Automatically set command for each capital letter in `\mathsf`, `\mathbb`, and `\mathcal`

Question

I typically create new commands for every capital letter in \mathsf, \mathbb, and \mathcal.

# Sans-serif capital letters
\newcommand{\Asf}{\mathsf{A}}
\newcommand{\Bsf}{\mathsf{B}}
.
.
.
\newcommand}{\Zsf}{\mathsf{Z}}
Bold math capital letters
\newcommand{\Abb}{\mathbb{A}}
\newcommand{\Bbb}{\mathbb{B}}
.
.
.
\newcommand{\Zbb}{\mathbb{Z}}

Is it possible to do this automatically in a for loop?

yes you could but is \Abb really easier than \mathbb A or (even) \bb A which just needs \let\bb\mathbb — David Carlisle, Sep 20 '23 at 15:54
Related: Help on an expl3 command for building shortcuts for math macros — Werner, Sep 20 '23 at 16:31
don't you get an error for \newcommand{\Bbb}{\mathbb{B}} ? — David Carlisle, Sep 20 '23 at 16:41
@DavidCarlisle: Remember, this is Overleaf. So error reporting is somewhat hidden. — Werner, Sep 20 '23 at 16:45
only if you ignore big red circles with an error count. @Werner — David Carlisle, Sep 20 '23 at 16:46
I added a more general method tailored for your case at https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/564222/4427 — egreg, Sep 20 '23 at 17:12
@DavidCarlisle I do get an error for it, seems like it's already defined. Is it an important variable? — Physics_Student, Sep 20 '23 at 23:01
never ignore errors, after any error if you scroll past it, any generated pdf is at best a debugging aid, not usable. \Bbb is an old command to access blackboard bold, kept for compatibility, if you redefine it you break any code (perhaps in a package) that is using it, so it is up to you to check, I can't tell you if it breaks anything in your document @Physics_Student — David Carlisle, Sep 20 '23 at 23:08

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 20 '23 at 16:19

I wouldn't do this but

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\let\Bbb\relax% sigh
\ExplSyntaxOn
\clist_map_inline:nn
{sf,bb,cal}
{\int_step_inline:nnn {`A} {`Z} 
{
\cs_new:cpn{
  \char_generate:nn{##1}{12}#1}{\cs:w math#1\cs_end
                                              {\char_generate:nn{##1}{12}}}}
}
\ExplSyntaxOff
\begin{document}
$ \Qbb + \Zsf $
\end{document}

Automatically set command for each capital letter in `\mathsf`, `\mathbb`, and `\mathcal`

Bold math capital letters

1 Answers1