Re: How to get numbered lists (1), (2), … ?

[Nick Dokos <nicholas.dokos@hp.com>]

Marius Hofert <marius.hofert@math.ethz.ch> wrote:


> What do you mean by "better solution"? As far as I can tell, your
> approach is precisely what Suvayu pointed to.

No: what Suvayu pointed to can be done with the standard latex exporter,
so it would not require changes to org-list-generic-to-latex. Just add
something like this at the top of your org file:

#+LATEX: \renewcommand{\theenumi}{(\arabic{enumi})}

It's better in that it is simpler. There are drawbacks however: the
above produces lists like this:

(1). foo
(2). bar

with a period after the closing paren.

> Using your approach, of course much more is possible, please look at
> the create "enumitem" package with all its customizations.
> 

That is true: which one is "better" depends on one's requirements (both
the desired output and how much pain one is willing to suffer in order
to get there).

> But this approach is a no-go for me (at least at the moment) mainly
> due to the following reasons (please let me know if I'm wrong, I'm a
> total newbie to org-mode):

> 1) I have about 40 lists in one file. Having to put in special LaTeX
> commands is not an option (maybe on only has to type it in once, but
> then it can easily get overseen, e.g., when you move lists around and
> the one containing the LaTeX commands is not the first one in the
> document anymore)

That's no problem: the LATEX_HEADER line goes in once at the top
of the org file. You can move lists around at will.

> 2) org-mode is basically a "better" text-mode. I don't want to have
> LaTeX code in there if I print it as a .txt file.
> 
> Is there a solution without having to put #+LATEX_HEADER:
> \usepackage{enumerate} before each list? Can this be set anywhere in
> the preferences?
> 

You can customize the latex preamble that org adds to latex files to do
that. The disadvantage is that you get the modified preamble always.
See the org-export-latex-packages-alist variable for one way to do that.

> But I assume that I still have to put in lists in org-mode like this:
> 1.,2.,... or 1),2),... and can't put them in like this (1),(2),...?

Correct: that would require changes to org-list.el I think - but Nicolas
will have to say the final word on this. All the solutions so far work
by modifying the latex output only, not the way you enter the list into
the org file.

Nick

> Hmm... this is indeed a drawback. The latter lists a far better
> visible, they are more consistent with respect to other list types
> such as (i), (ii), etc., and ultimately also with respect to numbering
> of equations. There are probably even more typographic reasons to
> display lists like this. For example, if you refer to a list within a
> theorem environment (which has a label itself) and you use 1.,
> 2.,... lists, then this looks like this:

> Theorem 1.2 2. shows that ...

> The eye hardly sees that one means Theorem 1.2 Part (2). Even worse,
> when reading this, one thinks that the sentence stops after "2.". It's
> really a bad thing, and not getting much better with right-sided
> parentheses.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Marius
> 
> On 2011-10-13, at 21:10 , Nick Dokos wrote:
> 
> > 
> > [ I started this earlier but I guess I didn't send it out. Suvayu has
> >  replied in the meantime with a pointer to a better solution than this
> >  one, but this might be of some minor interest to some people as well -
> >  besides, I spent a whole 20 minutes on it, half of it trying to figure
> >  out why my mail was not working :-( : why let that effort go to
> >  waste?:-) ]
> > 
> > 
> > Marius Hofert <marius.hofert@math.ethz.ch> wrote:
> > 
> >> Dear Suvayu,
> >> 
> >> thanks. 
> >> It would be good to know how latex export can be customized to achieve this.
> >> 
> > 
> > Depends on how much customization you are willing to go through: there is an
> > enumerate.sty package in LaTeX that can do that:
> > 
> > --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> > ...
> > \usepackage{enumerate}
> > ...
> > \begin{enumerate}[(1)]
> > \item foo
> > \item bar
> > \end{enumerate}
> > ...
> > --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> > 
> > Inserting the \usepackage from the org file is no problem:
> > 
> > --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> > #+LATEX_HEADER: \usepackage{enumerate}
> > ...
> > --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> > 
> > 
> > Getting the argument to the enumerate environment in the right place is
> > another matter. I think the only way is to redefine org-list-generic-to-latex
> > like this (add this to your initialization file, .emacs or whatever, after you
> > load org):
> > 
> > --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> > (require 'org-list)
> > 
> > (defun org-list-to-latex (list &optional params)
> >  "Convert LIST into a LaTeX list.
> > LIST is as returned by `org-list-parse-list'.  PARAMS is a property list
> > with overruling parameters for `org-list-to-generic'."
> >  (org-list-to-generic
> >   list
> >   (org-combine-plists
> >    '(:splice nil :ostart "\\begin{enumerate}[(1)]\n" :oend "\\end{enumerate}"
> > 	       :ustart "\\begin{itemize}\n" :uend "\\end{itemize}"
> > 	       :dstart "\\begin{description}\n" :dend "\\end{description}"
> > 	       :dtstart "[" :dtend "] "
> > 	       :istart "\\item " :iend "\n"
> > 	       :icount (let ((enum (nth depth '("i" "ii" "iii" "iv"))))
> > 			 (if enum
> > 			     ;; LaTeX increments counter just before
> > 			     ;; using it, so set it to the desired
> > 			     ;; value, minus one.
> > 			     (format "\\setcounter{enum%s}{%s}\n\\item "
> > 				     enum (1- counter))
> > 			   "\\item "))
> > 	       :csep "\n"
> > 	       :cbon "\\texttt{[X]}" :cboff "\\texttt{[ ]}"
> > 	       :cbtrans "$\\boxminus$")
> >    params)))
> > --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> > 
> > The only change is the definition of :ostart. Not a very flexible method, 
> > but it will serve in a pinch. ngz et al. might have better ideas.
> > 
> > I should say that there are other ways to customize enumeration labels
> > in LaTeX - see e.g. http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=enumerate -
> > but afaict they would all require some rewiring of the above function, similar
> > to the above.
> > 
> > Nick
> > 
> >> Cheers,
> >> 
> >> Marius
> >> 
> >> On 2011-10-13, at 11:37 , suvayu ali wrote:
> >> 
> >>> On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 11:11 AM, Marius Hofert
> >>> <marius.hofert@math.ethz.ch> wrote:
> >>>> Dear all,
> >>>> 
> >>>> In the manual, I found that numbered lists can be created with 1), 2), ... or 1., 2., ...
> >>>> How can I get numbered lists like this: (1), (2),...?
> >>>> I found org-list-demote-modify-bullet, but the help (and a google search) did not help me in finding a solution to this.
> >>>> 
> >>> 
> >>> I don't think you can. But you can customise latex export (maybe even
> >>> html export, but I don't know) to show lists like that in the exported
> >>> file.
> >>> 
> >>> I hope this helps.
> >>> 
> >>>> Cheers,
> >>>> 
> >>>> Marius
> >>>> 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>> -- 
> >>> Suvayu
> >>> 
> >>> Open source is the future. It sets us free.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> 
>