{"id":327,"date":"2022-02-14T02:25:19","date_gmt":"2022-02-13T18:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scijournal.org\/articles\/?p=327"},"modified":"2023-05-22T06:11:56","modified_gmt":"2023-05-21T22:11:56","slug":"glossaries-in-latex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scijournal.org\/articles\/glossaries-in-latex","title":{"rendered":"How to Create Glossaries in LaTeX "},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Documents that contain a large number of terms or acronyms may require special Glossaries in LaTeX section at the end. This glossary typically includes a list of these terms and their definitions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you intend to create a professional document in LaTeX, you should know that it is possible to create glossaries in LaTeX<\/em> relatively easily. Let\u2019s look at the different ways to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>What is a Glossary?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we look at how to create glossaries in LaTeX, it is worth discussing what exactly they are. A glossary can be defined as a list of words that relate to a specific subject. They are usually set in alphabetical order and offer brief explanations of each term. You can view a Glossaries in LaTeX as a list of definitions for terms contained within the preceding text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>How to Create a Glossary in LaTeX<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Creating glossaries in LaTeX is a relatively straightforward process. However, you should be aware of the different commands and packages required to do this properly. The main package required for glossaries in LaTeX is called glossaries<\/em>. You can use this package using the command \\usepackage{glossaries}<\/em> in your document\u2019s preamble. Then, you can use the command \\makeglossaries<\/em> prior to adding the first glossary entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, you can start adding glossary entries using the command \\newglossaryentry{YOUR GLOSSARY TERM}<\/em>. Following this, you can reference the glossary entry in your document text by using the command gls<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once this is complete, it is possible to print each of your glossaries in LaTeX entries along with their corresponding definitions and descriptions using the command \\printglossaries<\/em>. Each of these terms will automatically be printed under the section title Glossary<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We demonstrate the code for creating glossaries in LaTeX and adding a single term in the example below:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\\documentclass{article}\n\\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}\n\\usepackage{glossaries}\n \n\\makeglossaries\n \n\\newglossaryentry{fondue}\n{\n    name=fondue,\n    description={is a Swiss dish consisting of melted cheese that is served in a communal pot heated over a portable stove using a candle or a spirit lamp. It is eaten with bread using long-stemmed forks. }\n}\n \n\\newglossaryentry{raclette}\n{\n    name=raclette,\n    description={is a Swiss dish that is also popular in France. It involves heating cheese and scraping off the melted portion and topping it onto meats or vegetables.}\n}\n \n\\title{Different Types of Cheese Dishes in Europe}\n\\author{ }\n\\date{ }\n \n\\begin{document}\n\\maketitle\n \n\\Gls{fondue} is a very popular dish and is often associated with \\gls{raclette}.\n \n\\clearpage\n \n\\printglossaries\n \n\\end{document}\n\n<\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n
When compiled, the output code resembles the following:<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"\/
Image: Author<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
<\/span>Referencing Terms in Uppercase and Lowercase<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You may have noticed that we used the commands gls <\/em>and Gls <\/em>in different places in the code above. As mentioned earlier, gls<\/em> informs LaTeX to reference the entry. However, this lowercase version references the term in a slightly different manner than Gls<\/em> does. We explain the differences between the two as well as similar commands below.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\\gls{TERM TEXT }: This will print your term with lowercase lettering. For example, \\gls{fondue} prints fondue when used.\n\\Gls{TERM TEXT}: This is similar to the \\gls command, except that\u00a0 the first letter of the term will be printed in uppercase. For example: \\Gls{fondue} prints Fondue.\n\\glspl{TERM TEXT}: This is similar to the \\gls command, except that the term will be shown in its plural form. For example, \\glspl{cheese} will show up as cheeses in the final document.\n\\Glspl{TERM TEXT}: This is similar to the command \\Gls, except that the term will be put in its plural form. For example, \\Glspl{cheese} will show up as Cheeses.\n<\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n
<\/span>Using Terms and Acronyms in LaTeX<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In the above example, we demonstrated how to add definitions for terms in LaTeX. However, glossaries in LaTeX are also useful for explaining what different acronyms mean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can print both terms and acronyms separately within a glossary in LaTeX.  This is demonstrated in the following example:<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\\documentclass{article}\n\\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}\n\\usepackage[acronym]{glossaries}\n \n\\makeglossaries\n \n\\newglossaryentry{fondue}\n{\n    name=fondue,\n    description={is a Swiss dish consisting of melted cheese that is served in a communal pot heated over a portable stove using a candle or a spirit lamp. It is eaten with bread using long-stemmed forks. }\n}\n \n\\newglossaryentry{raclette}\n{\n    name=raclette,\n    description={is a Swiss dish that is also popular in France. It involves heating cheese and scraping off the melted portion and topping it onto meats or vegetables.}\n}\n\\newacronym{msg}{MSG}{Monosodium glutamate}\n\\newacronym{oz}{OZ}{Ounce}\n\\title{Different Types of Cheese Dishes in Europe}\n\\author{ }\n\\date{ }\n \n\\begin{document}\n\\maketitle\n \n\\Gls{fondue} is a very popular dish and is often associated with \\gls{raclette}.\n \n\\clearpage\n \n\\printglossaries\n \n\\end{document}\n<\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n
When compiled, the output will resemble:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
As you can see, the acronyms section appears before the glossary section in LaTeX. The acronyms section contains only abbreviations and their corresponding terms, while the glossary section contains terms and their descriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Adding Acronyms to LaTeX<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s examine how to add only acronyms to LaTeX. In the code above, you may have noticed the commands \\usepackage[acronym]{glossaries}<\/em> and  \\newacronym<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adding the command \\usepackage[acronym]{glossaries} <\/em>in the preamble informs LaTeX to create an acronyms section. Once this is done, the command \\newacronym <\/em>lets you declare new acronyms for your document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, we used the code \\newacronym{msg}{MSG}{Monosodium glutamate}<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the above code, msg<\/em> can be viewed as the label that references the acronym in the document. MSG <\/em>is the acronym itself and is normally denoted in all capital letters. Finally, Monosodium glutamate<\/em> is the full term the acronym denotes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the acronyms have been added to your preamble, you can use additional commands to describe how they should be denoted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n