Questions tagged [optional-arguments]
{optional-arguments} concerns commands and environments that accept optional arguments. For example the \sqrt command can be used as \sqrt[3]{x}.
9
votes
2answers
366 views
Euler and minus sign
I'm trying to define a macro to typeset Eulers complex e-power with or without a minus sign in its argument. I would like the macro to automatically detect if its argument starts with a -. I have the ...
16
votes
2answers
704 views
Why do people specify date as an option for \usepackage?
In LaTeX code written by other people, I sometimes see a date specified as an optional argument for \usepackage:
\usepackage{iftex}[2013/04/04]
Intuition tells me that this is some way to ensure ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Using optional argument in closing statement of new environment
The answer 969/29410 showed that it is possible to use optional arguments in environment definitions:
\documentclass{article}
\newenvironment{hello}[1][world]{\noindent Hello #1, }{Bye now!\\}
\begin{...
1
vote
1answer
31 views
Creating a custom definition environment, with an optional argument and non default punctuation
This seems like it should be the most basic question, but I can't find a comprehensible answer on the site, I'm afraid. I'm trying to define a definition environment that
1) replaces the ...
3
votes
3answers
86 views
Different behavior if no arguments
This is similar, but not a duplicate of Special behavior if optional argument is not passed and Different macro behavior when supplied an argument.
I want to define a macro \XXX such that \XXX{1} and ...
2
votes
1answer
33 views
Command defined with \NewDocumentCommand and specifiers {O{strict} m} not receiving all of the mandatory parameter
I defined a command using \NewDocumentCommand with specifiers {O{strict} m}. I expected #1 to default to strict when calling the command with only a parameter enclosed in {}, and to pick up all of the ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
Pass option to each occurence of command (especially \printbibliography with biblatex)
In a large book with many sub-bibliographies, I want to ensure that crucial bibchecks are executed at every call to \printbibliography. Normally, one would simply call \printbibliography[check=...] ...
5
votes
1answer
71 views
Fail to pass arguments to orbital module of chemmacros when used inside chemfig
While illustrating atomic orbitals for 1,3-butadiene guided by examples in chemmacros' manual, I receive the following error:
Argument of \orbital has an extra }. }
MWE:
\documentclass{article}
\...
1
vote
2answers
35 views
Arrival atom numbering doesn't work with \chemabove
Consider the following MWE:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{chemfig}
\begin{document}
\chemfig{
X
-[:30,,,2]^{18}\chemabove{O}{H}
-[:-30]X
}
\end{document}
This code returns an ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
Using command with optional arguments inside tikzcd arrows
I have defined a command for the jacobian matrix, such as follows
\newcommand{\Jacobian}[2][]{\operatorname{J}_{#1}{#2}}
The problem comes if I try to use it inside a tikzcd arrow, probably because ...
2
votes
1answer
23 views
How to correctly convert size passed as argument to an environment?
I am trying and failing to adapt diagrams-latex.sty to do what I want. It takes optional parameters width and height that are passed on to an external script, but wants them as a dimensionless value ...
1
vote
1answer
71 views
How do I draw an optionally colored circle/square/ellipse around a symbol
In this thread, @HenriMenke showed how to put a circle around a symbol. It's easy to modify his code to color the circle, see below, but I don't understand how to make the color an optional ...
7
votes
2answers
165 views
How to define a comma separated list of arguments for includegraphics
I have a large set of pictures, and I want to apply predefined settings to each using the optional argument of the \includegraphics macro from the graphicx package.
I would like to define the ...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
Add optional argument to new environment template
I'm attempting to create two new environments, one for writing exercises and another for its solutions, with the following characteristics:
The Exercise environment should have:
By default, have no ...
0
votes
2answers
151 views
AUCTeX prompting for optional arguments
My general question: is there a way to get AUCTeX to prompt me automatically for an optional argument of a command when I invoke it with TeX-insert-macro (i.e. C-cRET)? (like it does when you invoke, ...
1
vote
1answer
93 views
LaTeX Grammar and Nesting Rule
Is there any grammar and rule describing the allowed nestings and combinations and the allowed format of the arguments in LaTeX? E.g.
\section{\verb|mySec|}
\section{\begin{huge}mySec\end{huge}}
\...
7
votes
2answers
264 views
How to define a command with two optional arguments?
I would like to have a single command that can take either 1, 2, or 3 arguments and do something different for each number of arguments.
\c{a} -> C_a
\c{a}{b} -> C_{a}^{[b]}
\c{a}{b}{c}...
3
votes
1answer
45 views
Tikzcd: set description option in labels of arrows as default
I want all arrows in my tikzcd diagrams to have labels over them, as in the example below.
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz-cd}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzcd}[sep = large]
T
\arrow[drr, ...
3
votes
1answer
63 views
How to pass tikz code as an argument?
I want to prepare an environment to show a view of a display and use some tikz code as an optional argument to mark some things on it. The first "screen" shows result with hardcoded nodes but I need ...
2
votes
1answer
81 views
2
votes
1answer
62 views
Nested xparse Macros
I often have a macro defined with with various optional parameters such as
\NewDocumentCommand{\GenericWebSite}{s O{blue} o m e_}{<code>}
and want to define a small variant of this macro, ...
6
votes
2answers
197 views
Optional Arguments for Macros Called within Tikz Matrix
I am trying to set up a tikz matrix (actually, in this case, a tikz-cd) where I call different macros within the cells, which will determine the content that appears. This all works fine provided I ...
3
votes
1answer
39 views
Access optional item label when defining label style with enumitem
I want to define a personalized description environment, which adds a boldface and brackets around the label name, so I'm using enumitem:
\newlist{named}{description}{1}
\setlist[named]{label=\textbf{...
1
vote
2answers
71 views
Best way to craft custom command with 4 optional arguments
I would like to make a command that produces the following results
\myquantity[Q]
\myquantity[Q][i]
\myquantity[Q][][j]
\myquantity[Q][i][j]
\myquantity[Q][i][j][\bar]
\myquantity[Q][][][\bar]
\...
5
votes
2answers
87 views
Odd custom theorem behavior when trying to set default value of optional argument
MWE:
\documentclass{book}
\usepackage{amsthm}
\usepackage{enumitem}
\usepackage{xparse}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\newtheoremstyle{fctaylor}% name
{\topsep}% Space above
{\...
2
votes
1answer
62 views
optional argument
I want a macro that takes an optional argument.
If nothing is passed, it produces G.
If i is passed, it produces G_{p_i}.
The following code however is facing some error "Can't use '\spacefactor' ...
5
votes
5answers
622 views
Is there a LaTeX recommended standard for commands with optional arguments?
According to LaTeX standards, the optional arguments of a command come before the mandatory ones. For example:
\command[optional]{mandatory}
Is it recommended to always follow this scheme? Is there ...
4
votes
2answers
61 views
Not using optional argument makes environment break
I'm defining a wrapper environment for filecontents so that I can modify its behaviour.
Everything works fine for most of the test cases. For example, I define an environment testenv which takes one ...
1
vote
1answer
25 views
Input length sensitive optional argument macro
I wrote the following macro, that prints C_0^*.
But I wanted to push the position of * little high, hence used strut.
I also wanted optional argument i.e. C^* and C_0^* can be handled by same macro. ...
1
vote
0answers
27 views
Combining mhchem and chemnum with an optional argument? [duplicate]
I am trying to combine two packages in to a new command. The problem I have come across is when trying to add an optional parameter.
I want to be able to have 2 parameters with the second parameter ...
12
votes
2answers
254 views
Tabular ignoring optional parameter to \\
In a basic tabular environment it seems that the optional parameter to \\ sometime has no effect. For instance, why is there no additional vertical spacing following the highlighted lines even though ...
2
votes
3answers
56 views
Custom command with addressable arguments
I know about \newcommand[<arg_num>]{#1 ... #n} to define a simple macro with up to nine arguments. (More if you link multiple newcommands together)
I recently started to look at xparse for ...
2
votes
1answer
133 views
Modifying argument in macro
I need to modify an argument of macro.
For example #4 equals to 1.1 Optimal solution of RNASP
When I write Figure #4, output is this:
Figure 1.1 Optimal solution of RNASP
But I need this:
Figure 1....
1
vote
0answers
75 views
LuaTeX: matrix in equation trows “missing number, treaded as zero” Error [closed]
Solved: I had declared an algorithm just before this equation, in it I did set \SetKwArray{array}{array}. I changed it to \SetKwArray{arraq}{array}, works fine now.
This is my document. It throws ...
3
votes
1answer
49 views
newcommand says missing number
I plan to write a command which rounds a number with n digits. n is an optional argument and it is 2 by default. However, I keep receiving error message:
Missing number, treated as zero. Let's see ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
Different command definitions with more than one optional arguments arguments
I was reading the following post Different command definitions with and without optional argument on how to implement Different command definitions with and without optional argument. The example ...
1
vote
1answer
102 views
How to change fontspec’s default options
How can I change the default font features for the fontspec package? For example, I have a lot of definitions like:
\setromanfont{FontName}[
Path = ../fonts/,
Extension = .otf,
ItalicFont ...
2
votes
1answer
183 views
LuaTeX: Call a Lua function with two optional arguments
I've read More than one optional argument for newcommand and I chose the answer with xargs. I would like to pass a second optional argument to the Lua function. But the first of the two commented \...
2
votes
1answer
37 views
empty options [] in pgfplots
I am curious why specifying empty options ([]) is different from not specifying options at all. Eg consider the MWE which produces
\documentclass[tikz]{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{...
2
votes
2answers
46 views
Use includegraphics with optional argument in environment end
I am trying to define an environment that calls an external command to draw pdfs based on the contents of the environment, and include the output.
Now I also want to be able to pass on the width and ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
Autoref with optional argument text *in generated link*
Related to Autoref with optional argument, I would like to define an (optional) argument to \autoref that appears after the regular autoref printout, but within the actual link that is generated by \...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
\let on macro defined by \newcommand with optional argument [duplicate]
Suppose we have
\newcommand{\foo}[2][optional]{#1 #2}
defined somewhere (e.g. some package) and want to redefine it and re-use the original definition. This usually works with \let like described in ...
0
votes
0answers
66 views
How to create named variables in Latex [duplicate]
I just came across this example command:
\newcommand{\tstar}[5]{% inner radius, outer radius, tips, rot angle, options
\pgfmathsetmacro{\starangle}{360/#3}
\draw[#5] (#4:#1)
\foreach \x in {1,.....
2
votes
1answer
73 views
Autoref with optional argument
Something I have always wanted to do is use \autoref with an optional argument, similarly to the use that is often made of \cite: I would like to be able to write \autoref[comment]{label}, to obtain [...
2
votes
2answers
113 views
! Package keyval Error: language={bash},numbers=left undefined
The following M(n)WE gives me the message:
! Package keyval Error: language={bash},numbers=left undefined.
Seems like the Key-Values are not being defined in my variable properly?
\documentclass{...
4
votes
4answers
230 views
Macro for open balls similar to mathool's DeclarePairedDelimiterX
I would like to create a macro \openball[<optional size>]{<radius>}{<center>} producing
\mathrm{B}_{<radius>}^\circ \lparen <center> \rparen
if no optional argument is ...
1
vote
2answers
33 views
Simplify setting the same properties multiple times
I just found myself having figures that include multiple image files with the exact same options. Is there a way to avoid this repetition? (That would also make it less cumbersome to change these ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
commandx optional arguments
I have a custom command for the package todonotes
\newcommandx{\custom}[3][1=]{\todo[#1,author=#2]{#3}}
which is supposed to be used like:
\custom[inline]{author1,some comments}
Instead, it raises ...
1
vote
1answer
46 views
Add Rows to Table With Macro (calc fields result the same for each row)
I use as template macro from this articale: Add Rows to Table With Macro.
All work fine if values in cells not to calculate. But othewise results of calculation is the same for each row. How to avoid ...
4
votes
1answer
35 views
Colouring text doen't work in newcommand definition
I am trying to define a new \note command based on todonotes and changes packages but I'm having troubles with the optional selected text styling. I want it to be coloured based on the changes ID ...
