Roman section numbering in LaTeX

[Amok]

Hi

Im trying to create a document (article) in which the sections are
numbered in Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.), then subsections are
lettered (A, B, C, etc.).

I tried using

\renewcommand{\thesection}{\Roman{section}}

but when i tried to compile it brought up a whole heap of error
messages (i dont have the errors on this computer, but i can copy them
later if you think it will help). The errors this command caused were
serious enough that LaTeX completely failed to generate a .dvi

Now, im qute prepared to fiddle around with things to get them
working, but can you at least give me some clue that im on the right
track? should the above line work? or is there a better (more correct
way) of achieving my aim?

thanks

amok

[Amok]

xa...@hotmail.com (Amok) wrote in message news:<adbd8f57.01062...@posting.google.com>...

Ive still not had any luck fixing this. So heres the errors that LaTeX coughs up:

! Missing \endcsname inserted.
<to be read again>
\par
l.32 \section{Abstract}

?
! Missing number, treated as zero.
<to be read again>
\c@
l.32 \section{Abstract}

?
)
! Incomplete \iffalse; all text was ignored after line 32.
<inserted text>
\fi
<*> p7

Anyone got any clues what I'm doing wrong?

thanks

amok

[Donald Arseneau]

xa...@hotmail.com (Amok) writes:

> xa...@hotmail.com (Amok) wrote in message news:<adbd8f57.01062...@posting.google.com>...
> >

> > \renewcommand{\thesection}{\Roman{section}}

>
> Ive still not had any luck fixing this. So heres the errors that LaTeX coughs up:
>
> ! Missing \endcsname inserted.
> <to be read again>
> \par
> l.32 \section{Abstract}
>
> ?
> ! Missing number, treated as zero.
> <to be read again>
> \c@
> l.32 \section{Abstract}

The answer is still the same: something has been (re)defined
very badly, but you give no information regarding the document
preamble. The error messages indicate it is \section that was
redefined erroneously.

--
Donald Arseneau as...@triumf.ca

[Amok]

Donald Arseneau <as...@triumf.ca> wrote in message news:<yfiy9q8...@triumf.ca>...

Well...heres my preamble - although I dont think theres anything in
there that redefines the \thesection:

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\title{Document Title}
\author{The Authors}
\date{July 2001}
\linespread{1.3}
\raggedright
\usepackage[dvips]{graphicx}
\renewcommand{\thesection}{\Roman{section}}
\begin{document}

Well, indeed - barely anything in there at all (commenting out the
\usepackage didnt help either). Anyone else got any suggestions? (btw,
that -really- is literally the whole of my preamble. I try and do
things simple when I'm trying something new)

thanks again

Amok

[Joel Reicher]

That LaTeXs fine for me. Unless you put something in the actual
document which has caused the problem, your LaTeX installation might
be it.

Cheers,

- Joel

[Donald Arseneau]

xa...@hotmail.com (Amok) writes:

> Donald Arseneau <as...@triumf.ca> wrote in message news:<yfiy9q8...@triumf.ca>...
> > xa...@hotmail.com (Amok) writes:

> > > > \renewcommand{\thesection}{\Roman{section}}

> > > ! Missing \endcsname inserted.
> > > <to be read again>
> > > \par
> > > l.32 \section{Abstract}
> > >
> > > ?
> > > ! Missing number, treated as zero.
> > > <to be read again>
> > > \c@
> > > l.32 \section{Abstract}
> >
> > The answer is still the same: something has been (re)defined
> > very badly, but you give no information regarding the document
> > preamble. The error messages indicate it is \section that was
> > redefined erroneously.
>
>
> Well...heres my preamble - although I dont think theres anything in

> there that redefines the \thesection [meaning: \section]

I don't think so either. That would leave your LaTeX installation
as being corrupt. Have you recently installed or re-installed?
Could there be line-end problems in the files?

The error messages (retained above) would arise if you had:

\renewcommand{\thesection}{\Roman{

section}}

or if the definition of \Roman had a spurious blank line. Does it
still choke without redefining \thesection? Try this diagnostic:
insert \show\Roman before the section. It gives a pseudo error
message telling you the defintion. It should be:
\expandafter\@Roman\csname c@#1\endcsname.

There are other places where a spurious blank line would cause
this error, partcularly in the definition of \@sect or \@seccntformat
in latex.ltx. Another useful diagnostic is to put
\errorcontextlines=999
in the preamble. This will allow me or someone else to see exactly
where in the internals of \section that the error occurred.

Donald Arseneau