Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!munnari.oz.au!metro!news
From: mathas_a@maths.su.oz.au ( Andrew )
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Optional arguments?
Message-ID: <1990Jun11.165323.231@metro.ucc.su.OZ.AU>
Date: 11 Jun 90 16:53:23 GMT
Sender: news@metro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (news)
Reply-To: mathas_a@maths.su.oz.au ( Andrew )
Organization: Mathematics, University of Sydney
Lines: 26

Does anyone know of a way to define macros with an optional
argument in LaTeX. I know that you can fudge it as follows:
    
    \newcounter{Code}
    \newenvironment{code}[2]%
        {\refstepcounter{Code}%   
         \if#2N{}\else\label{#2}\fi% <- if second argument is
                                   %    an "N" don't label
         \def\CAPTION{#1}\begin{verbatim}}%
        {\centerline{Code fragment \theCode.\quad\CAPTION}}

(this is an improved version of my suggestion for the Code 
environment - it allows easy labelling of each fragment -
see previous posting if interested). 

However, it would be nicer to be able to do something like
    \newcommand\fred[2][1]{...}
and make fred have two mandatory arguments and one optional;
and \fred would be used in the normal way of
\fred{213}{lkjhksdfa}[hjd] etc.

Any ideas? Will post a summary if something turns up.

Andrew              - smile at a stranger today and help make
                      the world a better place. while you're,
                            at it, why not hug a friend!