Keywords: manual

# fmtcount.sty v1.3: Displaying the Values of LaTeX Counters

Nicola L.C. Talbot
School of Computing Sciences
University of East Anglia
Norwich. NR4 7TJ.
United Kingdom.
`http://theoval.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~nlct/`

20 Aug 2007

## Contents

- Introduction
- Installation
- Available Commands
- Package Options
- Multilingual Support
- Configuration File fmtcount.cfg
- LaTeX2HTML style
- Acknowledgements
- Troubleshooting

# Introduction

The `fmtcount` package provides commands to display the values of LaTeX counters in a variety of formats. It also provides equivalent commands for actual numbers rather than counter names. Limited multilingual support is available. Currently, there is only support for English, French (including Belgian and Swiss variations), Spanish, Portuguese and German.

# Installation

This package is distributed with the files `fmtcount.dtx` and `fmtcount.ins`. To extract the code do:

    latex fmtcount.ins

This will create the files `fmtcount.sty` and `fmtcount.perl`, along with several `.def` files. Place `fmtcount.sty` and the `.def` files somewhere where LaTeX will find them (e.g. `texmf/tex/latex/fmtcount/`) and place `fmtcount.perl` somewhere where LaTeX2HTML will find it (e.g. `latex2html/styles`). Remember to refresh the TeX database (using `texhash` or `mktexlsr` under Linux, for other operating systems check the manual.)

# Available Commands

The commands can be divided into two categories: those that take the name of a counter as the argument, and those that take a number as the argument.

`\ordinal{`counter`}[`gender`]`

This will print the value of a LaTeX counter counter as an ordinal, where the macro

`\fmtord{`text`}`

is used to format the st, nd, rd, th bit. By default the ordinal is formatted as a superscript, if the package option `level` is used, it is level with the text. For example, if the current section is 3, then `\ordinal{section}` will produce the output: 3rd. Note that the optional argument gender occurs at the end. This argument may only take one of the following values: `m` (masculine), `f` (feminine) or `n` (neuter.) If gender is omitted, or if the given gender has no meaning in the current language, `m` is assumed.

Notes:

1. the `memoir` class also defines a command called `\ordinal` which takes a number as an argument instead of a counter. In order to overcome this incompatiblity, if you want to use the `fmtcount` package with the `memoir` class you should use `\FCordinal` to access `fmtcount`'s version of `\ordinal`, and use `\ordinal` to use `memoir`'s version of that command.

2. As with all commands which have an optional argument as the last argument, if the optional argument is omitted, any spaces following the final argument will be ignored. Whereas, if the optional argument is present, any spaces following the optional argument won't be ignored. so `\ordinal{section} !` will produce: 3rd! whereas `\ordinal{section}[m] !` will produce: 3rd !

`\ordinalnum{`n`}[`gender`]`

This is like `\ordinal` but takes an actual number rather than a counter as the argument. For example: `\ordinalnum{3}` will produce: 3rd.

`\numberstring{`counter`}[`gender`]`

This will print the value of counter as text. E.g. `\numberstring{section}` will produce: three. The optional argument is the same as that for `\ordinal`.

`\Numberstring{`counter`}[`gender`]`

This does the same as `\numberstring`, but with initial letters in uppercase. For example, `\Numberstring{section}` will produce: Three.

`\NUMBERstring{`counter`}[`gender`]`

This does the same as `\numberstring`, but converts the string to upper case. Note that `\MakeUppercase{\NUMBERstring{`counter`}}` doesn't work, due to the way that `\MakeUppercase` expands its argument1.

`\numberstringnum{`n`}[`gender`]`

`\Numberstringnum{`n`}[`gender`]`

`\NUMBERstringnum{`n`}[`gender`]`

Theses macros work like `\numberstring`, `\Numberstring` and `\NUMBERstring`, respectively, but take an actual number rather than a counter as the argument. For example: `\Numberstringnum{105}` will produce: One Hundred and Five.

`\ordinalstring{`counter`}[`gender`]`

This will print the value of counter as a textual ordinal. E.g. `\ordinalstring{section}` will produce: third. The optional argument is the same as that for `\ordinal`.

`\Ordinalstring{`counter`}[`gender`]`

This does the same as `\ordinalstring`, but with initial letters in uppercase. For example, `\Ordinalstring{section}` will produce: Third.

`\ORDINALstring{`counter`}[`gender`]`

This does the same as `\ordinalstring`, but with all words in upper case (see previous note about `\MakeUppercase`).

`\ordinalstringnum{`n`}[`gender`]`

`\Ordinalstringnum{`n`}[`gender`]`

`\ORDINALstringnum{`n`}[`gender`]`

These macros work like `\ordinalstring`, `\Ordinalstring` and `\ORDINALstring`, respectively, but take an actual number rather than a counter as the argument. For example, `\ordinalstringnum{3}` will produce: third.

As from version 1.09, textual representations can be stored for later use. This overcomes the problems encountered when you attempt to use one of the above commands in `\edef`.

Each of the following commands takes a label as the first argument, the other arguments are as the analogous commands above. These commands do not display anything, but store the textual representation. This can later be retrieved using

`\FMCuse{`label`}`

Note: with `\storeordinal` and `\storeordinalnum`, the only bit that doesn't get expanded is `\fmtord`. So, for example, `\storeordinalnum{mylabel}{3}` will be stored as `3\relax \fmtord{rd}`.

`\storeordinal{`label`}{`counter`}[`gender`]`

`\storeordinalstring{`label`}{`counter`}[`gender`]`

`\storeOrdinalstring{`label`}{`counter`}[`gender`]`

`\storeORDINALstring{`label`}{`counter`}[`gender`]`

`\storenumberstring{`label`}{`counter`}[`gender`]`

`\storeNumberstring{`label`}{`counter`}[`gender`]`

`\storeNUMBERstring{`label`}{`counter`}[`gender`]`

`\storeordinalnum{`label`}{`number`}[`gender`]`

`\storeordinalstring{`label`}{`number`}[`gender`]`

`\storeOrdinalstringnum{`label`}{`number`}[`gender`]`

`\storeORDINALstringnum{`label`}{`number`}[`gender`]`

`\storenumberstring{`label`}{`number`}[`gender`]`

`\storeNumberstring{`label`}{`number`}[`gender`]`

`\storeNUMBERstring{`label`}{`number`}[`gender`]`

`\binary{`counter`}`

This will print the value of counter as a binary number. E.g. `\binary{section}` will produce: 11. The declaration

`\padzeroes[`n`]`

will ensure numbers are written to n digits, padding with zeroes if necessary. E.g. `\padzeroes[8]\binary{section}` will produce: 00000011. The default value for n is 17.

`\binary{`n`}`

This is like `\binary` but takes an actual number rather than a counter as the argument. For example: `\binarynum{5}` will produce: 101.

`\octal{`counter`}`

This will print the value of counter as an octal number. For example, if you have a counter called, say `mycounter`, and you set the value to 125, then `\octal{mycounter}` will produce: 177. Again, the number will be padded with zeroes if necessary, depending on whether `\padzeroes` has been used.

`\octalnum{`n`}`

This is like `\octal` but takes an actual number rather than a counter as the argument. For example: `\octalnum{125}` will produce: 177.

`\hexadecimal{`counter`}`

This will print the value of counter as a hexadecimal number. Going back to the counter used in the previous example, `\hexadecimal{mycounter}` will produce: 7d. Again, the number will be padded with zeroes if necessary, depending on whether `\padzeroes` has been used.

`\Hexadecimal{`counter`}`

This does the same thing, but uses uppercase characters, e.g. `\Hexadecimal{mycounter}` will produce: 7D.

`\hexadecimalnum{`n`}`

`\Hexadecimalnum{`n`}`

These are like `\hexadecimal` and `\Hexadecimal` but take an actual number rather than a counter as the argument. For example: `\hexadecimalnum{125}` will produce: 7d, and `\Hexadecimalnum{125}` will produce: 7D.

`\decimal{`counter`}`

This is similar to `\arabic` but the number can be padded with zeroes depending on whether `\padzeroes` has been used. For example: `\padzeroes[8]\decimal{section}` will produce: 00000005.

`\decimalnum{`n`}`

This is like `\decimal` but takes an actual number rather than a counter as the argument. For example: `\padzeroes[8]\decimalnum{5}` will produce: 00000005.

`\aaalph{`counter`}`

This will print the value of counter as: a b ... z aa bb ... zz etc. For example, `\aaalpha{mycounter}` will produce: uuuuu if `mycounter` is set to 125.

`\AAAlph{`counter`}`

This does the same thing, but uses uppercase characters, e.g. `\AAAlph{mycounter}` will produce: UUUUU.

`\aaalphnum{`n`}`

`\AAAlphnum{`n`}`

These macros are like `\aaalph` and `\AAAlph` but take an actual number rather than a counter as the argument. For example: `\aaalphnum{125}` will produce: uuuuu, and `\AAAlphnum{125}` will produce: UUUUU.

`\abalph{`counter`}`

This will print the value of counter as: a b ... z aa ab ... az etc. For example, `\abalpha{mycounter}` will produce: du if `mycounter` is set to 125.

`\ABAlph{`counter`}`

This does the same thing, but uses uppercase characters, e.g. `\ABAlph{mycounter}` will produce: DU.

`\abalphnum{`n`}`

`\ABAlphnum{`n`}`

These macros are like `\abalph` and `\ABAlph` but take an actual number rather than a counter as the argument. For example: `\abalphnum{125}` will produce: du, and `\ABAlphnum{125}` will produce: DU.

# Package Options

The following options can be passed to this package:

raise | make ordinal st,nd,rd,th appear as superscript
level | make ordinal st,nd,rd,th appear level with rest of text

These can also be set using the command:

`\fmtcountsetoptions``{fmtord=`type`}`

where type is either `level` or `raise`.

# Multilingual Support

Version 1.02 of the `fmtcount` package now has limited multilingual support. The following languages are implemented: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, French (Swiss) and French (Belgian). German support was added in version 1.12.

The package checks to see if the command `\l@`language is defined3, and will load the code for those languages. The commands `\ordinal`, `\ordinalstring` and `\numberstring` (and their variants) will then be formatted in the currently selected language.

If the French language is selected, the French (France) version will be used by default (e.g. soxiante-dix for 70). To select the Swiss or Belgian variants (e.g. septente for 70) use: `\fmtcountsetoptions{french=`dialect`}` where dialect is either `swiss` or `belgian`. You can also use this command to change the action of `\ordinal`. `\fmtcountsetoptions{abbrv=true}` to produce ordinals of the form 2e or `\fmtcountsetoptions{abbrv=false}` to produce ordinals of the form 2eme (default).

The `french` and `abbrv` settings only have an effect if the French language has been defined.

The male gender for all languages is used by default, however the feminine or neuter forms can be obtained by passing `f` or `n` as an optional argument to `\ordinal`, `\ordinalnum` etc. For example: `\numberstring{section}[f]`. Note that the optional argument comes after the compulsory argument. If a gender is not defined in a given language, the masculine version will be used instead.

Let me know if you find any spelling mistakes (has been known to happen in English, let alone other languages with which I'm not so familiar.) If you want to add support for another language, you will need to let me know how to form the numbers and ordinals from 0 to 99999 in that language for each gender.

# Configuration File `fmtcount.cfg`

You can save your preferred default settings to a file called `fmtcount.cfg`, and place it on the TeX path. These settings will then be loaded by the `fmtcount` package.

Note that if you are using the `datetime` package, the `datetime.cfg` configuration file will override the `fmtcount.cfg` configuration file. For example, if `datetime.cfg` has the line:

    \renewcommand{\fmtord}[1]{\textsuperscript{\underline{#1}}}

and if `fmtcount.cfg` has the line:

    \fmtcountsetoptions{fmtord=level}

then the former definition of `\fmtord` will take precedence.

# LaTeX2HTML style

The LaTeX2HTML style file `fmtcount.perl` is provided. The following limitations apply:

- `\padzeroes` only has an effect in the preamble.

- The configuration file `fmtcount.cfg` is currently ignored. (This is because I can't work out the correct code to do this. If you know how to do this, please let me know.) You can however do:

      \usepackage{fmtcount}
      \html{\input{fmtcount.cfg}}

  This, I agree, is an unpleasant cludge.

# Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my mother for the French and Portuguese support and my Spanish dictionary for the Spanish support. Thank you to K. H. Fricke for providing me with the German translations.

# Troubleshooting

There is a FAQ available at: `http://theoval.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~nlct/latex/packages/faq/`.

#### Footnotes

... argument1
  See all the various postings to `comp.text.tex` about `\MakeUppercase`
... 1.12
  Thanks to K. H. Fricke for supplying the information
... defined3
  this will be true if you have loaded `babel`