Text Formatting ⇒ " character lost special meaning within a variable

[Fibonacci]

Hello.

The best way to explain this is with the MWE:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[spanish]{babel}
\def\algo{2"o}
\begin{document}
2"o\algo
\end{document}

The output, instead of being the string 2.º twice, looks like 2.º2”o. Moving the definition to a later point in the document works fine:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[spanish]{babel}
\begin{document}
\def\algo{2"o}
2"o\algo
\end{document}

However, I absolutely need that definition in the preamble. Is there any way to get the special effect of the " character in the preamble?

[rais]

Hi there,
the babel package delays the activation of its special characters, the so-called shorthands, to the begin of the document not to confuse other packages, IIRC.
To activate one of them in the preamble, you can use \shorthandon/\shorthandoff, i.e.,

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[spanish]{babel}
\shorthandon{"}
  \def\algo{2"o}
\shorthandoff{"}
\begin{document}
2"o\algo
\end{document}

KR
Rainer

[Fibonacci]

Is there a way to enable all shorthands at once?

[rais]

well, the \shorthandon/\shorthandoff macros aren't limited to single characters.
Perhaps babel's option `KeepShorthandsActive' does what you want, too.

KR
Rainer

[Fibonacci]

Thank you, will keep looking then.