Variables for hiding or showing text in Latex

Question

I would like to have some variables for showing or hiding text in Latex.

For example, I would like to have two versions of a document. A short version and a long version by changing a variable at the top of the latex document.

For example:

I want to set a variable long - true

and in the text I would like to use if long == true show text (long version) else if false do not show the text (short version).

Any examples?

You might like the tagging package, wich was created by one of our users (Brent Longborough), also have a look at this question. — Tom Bombadil, Jun 05 '12 at 11:12
use the package comment. It allows to handle different parts of the document. You'll get the documentation with texdoc comment — , Jun 05 '12 at 11:23

Alain Matthes · Answer 1 · 2012-06-05T11:05:14.930

63

\documentclass{article} 
\usepackage{lipsum}    
\newif\iflong

\begin{document}

  \longtrue   
  \iflong \lipsum[1] \else short version \fi 

  \longfalse
  \iflong \lipsum[1] \else short version \fi 
\end{document}

With ifthen

\documentclass{article} 
\usepackage{ifthen}
\newboolean{long}   

\begin{document}

\setboolean{long}{false}   
\ifthenelse{\boolean{long}}{long version}{short version} 

\setboolean{long}{true}
\ifthenelse{\boolean{long}}{long version}{short version}  
\end{document}

edited Jun 05 '12 at 11:05

answered Jun 05 '12 at 10:59

Alain Matthes

95,075

2

link to ifthen: https://www.ctan.org/pkg/ifthen – myrdd May 23 '19 at 07:24

score 18 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 05 '12 at 11:29

I second Herbert on using the comment package. :) Here's a possible solution with etoolbox and \iftoggle{<name>}{<true>}{<false>}:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{etoolbox}

\providetoggle{long}
\settoggle{long}{true}

\begin{document}

\iftoggle{long}{Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air.}%
{And deep beneath the rolling waves in labyrinths of coral caves.}

\end{document}

There's also \nottoggle{<name>}{<not true>}{<not false>} which negates the test.

score 6 · Answer 3 · edited Jan 14 '21 at 11:10

6

A solution which does not require loading a package is

\documentclass{article}
\newif\iflong
\longtrue % switch to false in short version
\newcommand{\inLongVersion}[1]{\iflong #1\fi}
\begin{document}
Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air. %
\inLongVersion{And deep beneath the rolling waves in labyrinths of coral caves.}
\end{document}

edited Jan 14 '21 at 11:10

CampanIgnis

4,624

answered Jan 14 '21 at 10:21

Mullvadsungen

358

Variables for hiding or showing text in Latex

3 Answers3

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