Controlling list-of in printed version

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Drew Lewis

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Feb 19, 2026, 12:39:26 PMFeb 19
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How does one control the appearance of <list-of> in a printed version?  We have a list of definitions in an appendix, and they appear all knowled up in the HTML version, a very sensible and lovely display choice.  But in the print version, it only prints e.g. "Definition 1.1.2", which is not very helpful.  I would like it to actually display the content of Definition 1.1.2 for our readers.

Thanks,
Drew

P.S. Curiously, if I search the guide for "list-of" I get zero results, despite that string appearing e.g. here

Rob Beezer

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Feb 19, 2026, 4:18:52 PMFeb 19
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Dear Drew,

Surely you do not want to control *appearance*? Content, perhaps. ;-)

#list-of is meant to provide content for reference-like material. Canonical use
might be for a "List of Figures", which you might implement as a #preface with a
#title, and its only other child would be a #list-of. Another likely place is
in an #appendix. But you can put it lots of places.

It is designed to create an automatic #xref to the content and there is no
provision to duplicate the content. HTML simply does a nicer job of
creating/implementing a cross-reference than does a PDF. I believe a PDF will
have a hyperlink, and if the "print" option is elected, then a page number.

I believe your output will be improved (across all conversions) if you give your
definitions succinct #title.

Rob

On 2/19/26 09:39, Drew Lewis wrote:
> How does one control the appearance of <list-of> in a printed version?  We have
> a list of definitions in an appendix, and they appear all knowled up in the HTML
> version <https://library.tbil.org/2025/linear-algebra/list-of-definitions.html>,
> a very sensible and lovely display choice.  But in the print version, it only
> prints e.g. "Definition 1.1.2", which is not very helpful.  I would like it to
> actually display the content of Definition 1.1.2 for our readers.
>
> Thanks,
> Drew
>
> P.S. Curiously, if I search the guide for "list-of" I get zero results, despite
> that string appearing e.g. here <https://pretextbook.org/doc/guide/html/topic-
> automatic-lists.html>
>
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Drew Lewis

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Feb 19, 2026, 4:36:42 PMFeb 19
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Thanks Rob.  It is giving a hyperlink but no page number (the other xrefs are giving page numbers), which might be a bug.  But it sounds like I am trying to use it in a non-standard way, so I think I will just leave it for the HTML version only.

Thanks,
Drew


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Rob Beezer

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Feb 19, 2026, 5:48:04 PMFeb 19
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Yes, if you are specifying the right options in the publisher file for a "print
PDF" then you should

(a) have no hyperlinks

and

(b) should see (intrusive) page numbers (only) for cross-references.

I'll have look. Maybe I should routinely generate a "print PDF" of the sample
article for the website...

Rob
> definitions.html <https://library.tbil.org/2025/linear-algebra/list-of-
> definitions.html>>,
> > a very sensible and lovely display choice.  But in the print version, it
> only
> > prints e.g. "Definition 1.1.2", which is not very helpful.  I would like
> it to
> > actually display the content of Definition 1.1.2 for our readers.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Drew
> >
> > P.S. Curiously, if I search the guide for "list-of" I get zero results,
> despite
> > that string appearing e.g. here <https://pretextbook.org/doc/guide/html/
> topic- <https://pretextbook.org/doc/guide/html/topic->
> > automatic-lists.html>
> >
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> > support+u...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:support%2Bunsu...@googlegroups.com>>.
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> support/ <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pretext-support/>
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Rob Beezer

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Feb 19, 2026, 7:16:40 PMFeb 19
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> which might be a bug

Confirmed.

With the print option, the "Definition X.Y" is still constructed as a hyperlink,
but then a global configuration option is set which disables them all.

Unclear yet, why a page number is not produced, or if it makes more sense to add
a third column with page numbers, such as in the #notation-list (which I should
probably examine as well).

Sounds like maybe you don't want to go down this road anyway, but holler if a
fix is urgent. I plan to address this soon no matter what. Thanks for sticking
with the discussion of the bad behavior.

Rob

PS This has prompted me to add a publication file for a print version. I think
I will make that a two-sided variant, and make teh (existing) PDF more clearly
an "electronic" version, and so switch it to one-sided.



On 2/19/26 13:36, Drew Lewis wrote:
> definitions.html>>,
> > a very sensible and lovely display choice.  But in the print version, it
> only
> > prints e.g. "Definition 1.1.2", which is not very helpful.  I would like
> it to
> > actually display the content of Definition 1.1.2 for our readers.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Drew
> >
> > P.S. Curiously, if I search the guide for "list-of" I get zero results,
> despite
> > that string appearing e.g. here <https://pretextbook.org/doc/guide/html/
> topic- <https://pretextbook.org/doc/guide/html/topic->
> > automatic-lists.html>
> >
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> > "PreTeXt support" group.
> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email
> > to pretext-suppo...@googlegroups.com <mailto:pretext-
> > utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
>
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