Following the answer of David Carlisle on list of figures and tables when there are no figures or tables?
\documentclass[10pt,twocolumn]{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\def\wheninteresting#1{%
\setbox0\vbox{#1}%
\ifdim\ht0>35pt
\unvbox0
\fi}
\begin{document}
\tableofcontents
\wheninteresting{
\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{List of Figures}
\listoffigures
}
\wheninteresting{
\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{List of Table}
\listoftables
}
\section{First section}
...
In my document, I have before each list something like \pdfbookmark[0]{\lstlistlistingname}{lol} and while using his answer, the list is correctly hidden from the Table of Contents and from my document when it is empty. However, it still being added to the PDF bookmarks items list.
Why \addcontentsline{toc} works correctly not adding it to the table of contents, while \pdfbookmark[0] still working and adds and hidden list to the table of contents?
I managed to fix this by changing his answer to this:
\newcommand{\whenlistisnotempty}[3]{
\setbox0\vbox{#2}%
\typeout{The height of the list '#1' is '\the\ht0'}%
\ifdim\ht0>100pt%
#3%
\unvbox0%
\fi%
}
So, when using it, I use it like this:
\whenlistisnotempty{\listfigurename}{%
\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{List of Figures}
\\listoffigures
}{\pdfbookmark[0]{\listfigurename}{lol}}
Then, the \pdfbookmark[0] stopped adding it to the PDF bookmark contents.
The list of tables keeps is showing up on the PDF bookmarks while it is not showing up on the table of contents. The list of tables should not show up anywhere because it is empty.
Full example:
\documentclass[10pt,twocolumn]{memoir}
\usepackage{bookmark}
\usepackage{chngcntr}
\counterwithout{table}{chapter}
\counterwithout{figure}{chapter}
% https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/61086/how-to-create-my-own-list-of
\newcommand{\mytextpreliminarylistname}{Short Table of Contents}
\newlistof{textpreliminarycontents}{tpc}{\mytextpreliminarylistname}
% https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/66604/resetting-counter
% https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/388489/custom-list-throw-latex-error
\newlistentry{textpreliminarycounter}{tpc}{0}
% https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/56131/continuing-page-numbering-roman
\renewcommand{\thetextpreliminarycounter}{\arabic{textpreliminarycounter}}
% https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/71162/reset-section-numbering-between
\newcommand{\addtotextpreliminarycontent}[1]
{%
\refstepcounter{textpreliminarycounter}%
\addcontentsline{tpc}{textpreliminarycounter}{%
\protect\numberline{\thetextpreliminarycounter}#1}\par%
}
\newbox\boxAforwhenlistisnotempty
\newbox\boxBforwhenlistisnotempty
\newcommand{\whenlistisnotempty}[2]{%
\setbox\boxAforwhenlistisnotempty\vbox{#2}%
\setbox\boxBforwhenlistisnotempty\vbox{%
\large\contentsname\vskip\baselineskip
\vskip\baselineskip
\vskip\afterchapskip
\vskip\midchapskip
}%
\typeout{The height of the list '#1'
is '\the\ht\boxAforwhenlistisnotempty'
from '\the\ht\boxBforwhenlistisnotempty'}%
\ifdim\ht\boxAforwhenlistisnotempty>\ht\boxBforwhenlistisnotempty%
\unvbox\boxAforwhenlistisnotempty%
\fi%
}
\begin{document}
\whenlistisnotempty{\mytextpreliminarylistname}{
\pdfbookmark[0]{\mytextpreliminarylistname}{tpc}
\textpreliminarycontents*
}
\whenlistisnotempty{\listfigurename}{
\pdfbookmark[0]{\listfigurename}{lof}
\addtotextpreliminarycontent{\listfigurename}
\listoffigures*
}
\whenlistisnotempty{\listtablename}{
\pdfbookmark[0]{\listtablename}{lot}
\addtotextpreliminarycontent{\listtablename}
\listoftables*
}
\chapter{Chap Chap}
\begin{figure}[h]\centering
\caption{my figure}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}[h]\centering
\caption{another figure}
\end{figure}
% \begin{table}[h]\centering
% \caption{my table}
% \end{table}
% \begin{table}[h]\centering
% \caption{another table}
% \end{table}
\end{document}
Update
Successful compilation log from MikTex:
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.18 (MiKTeX 2.9.6400) entering extended mode (test3.tex LaTeX2e <2017-04-15> Babel <3.12> and hyphenation patterns for 76 language(s) loaded. (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\memoir\memoir.cls Document Class: memoir 2016/05/16 v3.7f configurable book, report, article docu ment class (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\ifpdf.sty) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\ifetex\ifetex.sty (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\plain\ifetex\ifetex.tex)) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\ifxetex\ifxetex.sty) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\ifluatex.sty) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\memoir\mem10.clo)) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\oberdiek\bookmark.sty (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\pdfescape.sty (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\ltxcmds.sty) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\pdftexcmds.sty (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\infwarerr.sty))) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\ifvtex.sty) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\hyperref\hyperref.sty (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\hobsub-hyperref.st y (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\hobsub-generic.sty )) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\graphics\keyval.sty) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\oberdiek\auxhook.sty) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\oberdiek\kvoptions.sty) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\hyperref\pd1enc.def) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\00miktex\hyperref.cfg) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\url\url.sty)) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\memoir\memhfixc.sty) Package hyperref Message: Driver (autodetected): hpdftex. (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\hyperref\hpdftex.def (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\oberdiek\rerunfilecheck.sty)) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\oberdiek\bkm-pdftex.def)) (test3.aux) (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\latex\hyperref\nameref.sty (D:\User\Documents\latex\texmfs\install\tex\generic\oberdiek\gettitlestring.sty )) Redoing nameref's sectioning Redoing nameref's label (test3.tpc) The height of the list 'Short Table of Contents' is '151.0pt' from '94.6825pt' [1{D:/User/Documents/latex/texmfs/data/pdftex/config/pdftex.map}] (test3.lof) The height of the list 'List of Figures' is '149.05556pt' from '94.6825pt' [2] (test3.lot) The height of the list 'List of Tables' is '127.0pt' from '94.6825pt' [3] [4] [5] (test3.aux) )<D:/User/Documents/latex/texmfs/install/fonts/type1/pu blic/amsfonts/cm/cmbx12.pfb><D:/User/Documents/latex/texmfs/install/fonts/type1 /public/amsfonts/cm/cmr10.pfb> Output written on test3.pdf (5 pages, 32811 bytes). Transcript written on test3.log.Successful compilation log from TexLive 2016
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.17 (TeX Live 2016/Debian) (preloaded format=pdflatex) \write18 enabled. entering extended mode (./main.tex LaTeX2e <2017/01/01> patch level 3 Babel <3.9r> and hyphenation patterns for 83 language(s) loaded. (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/memoir/memoir.cls Document Class: memoir 2016/05/16 v3.7f configurable book, report, article docu ment class (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/ifpdf.sty) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/ifetex/ifetex.sty (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/plain/ifetex/ifetex.tex)) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ifxetex/ifxetex.sty) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/ifluatex.sty) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/memoir/mem10.clo) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/memoir/mempatch.sty)) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/oberdiek/bookmark.sty (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/pdfescape.sty (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/ltxcmds.sty) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/pdftexcmds.sty (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/infwarerr.sty))) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/ifvtex.sty) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/hyperref/hyperref.sty (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/hobsub-hyperref.sty (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/hobsub-generic.sty)) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/graphics/keyval.sty) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/oberdiek/auxhook.sty) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/oberdiek/kvoptions.sty) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/hyperref/pd1enc.def) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/latexconfig/hyperref.cfg) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/url/url.sty)) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/memoir/memhfixc.sty) Package hyperref Message: Driver (autodetected): hpdftex. (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/hyperref/hpdftex.def (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/oberdiek/rerunfilecheck.sty)) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/oberdiek/bkm-pdftex.def)) (latexcache/main.aux) (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/hyperref/nameref.sty (/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/generic/oberdiek/gettitlestring.sty)) Redoing nameref's sectioning Redoing nameref's label (latexcache/main.tpc) The height of the list 'Short Table of Contents' is '151.0pt' from '94.6825pt' [1{/var/lib/texmf/fonts/map/pdftex/updmap/pdftex.map}] (latexcache/main.lof) The height of the list 'List of Figures' is '151.0pt' from '94.6825pt' [2] (latexcache/main.lot) The height of the list 'List of Tables' is '127.0pt' from '94.6825pt' [3] [4] [5] (latexcache/main.aux) )</usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/type1/p ublic/amsfonts/cm/cmbx12.pfb></usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/type1/public/ amsfonts/cm/cmr10.pfb> Output written on latexcache/main.pdf (5 pages, 27841 bytes). SyncTeX written on latexcache/main.synctex.gz. Transcript written on latexcache/main.log.
References:
\bbl@beforestart, which is undefined..auxfiles from another project, and I fixed it by removing all my latex.auxfiles before compiling this. After that, you can compile as much as you want and no error are going to show up and there will be no need to remove your.auxfiles anymore.