%-----------------------------------------------
\item[$E_{\mathrm{a}}$]
\UnitLine{Activation energy}{kJ\,mol^{-1}}
\item[$E$]   \UnitLine{Oxidation-reduction potential}{V}
\item[$E$\textdegree]    \UnitLine{Standard oxidation-reduction potential (25 \textcelsius, $P_{\mathrm{H}_2}=1$ bar)}{V}
\item[$T$]         \UnitLine{Temperature}{K}
\item[$\ddot{x}$]  \UnitLine{Acceleration              }{m/s^2}\\
\item[$\theta$]    \UnitLine{Rotation angle            }{rad}
\item[$\tau$]      \UnitLine{Moment                    }{N{\cdot}m}

\NomGroup{Abbreviations and acronyms}%-------------------------------------
\item[ATR-FTIR]Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier-transform infrared
\item[EPR]Electron paramagnetic resonance
\item[GC-MS]Gas chromatography---mass spectrometry
\item[HPLC]High-performance liquid chromatography
\item[ICP-OES]Inductively-coupled plasma---optical emission spectroscopy

\NomGroup{Subscripts}%----------------------------------------------
\item[$\mathrm{a}$] Adiabatic
\item[$a$]          Coordinate
\end{Nomencl}


This template is based on a style file called usnomencl.sty.

What I would like to achieve is to be able to align my text better at the part where I have my abbreviations and acronyms. Some of the terms are longer than the space originally provided by the template, so I would like to align the definitions a little further to the right to accommodate all the terms.

I've tried using something like tabbing environment but ends in error without output.

I'm new to LaTeX, so looking inside the actual style file was mind-boggling to put it mildly. :)

Any suggestions would be appreciated, and I apologize if something similar was answered before.

• where is usnomencl from? please provide the link.. – Troy Dec 31 '18 at 14:57
• Oh, it came with my TeXLive distribution as standard, it is part of the "stellenbosch" package. – Adrian Dec 31 '18 at 16:04
• @Troy: usnomencl .... the famous universiteit of stellenbosch ... and we thought it could be connected to US of A ;-) – user31729 Dec 31 '18 at 16:06
• @ChristianHupfer Ah yes indeed, I must've been living in a cave all my life ;) – Troy Dec 31 '18 at 16:07
• @Adrian: I found the nomencl package never to be really convincing; I am suggesting to move over to the much more powerful glossaries package – user31729 Dec 31 '18 at 16:08

Just wrap the "Abbreviations and Acronyms" group with its own Nomencl environment (which, internally, is just typeset as a list), then give it its own label width.

\begin{Nomencl}[<width>]
<nomenclature content>
\end{Nomencl}


The default width is 2em.

MWE:

\documentclass{report}
\usepackage{usnomencl}  % https://www.ctan.org/pkg/stellenbosch?lang=en

\begin{document}
\chapter{Terminology and Nomenclature}
\begin{Nomencl}
\NomGroup{Constants}%-----------------------------------------------
\item[$F$] Faraday's constant, 96,485 C mol$^{-1}$
\item[${g}_{\mathrm{n}}$] Gravitational acceleration, 9.81 m s$^{-2}$
\item[$R$] Universal gas constant, 8.314 J K$^{-1}$ mol$^{-1}$

\NomGroup{Variables}%-----------------------------------------------
\item[$E_{\mathrm{a}}$]
\UnitLine{Activation energy}{kJ\,mol^{-1}}
\item[$E$]   \UnitLine{Oxidation-reduction potential}{V}
\item[$E$d]    \UnitLine{Standard oxidation-reduction potential (25 C, $P_{\mathrm{H}_2}=1$ bar)}{V}
\item[$T$]         \UnitLine{Temperature}{K}
\item[$\ddot{x}$]  \UnitLine{Acceleration              }{m/s^2}\\
\item[$\theta$]    \UnitLine{Rotation angle            }{rad}
\item[$\tau$]      \UnitLine{Moment                    }{N{\cdot}m}
\end{Nomencl}
\begin{Nomencl}[5em]
\NomGroup{Abbreviations and acronyms}%-------------------------------------
\item[ATR-FTIR] Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier-transform infrared
\item[EPR] Electron paramagnetic resonance
\item[GC-MS]Gas chromatography---mass spectrometry
\item[HPLC]High-performance liquid chromatography
\item[ICP-OES]Inductively-coupled plasma---optical emission spectroscopy
\end{Nomencl}
\begin{Nomencl}
\NomGroup{Subscripts}%----------------------------------------------
\item[$\mathrm{a}$] Adiabatic
\item[$a$]          Coordinate
\end{Nomencl}
\end{document}


• Thanks Troy! That looks great. Exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks for all the speedy comments Troy and Christian. Yes, I've been reading about the glossaries package and is probably what I am supposed to be using. – Adrian Dec 31 '18 at 16:39

so for those interested, here is the original contents of that style file:

\NeedsTeXFormat{LaTeX2e}[1999/12/01]
\ProvidesPackage{usnomencl}[2008/05/30
v1.1
Stellenbosh Thesis Nomenclature (DNJ ELS)]
\RequirePackage{calc}
\newlength{\USN@tdima}
\newlength{\USN@NomGrpSep}
\newlength{\NomGrpSep}
\newlength{\NomItmSep}
\newlength{\NomItmMrg}
\newlength{\NomLblSep}
\setlength{\NomGrpSep}{\baselineskip}
\setlength{\NomItmSep}{\smallskipamount}
\setlength{\NomItmMrg}{1em}
\setlength{\NomLblSep}{1em}
\newcommand{\NomGrpLabel}[1]{\textbf{#1}}
\setlength{\USN@NomGrpSep}{0pt}
\vspace{\USN@NomGrpSep}%
\setlength{\USN@NomGrpSep}{\NomGrpSep}%
\item[\hspace*{-\NomItmMrg}\NomGrpLabel{#1}]}
\newcommand{\NomLabel}[1]{#1\hfil}
\newenvironment{Nomencl}[1][2em]%<- Nomenclature list environment
{\list{}{%
\setlength{\labelwidth}{#1}%
\setlength{\labelsep}{\NomLblSep}%
\setlength{\itemindent}{0pt}%
\setlength{\leftmargin}{\labelwidth+\labelsep-\itemindent+\NomItmMrg}%
\setlength{\listparindent}{\parindent}%
\setlength{\itemsep}{\NomItmSep}%
\setlength{\parsep}{\parskip}%
\let\makelabel\NomLabel}}%
{\endlist}
\newcommand*{\UnitLabel}[1]{~[\,\ensuremath{\mathrm{#1}}\,]}
\newlength{\UnitLabelWdth}
\setlength{\UnitLabelWdth}{2cm}
\newcommand{\UnitLine}[3][\UnitLabelWdth]{{%
\setlength{\USN@tdima}{#1}%
\rightskip\USN@tdima\relax
\parfillskip -\rightskip
\leavevmode
{#2}\nobreak
\leaders\hbox{$\m@th\mkern \@dotsep mu\hbox{\tiny.}\mkern \@dotsep mu$}%
\hfill
\nobreak
\makebox[\USN@tdima][l]{\UnitLabel{#3}}%
}}
\endinput
%%
%% End of file usnomencl.sty'.
`