How to generate summary table automatically?

Question

I have to generate a summary of impacts and actions in many enviromental reports. Sometimes there are two or more impacts in the analyses, so I have to create the lines manually in the table. Is there a smarter way to create this table, without define a lot of newcommands?

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\usepackage{nameref}

\begin{document}


\section{Impacts on the Environment}

\subsection{Air quality}
\label{sec:air}

Analysis of air quality.

%conclusion
\newcommand{\ImpactAir}{Wood burning}

\newcommand{\CountermeasureAir}{Sleeve filter installation}


\textbf{Impact}: \ifstrempty{\ImpactAir}{Not applicable.}{\ImpactAir}   

\textbf{Countermeasure}: \ifstrempty{\CountermeasureAir}{Not applicable.}{\CountermeasureAir}

\subsection{Water resources}
\label{sec:water}

Analysis of water resources.

%conclusion

\newcommand{\ImpactWater}{}

\newcommand{\CountermeasureWater}{}

\textbf{Impact}: \ifstrempty{\ImpactWater}{Not applicable.}{\ImpactWater} 

\textbf{Countermeasure}: \ifstrempty{\CountermeasureWater}{Not applicable.}{\CountermeasureWater}


\subsection{Noise level}
\label{sec:noise}

Analysis of noise level.

%conclusion

\newcommand{\ImpactNoise}{High noise level}

\newcommand{\CountermeasureNoise}{Acoustic engine insulation}


\textbf{Impact}: \ifstrempty{\ImpactNoise}{Not applicable.}{\ImpactNoise} 

\textbf{Countermeasure}: \ifstrempty{\CountermeasureNoise}{Not applicable.}{\CountermeasureNoise}\\


\section{Conclusion}

A succinct conclusion. See Table \ref{tab:sumary}.

\begin{table}[htb!]
\centering
\caption{Summary of impacts and countermeasures}
\label{tab:sumary}
\begin{tabular}{lll}
\hline
\textbf{Analyse} & \textbf{Impact} & \textbf{Countermeasure}\\
\hline
\nameref{sec:air}   & \ifstrempty{\ImpactAir}{-}{\ImpactAir}     & \ifstrempty{\CountermeasureAir}{-}{\CountermeasureAir}\\
\nameref{sec:water} & \ifstrempty{\ImpactWater}{-}{\ImpactWater} & \ifstrempty{\CountermeasureWater}{-}{\CountermeasureWater} \\
\nameref{sec:noise} & \ifstrempty{\ImpactNoise}{-}{\ImpactNoise} & \ifstrempty{\CountermeasureNoise}{-}{\CountermeasureNoise}\\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

\end{document}

A little detail, the command \ifstrempty doesn't work like expected. How to expand it?

Answer 1

You can use expl3's property lists to store the data for you, and then loop through the items in the property list to lay the table out.

I defined a command \DeclareImpact{<label>}{<impact>}{<countermeasure>}, which replaces your \newcommand{\Impact<label>}{<impact>} and \newcommand{\Countermeasure<label>}{<countermeasure>}.

After a <label> is defined with that you can use \impact{<label>} and \countermeasure{<label>} to retrieve the stored texts. If the <label> was never defined, then a fallback text (default Not applicable) is returned.

I also defined a \TableBody{<list-of-labels>} command which takes a <list-of-labels> and typesets the table body based on a template given to \SetRowFormat (the argument of \SetRowFormat is used once for each <label> in the <list-of-labels>).

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{nameref}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{xparse}
\ExplSyntaxOn
\prop_new:N \g__leonardo_impact_prop
\prop_new:N \g__leonardo_counter_prop
\makeatletter
\NewDocumentCommand \DeclareImpact { m +m +m }
  {
    \@bsphack
      \prop_gput:Nnn \g__leonardo_impact_prop {#1} {#2}
      \prop_gput:Nnn \g__leonardo_counter_prop {#1} {#3}
    \@esphack
  }
\makeatother
\NewExpandableDocumentCommand \impact { O{Not~applicable} m }
  {
    \prop_if_in:NnTF \g__leonardo_impact_prop {#2}
      { \prop_item:Nn \g__leonardo_impact_prop {#2} }
      { \exp_not:n {#1} }
  }
\NewExpandableDocumentCommand \countermeasure { O{Not~applicable} m }
  {
    \prop_if_in:NnTF \g__leonardo_counter_prop {#2}
      { \prop_item:Nn \g__leonardo_counter_prop {#2} }
      { \exp_not:n {#1} }
  }
%
\NewExpandableDocumentCommand \TableBody { m }
  { \clist_map_function:nN {#1} \__leonardo_table_row:n }
\NewDocumentCommand \SetRowFormat { m }
  { \cs_gset:Npn \__leonardo_table_row:n ##1 {#1} }
\cs_new_eq:NN \StrLowerCase \str_lowercase:n
\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\section{Impacts on the Environment}
\subsection{Air quality}
\label{sec:air}
Analises of air quality.
\DeclareImpact{Air}{Wood burning}{Sleeve filter installation}

\textbf{Impact}: \impact{Air}

\textbf{Countermeasure}: \countermeasure{Air}

\subsection{Water resources}
\label{sec:water}
Analises of water resources.

\textbf{Impact}: \impact{Water}

\textbf{Countermeasure}: \countermeasure{Water}

\subsection{Noise level}
\label{sec:noise}
Analises of noise level.
\DeclareImpact{Noise}{High noise level}{Acoustic engine insulation}

\textbf{Impact}: \impact{Noise}

\textbf{Countermeasure}: \countermeasure{Noise}

\section{Conclusion}
A succinct conclusion. See Table \ref{tab:sumary}.

% Set table row format:
\SetRowFormat
  {%
    \nameref{sec:\StrLowerCase{#1}}
  & \impact[--]{#1}
  & \countermeasure[--]{#1} \\
  }

\begin{table}[htb!]
  \centering
  \caption{Summary of impacts and countermeasures}
  \label{tab:sumary}
  \begin{tabular}{lll}
    \toprule
      \textbf{Analyse} & \textbf{Impact} & \textbf{Countermeasure}\\
    \midrule
      \TableBody{Air,Water,Noise}
    \bottomrule
  \end{tabular}
\end{table}

\end{document}