TikZ - foreach, expansion problem, optional argument and node

Question

I am trying to use foreach to simplify the 1st env. code in my MN(ot)WE below.

There is an expansion problem regarding the optional argument in the 2nd code. Here is the output.

How can I fix this ?

\documentclass[12pt]{article}

\RequirePackage{forest}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\useforestlibrary{linguistics}

\newcommand\ptreeComment[3][black]{
    \node [anchor=mid west] at (#2.mid -| ptreecomment coord) {%
        \textcolor{#1}{#3}%
    };
}

\begin{document}

\begin{forest}
    for tree = {%
        sn edges,
        grow'  = 0,
        l      = 2.5cm,
        s sep  = 1.2cm,
        anchor = parent,
    },
    tikz+={
        \coordinate (ptreecomment coord) at (current bounding box.east);
    },
    [
        [$A$
            [$B$, name = nB]
            [$C$, name = nC]
        ]
        [$D$
            [$E$, name = nE]
            [$F$, name = nF]
        ]
    ]
    %
     \ptreeComment{nB}{$X = 1$}
     \ptreeComment[red]{nC}{$X = 3$}
     \ptreeComment[orange]{nE}{$X = 3$}
     \ptreeComment[black!60!green]{nF}{$X = 5$}
\end{forest}

\begin{forest}
    for tree = {%
        sn edges,
        grow'  = 0,
        l      = 2.5cm,
        s sep  = 1.2cm,
        anchor = parent,
    },
    tikz+={
        \coordinate (ptreecomment coord) at (current bounding box.east);
    },
    [
        [$A$
            [$B$, name = nB]
            [$C$, name = nC]
        ]
        [$D$
            [$E$, name = nE]
            [$F$, name = nF]
        ]
    ]
    % 
    \foreach \color/\name/\text in {black/nB/$X = 1$,
                                    red/nC/$X = 3$,
                                    orange/nE/$X = 3$,
                                    black!60!green/nF/$X = 5$}
    {
        \ptreeComment[\color]{\name}{\text}
    }
\end{forest}

\end{document}

On the other hand, the following code works without problem.

\documentclass[12pt]{article}

\RequirePackage{tikz}

\newcommand\test[2][black]{
    Option: #1 et Arg: #2\par
}

\newcommand\colorize[2][black]{
    \textcolor{#1}{#2}\par
}

\begin{document}

\foreach \opt/\arg in {black/nB,red/nC,orange/nE,green/nF}{
    \test[\opt]{\arg}
}

\bigskip

\foreach \opt/\arg in {black/nB,red/nC,orange/nE,green/nF}{
    \colorize[\opt]{\arg}
}

\end{document}

Answer 1

You should be more careful when choosing names for local variables in \foreach:

% xcolor.sty, line 756:
\def\textcolor#1#{\@textcolor{#1}}

% xcolor.sty, line 757:
\def\@textcolor#1#2#3{\protect\leavevmode{\color#1{#2}#3}}

You're using \textcolor, which internally uses \color: if you redefine \color you can't expect that `\textcolor works; actually you clearly see why the color name is printed.

There is a different way to cope with the problem, without using local variables.

\documentclass[12pt]{article}

\usepackage{forest}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\useforestlibrary{linguistics}

\usepackage{xparse}
\ExplSyntaxOn

\NewDocumentCommand{\lforeach}{ s O{} m +m }
 {
  \IfBooleanTF{#1}
   {
    \manual_lforeach:non { #2 } { #3 } { #4 }
   }
   {
    \manual_lforeach:nnn { #2 } { #3 } { #4 }
   }
 }

\int_new:N \g__manual_foreach_map_int

\cs_new_protected:Nn \manual_lforeach:nnn
 {
  \keys_set:nn { manual/lforeach } { single }
  \keys_set:nn { manual/lforeach } { #1 }
  \clist_set:Nn \l__manual_lforeach_list_clist { #2 }
  \int_gincr:N \g__manual_foreach_map_int
  \__manual_lforeach_define:n { #3 }
  \clist_map_inline:Nn \l__manual_lforeach_list_clist
   {
    \use:c { __manual_lforeach_ \int_use:N \g__manual_foreach_map_int _action:w } ##1 \q_stop
   }
  \int_gdecr:N \g__manual_foreach_map_int
 }
\cs_generate_variant:Nn \manual_lforeach:nnn { no }

\cs_new_protected:Nn \__manual_lforeach_define:n
 {
  \exp_last_unbraced:NcV
   \cs_set:Npn
   { __manual_lforeach_ \int_use:N \g__manual_foreach_map_int _action:w }
   \l__manual_lforeach_format_tl
   \q_stop
   {#1}
 }

\keys_define:nn { manual/lforeach }
 {
  format .tl_set:N = \l__manual_lforeach_format_tl,
  single .code:n = \tl_set:Nn \l__manual_lforeach_format_tl { ##1 },
  double .code:n = \tl_set:Nn \l__manual_lforeach_format_tl { ##1/##2 },
  triple .code:n = \tl_set:Nn \l__manual_lforeach_format_tl { ##1/##2/##3 },
 }
\ExplSyntaxOff

\newcommand\ptreeComment[3][black]{%
    \node [anchor=mid west] at (#2.mid -| ptreecomment coord) {%
        \textcolor{#1}{#3}%
    };
}

\begin{document}

\begin{forest}
    for tree = {%
        sn edges,
        grow'  = 0,
        l      = 2.5cm,
        s sep  = 1.2cm,
        anchor = parent,
    },
    tikz+={
        \coordinate (ptreecomment coord) at (current bounding box.east);
    },
    [
        [$A$
            [$B$, name = nB]
            [$C$, name = nC]
        ]
        [$D$
            [$E$, name = nE]
            [$F$, name = nF]
        ]
    ]
    % 
    \lforeach[triple]% triple means #1/#2/#3
     {
      black/nB/$X = 1$,
      red/nC/$X = 3$,
      orange/nE/$X = 3$,
      black!60!green/nF/$X = 5$
     }
     {\ptreeComment[#1]{#2}{#3}}
\end{forest}

\end{document}

The macro \lforeach has an optional argument for stating options; the possible ones are

• single (default), when you only want to cycle over a standard comma separated list;
• double if the list is of the form 1/a,2/b,... and the items before and after the / are referred to with #1 and #2;
• triple if the list is of the form `1/a/i,2/b/ii,... (used in the example);
• format to choose whatever delimiters you wish, with any number of arguments (up to nine, of course); for instance, triple is the same as format=#1/#2/#3.

The *-variant expands once the first mandatory argument (if the list is stored in a macro). The first mandatory argument has the list, the second one has the code to be executed, where instead of “variables” you use #1, #2 and so on.

For instance, you get the same output with

    \lforeach[format=C(#1)N(#2)T(#3)]
     {
      C(black)N(nB)T($X = 1$),
      C(red)N(nC)T($X = 3$),
      C(orange)N(nE)T($X = 3$),
      C(black!60!green)N(nF)T($X = 5$)
     }
     {\ptreeComment[#1]{#2}{#3}}

(this is just for showing the possibilities).

Answer 2

I don't know why you define a function to change nodes when all you have to do is create a style.

Here, I created the my note style which has 3 arguments : color, name, and text.

my note/.style n args={3}{text=#1,name=#2,label={[#1]right:#3}},
my note/.default={black}{}{},

\documentclass[12pt]{article}

\RequirePackage{forest}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\useforestlibrary{linguistics}

%\newcommand\ptreeComment[3][black]{
%    \node [anchor=mid west] at (#2.mid -| ptreecomment coord) {%
%        \textcolor{#1}{#3}%
%    };
%}

\begin{document}

\begin{forest}
my note/.style n args={3}{text=#1,name=#2,label={[#1]right:#3}},
my note/.default={black}{}{},
    for tree = {%
        sn edges,
        grow'  = 0,
        l      = 2.5cm,
        s sep  = 1.2cm,
        anchor = parent,
    },
    tikz+={
        \coordinate (ptreecomment coord) at (current bounding box.east);
    },
    [
        [$A$
            [$B$,my note]
            [$C$,my note ={red}{nC}{$X=3$}]
        ]
        [$D$
            [$E$,my note ={blue}{nE}{$X=3$}]
            [$F$,my note ={black!60!green}{nF}{$X=5$}]
        ]
    ]
    %
%     \ptreeComment{nB}{$X = 1$}
%     \ptreeComment[red]{nC}{$X = 3$}
%     \ptreeComment[orange]{nE}{$X = 3$}
%     \ptreeComment[black!60!green]{nF}{$X = 5$}
\end{forest}

\end{document}

Answer 3

The problem comes indeed from the use of the name \color. The use of \col makes all things work... :-)