4

I’m defining datas in LaTeX with a custom command that stores both a label and a number:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{parskip}

\newcommand{\data}[3]{%
  \expandafter\newcommand\csname #1\endcsname[1][]{#2##1}%
  \expandafter\newcommand\csname #1Number\endcsname{#3}%
}

\newcommand{\getnumber}[1]{%
  \mbox{\textbf{(\csname #1Number\endcsname)}}%
}

\begin{document}

% Vegyületek
\data{tempA}{aaa}{1}
\data{tempB}{bbb}{2}
\data{tempC}{ccc}{3}
\data{tempD}{ddd}{4}
\data{tempE}{eee}{5}
\data{tempF}{fff}{6}

Data: \tempA \newline
Number: \getnumber{tempA}

\end{document}

For a single compound, \getnumber{tempA} outputs (1).

Now I want to create a command that takes a list of compound names and outputs a range summary of their numbers. For example:

\getnumberrange{tempA,tempB,tempC,tempF}  % should produce (1-3,6)

I’m not sure how to iterate over a list of command names, retrieve their numbers, and compress consecutive numbers into ranges. How can I implement this in LaTeX?

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4
  • 1
    You could consider to store them into a l3clist, that is(is automatically rearrange the order) \getnumberrange{tempA,tempC,tempB,tempF} to a clist: 1,3,2,6, and be sorted 1,2,3,6, and use loops to judge whether the next item(clist[i+1]) of clist[i] is clist[i]+1, and replace them with -. But I was not sure what is the exact use of this command, it looks like duplicated wheels in cleveref or zref-clever or cite package.... Commented 12 hours ago
  • 1
    is there a reason not to use latex's standard \label/\ref system here? as @Explorer said, then you could use e.g. zref-clever which can compress and format ranges etc. in addition to this, I think it would help if you could say a bit more about the end goal here. Commented 12 hours ago
  • This quesion is the opposite/dual one of this: tex.stackexchange.com/q/494712/322482 Commented 8 hours ago
  • Mandatory read for this: lambda-lists (documentation of lambda.sty) Commented 5 hours ago

1 Answer 1

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4

Based on my comment, I give an expl3 attempt:

\documentclass{article}
\newcommand{\data}[3]{%
  \expandafter\newcommand\csname#1\endcsname[1][]{#2##1}%
  \expandafter\newcommand\csname#1Number\endcsname{#3}%
}
\ExplSyntaxOn
\cs_new:Npn \__taiwan_getnum:n #1
{
    \cs:w#1Number\cs_end:
}
\newcommand{\getnumber}[1]{%
%   \mbox{\textbf{(\__taiwan_getnum:n {#1})}}%
    \__taiwan_getnum:n {#1}%
}
\clist_new:N \l__taiwan_numrange_clist
\clist_new:N \l__taiwan_num_clist
\tl_new:N \l__taiwan_tmp_tl
\int_new:N \l__taiwan_tmp_int
\int_new:N \l__taiwan_start_int
\cs_new:Npn \__taiwan_getnumrange:n #1
{
    \group_begin:
    \clist_set:Nn \l__taiwan_numrange_clist {#1}
    \clist_clear:N \l__taiwan_num_clist
    \clist_map_inline:Nn \l__taiwan_numrange_clist
    {
        \clist_put_right:Nn \l__taiwan_num_clist {\__taiwan_getnum:n {##1}}%
    }
    \clist_sort:Nn \l__taiwan_num_clist
    {
        \int_compare:nNnTF { ##1 } > { ##2 }
        { \sort_return_swapped: }
        { \sort_return_same: }
    }
    \clist_pop:NN \l__taiwan_num_clist \l__taiwan_tmp_tl
    \int_set:Nn \l__taiwan_tmp_int { \l__taiwan_tmp_tl }
    \int_set:Nn \l__taiwan_start_int { \l__taiwan_tmp_tl }
    \clist_map_inline:Nn \l__taiwan_num_clist
    {
        \int_compare:nNnTF { ##1 } = { \int_eval:n { \l__taiwan_tmp_int + 1 } }
        {
            % consecutive
            \int_set:Nn \l__taiwan_tmp_int { ##1 }
        }
        {
            % not consecutive
            \int_compare:nNnTF { \l__taiwan_start_int } = { \l__taiwan_tmp_int }
            {
                % single number
                ~\int_use:N \l__taiwan_start_int ,
            }
            {
                % range
                ~ \int_use:N \l__taiwan_start_int -- \int_use:N \l__taiwan_tmp_int ,
            }
            \int_set:Nn \l__taiwan_start_int { ##1 }
            \int_set:Nn \l__taiwan_tmp_int { ##1 }
        }
    }
    \int_compare:nNnTF { \l__taiwan_start_int } = { \l__taiwan_tmp_int }
    {
        ~\int_use:N \l__taiwan_start_int
    }
    {
        ~ \int_use:N \l__taiwan_start_int -- \int_use:N \l__taiwan_tmp_int
    }
    \group_end:
}
\newcommand{\getnumberrange}[1]{%
    \__taiwan_getnumrange:n {#1}
}
\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\data{tempA}{aaa}{1}
\data{tempB}{bbb}{2}
\data{tempC}{ccc}{3}
\data{tempD}{ddd}{4}
\data{tempE}{eee}{5}
\data{tempF}{fff}{6}

Data: \tempA 

Number: \getnumber{tempA} and \getnumber{tempD} 

Number Range: \getnumberrange{tempA,tempE,tempF,tempC}

Number Range: \getnumberrange{tempA,tempC,tempE}

Number Range: \getnumberrange{tempD,tempC}

Number Range: \getnumberrange{tempA,tempE,tempF,tempC,tempB,tempD}

Number Range: \getnumberrange{tempA,tempE,tempF,tempB,tempD}

\end{document}

result

Noted that I don't think I did a good job, as cfr also mentioned at here, there are similar achievement in zref-clever or cite to privide similar option named sort&compress, the above is probably reinvent-ing the wheels(NO!), so just regard it as my latex3 exercise. As for the () outside the outcome, you can add it on your own.

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