Underscore in URL breaks link in pdf

Question

I have a footnote with a long url containing an underscore, like this:

\footnote{\url{http://www.example.com/somethinglong_somethingotherlong}}

The link appears in the pdf, but it is broken off after the underscore and redirects to http://www.example.com/somethinglong_, which of course gives a page not found error.

How do I solve this? Adding a \ before the underscore doesn't do anything (the backslash just shows up in the pdf). It seems that the same problem was encountered here

URL linebreak in footnote

but I see no answer here as well.

EDIT: I can't use hyperref. Added MWE below.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{ismir,amsmath,cite,url}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage[capitalise]{cleveref}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{alltt}
\usepackage{fixltx2e}

\begin{document}

Some text with a footnote.\footnote{\url{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_Markov_model}}

\end{document}

Please provide a full minimal example? Are you using hyperref or not? If not then it is a previewer problem, where the previewer is trying to interpret the contents of the PDF and attempts to parse the URL and perhaps not doing a good job. In any case it helps if you provide a full minimal example that others can copy and test as is. — daleif, Jun 18 '18 at 11:56
Also it would be useful to have an actual working URL, so that we know when it's not working... — Phelype Oleinik, Jun 18 '18 at 12:00
@rdv - I've posted a new answer to the query URL linebreak in footnote, to mention the use of "defined URLs" for URL strings that occur in the arguments of \footnote and similar directives. (\thanks is such a directive.) — Mico, Jun 18 '18 at 13:50
@jfbu The ismir package is the styleguide that we have to follow. It's not relevant, sorry. I was actually avoiding to use hyperref - I don't want these ugly boxes around the references... — rdv, Jun 18 '18 at 17:34
@rdv these ugly boxes do not show in the printed on paper PDF, and you can always customize their presence on screen. RTFM. — , Jun 18 '18 at 19:03

score 6 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 18 '18 at 13:30

6

Typesetting URL strings in footnotes is known to be tricky at times. It's best to use a defined-URL macro in such cases, using the \urldef machinery of the url package.

Feel free to load the hyperref package as well, so that clicking on the URL string (in a suitable pdf browser, naturally) takes you to the URL in question.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[hyphens,spaces,obeyspaces]{url}
\urldef{\footurl}\url{http://www.example.com/somethinglong_somethingotherlong}

\begin{document}
\footnote{\footurl}  % Use a "defined-URL macro" in the argument of "\footnote"
\end{document}

answered Jun 18 '18 at 13:30

Mico

506,678

1

Tried this, but unfortunately with the same result. – rdv Jun 18 '18 at 15:21
@rdv - "with the same result" -- what do you mean?! The code I posted in my answer works perfectly with the URL string you posted. If the code doesn't work for you, it must be because your code differs in some important ways from mine. E.g., what's the real URL string you're using? Also, please indicate whether or not you load the hyperref package and, if so, how you load it. – Mico Jun 18 '18 at 15:31
@Mico, trying to convey the spirit of this site, may I politely ask you "How is that an answer?". The OP did not complain about a problem with typesetting or breaking the URL, but the fact that from using his/her/its PDF viewer, the hyperlink was truncated. That has nothing to do with typesetting problems your answer is addressing. (notice that I do elaborate on my "How is that an answer?".) – Jun 18 '18 at 17:03
@jfbu - My answer addressed the information the OP provided. If the OP is working with something else, my answer is probably less than fully useful. I'll admit freely to having no psychic capabilities whatsoever. If what the OP posted isn't relevant to the OP, there's nothing I can do about it. Does this address your question? – Mico Jun 18 '18 at 17:12
@Mico, by 'same results' I mean that it breaks in the pdf at the exact same place - after the underscore. I copied your code literally, and it still happens! I'm using the Wikipedia url string, and I am not using the hyperrefpackage. – rdv Jun 18 '18 at 17:38
@Mico And for the record: your answer is helpful (unlike jfbu's remarks making this comment thread messy...) – rdv Jun 18 '18 at 17:40
Oh, and if this wasn't clear: also without using hyperref I can click the other urls in my pdf. – rdv Jun 18 '18 at 17:48
@rdv I made only one remark not "remarks" and you can always flag it for moderator attention. – Jun 18 '18 at 19:02
1

@Mico, yes thanks. It does address exactly my question. – Jun 18 '18 at 19:05
2

@rdv - If you can click on URLs in your LaTeX-produced pdf file without having loaded the hyperref package, it must be because your pdf browser can recognize URLs on its own and make them "active", i.e., clickable. But that's clearly a pdf browser capability, quite separate from LaTeX and any packages which may (or may not) have been loaded. – Mico Jun 18 '18 at 19:20
@Mico - Aha! Learned something new today :) I just added the hyperref package as follows \usepackage[hidelinks]{hyperref}, but this gives me the error 'Option clash for package url. \urldef' at the line starting with \urldef... Also, with or without hyperref, my LaTeX editor (TeXstudio) complains that \footurl is an 'unrecognized command' - although that doesn't stop it from compiling. One way or another, I'm afraid your solution doesn't work for me. – rdv Jun 19 '18 at 06:54
1

@rdv - Do you load hyperref before or after url? (Hint: hyperref must be loaded after url.) Separately, instead of hidelinks, try colorlinks,allcolors=black. Finally, if \footurl isn't a recognized command, it's almost certainly because you didn't run the \urldef instruction exactly as I showed in my answer. – Mico Jun 19 '18 at 07:08
@Mico - I tried both. I also copy-pasted your example verbatim - it just doesn't work for me... Too bad, I can't afford to waste anymore time on this! – rdv Jun 20 '18 at 00:48
1

@rdv - FWIW, it's been rather difficult to figure out what you actually do. In fact, I'm quite sure that I still don't understand what's going on in your document. In retrospect, my mistake was to even attempt to provide an answer without having made you provide all relevant information. Given these failures to communicate, I'm not surprised that you weren't able to resolve the issue that led to you to post this query. Sorry. – Mico Jun 20 '18 at 01:17
@Mico - no need to apologise! You tried :) It just hit me what might be the reason of our confusion: my text has two columns per page (as defined in the ismir package, I assume). In the MWE I left that package out, resulting in one single column per page and a valid, non-split link. Using two columns, however, it doesn't fit anymore. For some strange reason I cannot reproduce the error in a new MWE using two columns - there, the link works as it should. My old example still doesn't, however. – rdv Jun 20 '18 at 19:54

Underscore in URL breaks link in pdf

1 Answers1