3

This code uses LaTeX3, the xparse-package and in particular the \IfNoValueTF command as explained in Will Robertson's answer to the OP "Different command definitions with and without optional argument".

It sounds a little bit strange if you want to use a command called \IfNoValueTF, of which the name seems to suggest it checks for whether or not an argument contains any value, to have to ask a question to force a return as if the check resulted in a "non-value", in a case where in everyday language one would argue there is no non-empty-value in that argument indeed.

But, quite on the contrary ... \IfNoValueTF only seems to check whether or not there are any brackets. Please take a look at the self-explanatory MWE below, which checks whether or not a third argument is included.

Of course, quite possibly I have just misunderstood how to use either \IfNoValueTF or \DeclareDocumentCommand \mainentry { m m o } {%.

MWE

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\DeclareDocumentCommand \mainentry { m m o } {%
  \IfNoValueTF {#3} {%
\Large {\bfseries#1} \endgraf #2 \scriptsize NO \normalsize \vskip 1cm
  }{%
\Large {\bfseries#1} \endgraf #2 \endgraf #3 \scriptsize YES \normalsize \vskip 1cm
  }%
}

\begin{document}

A) There should be a YES here. OK.

\mainentry{
first
}{
second
}[
third
]

B) There should be a NO here. OK.

\mainentry{
first
}{
second
}

C) There should be a NO here. FAIL.

\mainentry{
first
}{
second
}[]

D) There should be a NO here. FAIL.

\mainentry{
first
}{
second
}[
]


E) There should be a NO here. FAIL.

\mainentry{
first
}{
second
}[
%
]

\end{document}
O0123
  • 1,773
  • 3
    A missing argument is not the same as an empty argument or an argument with spaces. If you want to test for a blank argument (empty or only spaces), use \ifblank from etoolbox, or \tl_if_blank:nTF from expl3. – Ulrike Fischer Oct 07 '17 at 13:07
  • Thanks. If you could find some time, I would be interested in an answer. After your comment, I tried using \tl_if_blank:nTF but because I am so unexperienced I couldn't make it happen. – O0123 Oct 07 '17 at 13:25
  • \ExplSyntaxOn \NewDocumentCommand \mainentry { m m O{} } { .. \tl_if_blank:nTF { #3 } { NO } { YES } .. } \ExplSyntaxOff. – Manuel Oct 07 '17 at 13:28
  • Thanks to the both of you. @Manuel Why did have to change { m m o } into { m m O{} } please? – O0123 Oct 07 '17 at 13:37
  • o is something that works precisely for \IfValue tests. O{} is just an optional argument with default empty value (if you did O{asdf} then asdf would be the default value), and with that one you can have a correct \tl_if_blank: test (no optional = blank, optional but empty = blank, optional with something inside = not blank). – Manuel Oct 07 '17 at 13:46
  • If you require a syntax such as \mainentry{a}{b}[], then the final argument is not optional. – egreg Oct 07 '17 at 17:05

1 Answers1

3

As per Ulrike Fischer's comment, combined with Manuel's first comment:

One has to change the lines

\DeclareDocumentCommand \mainentry { m m o } {%
  \IfNoValueTF {#3} {%

into

\DeclareDocumentCommand \mainentry { m m O{} } {%
  \tl_if_blank:nTF { #3 } {%

Manuel's second comment explained that for O{} is just an optional argument with a default empty value.

This works both for blank arguments, arguments with spaces or even arguments of which there are no brackets present.

O0123
  • 1,773
  • Or create an \IfEmptyTF command: \ExplSyntaxOn \cs_set_eq:NN \IfEmptyTF \tl_if_blank:nTF \ExplSyntaxOff. – jon Oct 07 '17 at 14:23
  • Using multiple comments from various people and gluing an answer together is not really kosher, one should rather ask the users to provide an answer –  Oct 07 '17 at 18:52
  • @ChristianHupfer OK. I just thought they didn't want to, as they already answered in the comments ... Users with a very high score have asked me to provide the answer myself before ... I guess they sometimes might be too busy to want to do it themselves. – O0123 Oct 07 '17 at 22:43