In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
When forcing a new line in a caption in LaTeX using `\\`, you might encounter errors such as `\Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument` due to the way LaTeX handles line breaks in certain contexts, including captions. This is usually because the `\\` command interferes with the parsing of the caption text, especially when it's also being used to generate a list of figures or tables. ### Solutions #### 1. Use the `caption` package: The `caption` package provides a more flexible way to customize captions, including safe line breaks. First, ensure you have `\usepackage{caption}` in your preamble. Then, you can use the `\caption` command with a line break as follows:
1 | \caption[Short version for LoF/LoT]{First line of caption\\second line of caption} |
1 | \caption{First line of caption\par\vspace{1.0ex}Second line of caption} |
1 | \caption{First line of caption\\protect\second line of caption} |
1 | \caption{First line of caption\\{second line of caption}} |
Testing if the previous output contains the string \protect: True
In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
The error you're encountering typically happens because the `\\` command to force a newline isn't outright supported within the argument of certain commands or environments like `\caption` without some modifications. LaTeX gets confused because it's not expecting a line break in a place where it's trying to keep things together, such as in a caption which might also be used in a List of Figures or a List of Tables. There are a couple of ways to workaround this issue: ### 1. Use a `\parbox` or `minipage` Environment You can use a `\parbox` or a `minipage` environment inside the `\caption` command to achieve the desired line break. This method allows you to create a small "box" in which text can be formatted more freely.
1 | \caption{This is the first line of the caption.\\ \protect\par This is the second line.} |
1 | \caption{\parbox{0.9\linewidth}{This is the first line of the caption.\\ This is the second line.}} |
1 | \caption{This is the first line of the caption. \protect\\ This is the second line.} |
1 | \caption{This is the first line of the caption. \protect\newline This is the second line.} |
1 2 3 | \newcommand{\captionbreak}{\protect\\} \caption{This is the first line of the caption. \captionbreak This is the second line.} |
1 | \usepackage{caption} |
1 | \caption{This is the first line of the caption. \newline This is the second line.} |
Testing if the previous output contains the string \protect: True
In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
The error you're encountering is because the LaTeX `\\` command for forcing a newline often conflicts with the way captions are handled. Captions in LaTeX are not only used where you place them but also in the List of Figures or List of Tables, where line breaks can cause issues. Therefore, forcing a newline directly with `\\` in a caption can lead to errors or unwanted behavior. To include a line break in a caption while avoiding errors, you can use the `\protect` command before `\\`, or better yet, use the `caption` package which provides a more flexible way to handle multi-line captions. Here's how you can do it: ### Using `\protect\\` This method directly addresses the issue by protecting the newline command:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 | \documentclass{article} \usepackage{graphicx} \begin{document} \begin{figure} \centering \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{example-image} \caption{This is the first line of the caption.\protect\\ This is the second line.} \end{figure} \end{document} |
1 | \usepackage{caption} |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 | \documentclass{article} \usepackage{graphicx} \usepackage{caption} \begin{document} \begin{figure} \centering \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{example-image} \caption[Short caption for LoF]{This is the first line of the caption.\\ This is the second line.} \end{figure} \end{document} |
Testing if the previous output contains the string \protect: True
In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
In LaTeX, using `\\` to force a newline within a caption or similar environments can sometimes lead to errors. This is because the command `\\` is not always safely interpretable in the context of moving arguments, such as captions that are often also used in the List of Figures or List of Tables, where line breaks are generally not allowed or expected. If you encounter an error like `\Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument` when trying to use `\\` in a caption, it typically means LaTeX is having trouble processing the newline command within the moving argument context. ### How to Solve It To safely insert a newline in a caption, you can use the `\protect` command before `\\`. This can help by protecting the newline command from being prematurely expanded. However, it's important to note that forcing line breaks in captions that appear in the List of Figures or Tables can lead to formatting issues or other errors. A better approach is often to rethink the caption to avoid the need for a line break or to use a workaround as described below. **Using `\par` and Custom Commands:** Another approach is to redefine or create custom commands for handling newlines in captions where `\\` might cause an issue. However, directly using `\par` or similar commands instead of `\\` in captions is not always recommended due to potential issues with formatting or list entries. **Workaround with `caption` Package:** A safer and more flexible approach is to use the `caption` package, which provides extensive customization options for captions, including proper handling of line breaks and formatting. 1. **Load the `caption` package** in your preamble:
1 2 | \usepackage{caption} |
1 2 | \caption[Short caption for LoF/LoT]{First line of caption\newline Second line of caption} |
Testing if the previous output contains the string \protect: True
In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
In latex when I force a newline in a caption with \\ it gives an error saying \Hy@tempa has an extra } runaway argument?
In LaTeX, forcing a newline within a caption using `\\` can indeed cause an error, particularly when using packages that modify or adjust caption behaviors, such as the `hyperref` package. The error message mentioning `\Hy@tempa` is a clue that `hyperref` (or a related package) is involved, as `\Hy@tempa` is a macro used internally by `hyperref`. To include a newline in a caption while avoiding this error, you can use the `\protect` command before `\\`. This prevents premature expansion and allows the newline command to be safely processed within the fragile context of a caption. Here's how you can do it:
1 | \caption{This is the first line of the caption\protect\\ This is the second line of the caption} |
1 2 | \usepackage{caption} |
1 2 | \caption{This is the first line of the caption\newline This is the second line of the caption} |
Testing if the previous output contains the string \protect: True