Special macro definition (2opt, 1mand)

Question

How can you define a macro \cmd in TeX primitives using two optional arguments (and a mandatory one) that fulfills the property that calling \cmd[opt]{mand} is equivalent to \cmd[][opt]{mand}. Yet, I only managed to create this macro with beeing \cmd[opt]{mand} an equivalent call to \cmd[opt][]{mand}. I don't really get which kind of questions I have to propose to TeX in order to achieve what I have in mind. Do you have any suggestions?

Welcome to TeX.sx! A tip: You can use backticks ``` to mark your inline code as I did in my edit. Why don't you post the code you have produced so far? — jub0bs, Apr 24 '13 at 22:50
I'm confused: you tagged the question with {plain-tex} but also with {etoolbox} which is a LaTeX package: do you want a plain TeX solution or are LaTeX macros or even etoolbox' macros allowed? — cgnieder, Apr 24 '13 at 22:57
Have you seen More than one optional argument for newcommand? — doncherry, Apr 24 '13 at 23:00
Ok. I understand your point. An explanation: I am looking for a Plain TeX solution in the first place, but one can never know (especially when someone does not have deep insights into the system, like me) if there is another solution. As far as etoolbox provides a bunch of if conditionals, i thaught that there could be a way to solve the problem in LaTeX style. — Ruben, Apr 25 '13 at 07:55
@Ruben There are a few subtleties in optional arguments; for instance, in my answer I made no attempt at eating possible white space between the optional arguments. Moreover you should specify whether you want to use defaults for unexpressed optional arguments (this would be easily accommodated). — egreg, Apr 25 '13 at 13:17

egreg · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-24T23:20:52.427

Here's a way, although it's not clear what you really would like to achieve.

\long\def\firstoftwo#1#2{#1}
\long\def\secondoftwo#1#2{#2}

\def\cmd{\futurelet\next\cmdi}
\def\cmdi{%
  \ifx\next[%
    \expandafter\firstoftwo
  \else
    \expandafter\secondoftwo
  \fi
  {\cmdopt}%
  {\cmdx[][]}%
}
\def\cmdopt[#1]{\def\firstopt{#1}%
  \futurelet\next\cmdoptii}
\def\cmdoptii{%
  \ifx\next[%
    \expandafter\firstoftwo
  \else
    \expandafter\secondoftwo
  \fi
  {\expandafter\cmdx\expandafter[\firstopt]}%
  {\expandafter\cmdx\expandafter[\expandafter]\expandafter[\firstopt]}%
}

\def\cmdx[#1][#2]#3{%
  \par\noindent{\tt\string\cmd} called with:\par
  first optional argument=#1;\par
  second optional argument=#2;\par
  mandatory argument=#3\par}

\cmd{abc}
\cmd[opt1]{abc}
\cmd[opt1][opt2]{abc}

\bye

enter image description here

I think, he wants the second of two in \cmdoptii to be {\expandafter\cmdx\expandafter[\expandafter]\expandafter[\firstopt]}%. — Qrrbrbirlbel, Apr 24 '13 at 23:17

score 5 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 10 '20 at 12:32

Here is a way to do what I think you desire with the xparse package:

enter image description here

Notes:

In actual usage you need to replace the \{ and \} with a { and }. I used the escaped versions in order to generate the output.

Code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}
\NewDocumentCommand{\MyCommand}{o o m}{%
    \IfNoValueTF{#1}{%
        Command{#3}%  No optional parameters specified
    }{%
        % Optional parameters specified.

        % Now need to check if #2 was provided.
        \IfNoValueTF{#2}{%
            Command[ ][#1]{#3}%  #2 NOT provided
        }{%
            Command[#1][#2]{#3}% Both #1 and #2 provided.
        }%
    }%
}
\begin{document}
\MyCommand{no optional paramters}
\MyCommand[optional param1]{one optional paramater}
\MyCommand[optional param1][optional param2]{two optional paramaters}
\end{document}

score 4 · Answer 3 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

Alright, we’ve got the asked plain-tex answer from egreg, we’ve got two rather confusing LaTeX3/xparse answers from Peter Grill and Werner; I’ll throw my LaTeX2 solution in the hat, too.

It uses \kernel@ifnextchar.

Code

\documentclass{article}
\makeatletter
% a)
%\newcommand*{\cmd}[1][]{\kernel@ifnextchar[{\cmd@@[{#1}]}{\cmd@@[][{#1}]}}
% or b)
\def\cmd{\kernel@ifnextchar[\cmd@{\cmd@[]}}
\def\cmd@[#1]{\kernel@ifnextchar[{\cmd@@[{#1}]}{\cmd@@[][{#1}]}}
% a) and b)
\def\cmd@@[#1][#2]#3{opt 1 $\to$ \texttt{#1}; opt 2 $\to$ \texttt{#2}; man $\to$ \texttt{#3}\par}
\makeatother
\begin{document}
\cmd{abc} %             -> \cmd@@[][]{abc}
\cmd[opt1]{abc} %       -> \cmd@@[][opt1]{abc}
\cmd[opt1][opt2]{abc} % -> \cmd@@[opt1][opt2]{abc}
\end{document}

Output

enter image description here

score 3 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

Here's an answer based on this great answer. Basically, you use two \newcommands with one optional argument each, and have one call the other. There is a bit of a complication in distinguishing when the second one is simply missing or is present but empty; I have stolen (rather clumsily) the LaTeX3 approach of using -NoValue- as the indicator for the former, so that the second and fourth examples below return different results.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{etoolbox}

\newcommand*\cmd[1][]{%
  \def\argi{#1}%
  \cmdA
}
% Default stolen from LaTeX3, badly
\newcommand*\cmdA[2][-NoValue-]{%
  \def\argii{#1}%
  \ifdefstring{\argii}{-NoValue-}{%
    \let\argii\argi
    \let\argi\empty
  }{}%
  Arg 1: \argi,
  Arg 2: \argii,
  Mandatory arg: #2%
}

\begin{document}

\cmd{x}

\cmd[a]{x}

\cmd[][a]{x}

\cmd[a][]{x}

\cmd[a][b]{x}

\end{document}

Special macro definition (2opt, 1mand)

4 Answers4

Notes:

Code:

Code

Output