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The following MWE works as I expect but when I make certain changes I get errors:

  1. If I introduce say \textbf{something} within a \solution{} say \solution{\textbf{xx}}.
  2. If I change \theenumi to \textbf{\theenumi}

Probably both issues are the same problem.

The MWE below is based on the work from Write the value of enumerate to output file.

\documentclass{article}

\makeatletter
 \newwrite\solutions@file
 \newcommand{\collectSolutions}{\immediate\openout\solutions@file=\jobname.sol}
 \newcommand{\solution}[1]{\immediate\write\solutions@file{\theenumi #1}}
 \newcommand\printSolutions{\immediate\closeout\solutions@file{\input{\jobname.sol}}}
\makeatother


\begin{document}
\collectSolutions

\begin{enumerate}
    \item hello \solution{xx}
    \item hello \solution{xx}
    \item hello \solution{xx}
\end{enumerate}

\printSolutions
\end{document}
Geoff
  • 2,637
  • Try \solution{\noexpand\textbf{xx}} – koleygr Aug 25 '19 at 09:37
  • @koleygr This does indeed work but since I need xx to represent any latex code I don't want to have to noexpand every \ . Perhaps this can be done in general? I tried it in the definition of \solution but it didn't work. – Geoff Aug 25 '19 at 11:12
  • Try \newcommand{\solution}[1]{\immediate\write\solutions@file{\theenumi \unexpanded{#1}}} – koleygr Aug 25 '19 at 11:24
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    Ooh that seemed to work! I then did \noexpand\textbf\theenumi\unexpanded{#1}} and it solved both of my questions! – Geoff Aug 25 '19 at 11:29
  • I tested too and show that ... Thus... removed the comment. – koleygr Aug 25 '19 at 11:34

1 Answers1

2

The solution has to be expanded when will be printed through \printSolutions command.

So, try:

\newcommand{\solution}[1]{\immediate\write\solutions@file{\theenumi \unexpanded{#1}}}

This way the content of the file will be expanded at the time that will be "input"-ed by the command \printSolutions.

Edit: As you found out, \noexpand is also needed to keep the \theenumi value like:

\newcommand{\solution}[1]{\immediate\write\solutions@file{\noexpand\textbf{\theenumi} \unexpanded{#1}}}
koleygr
  • 20,105
  • 1
    I like this. My final comment above combined both of your ideas. It's confusing that in one case the solution is \noexpand and the other it is \unexpanded. – Geoff Aug 25 '19 at 11:32
  • Yes ... I thought for a minute that you could add \theenumi inside the \unexpanded command but it will expand only with the last value of it. – koleygr Aug 25 '19 at 11:34