General ⇒ Latex template compilatin weird problem

[Machupicchu]

Good morning.

I have a compilation problem : "missing number" when compiling with the template:https://www.sunilpatel.co.uk/thesis-template/

(I used the original template from a few weeks (months ?) ago. it was working fine. Until ... god know what?...)

Like 2-3 weeks ago no problem: I compiled my entire master's thesis (100+ pages) with this (damned) template. Now I need to do modifications before publication and I get this error ! (In the meantime I reinstalled my computer and Latex (miktex), however I cannot understand why that could suddenly produce an error that was not there before !?!

could someone explain that ? (I don't understand the other posts about this question)


(There are some other posts with this kind of error however I don t understand the "solutions" they provide, moreover I start a new post to really understand why that happened ?

-> i.e., I cannot understand how the re-compilation of an (untouched) document (my thesis) with this template (compiled correctly 3 weeks ago), suddenly does not compile with a reinstalled Miktex installation...note: I did not modify anything, so I can only "imagine" that some Latex packages were modified (I dont know how/why) in the meantime and cause a new conflict. However I never had such a problem before, in 6-7 years of occasional usage of Latex for Bachelor report, and scientific reports.

[Johannes_B]

Do an update of the template!

Crosspost
Crosspost on TeX.SX with linked workarounds when the updated template was not yet available. Which it is for 6 weeks.

[Machupicchu]

Ok. Thanks.

However, could you explain why this problem happened? It doesn't make any sense to me. As I explained it was working fine before I reinstalled latex. and I did not modify the file since.

[Johannes_B]

The underlying code changed. The template relies on many many many many files, maintained by many many many different people.

More explanation are avaiable as already mentioned above.

[Machupicchu]

Sorry..what do you mean by that?

Unless someone hacked my computer to modify files the template +thesis chapters I wrote were EXACTLY the same as when they were were compiling correctly. The only sensible explanation for me is that something changed in the Latex installation files or downloaded packages since the time I compiled my thesis with the old template.?
what do you think?(do you understand why i am puzzled?^^)

[Johannes_B]

No, i do not understand why you are puzzled. MikTeX and TeX Live run daily CTAN updates and distribute them to the servers and to the users who update.
Not only the LaTeX base, but also most of the 5000something packages get updates on a regular base, but sometimes an update of package X can break package Y.
So to sum it up: yes, LaTeX changes constantly.

The reason why is explained in the link i gave before. Just read it.


------
Another possible but unlikely explanation would be Poltergeists messing with your computer.

[Machupicchu]

hum ok i think i begin to understand. And by the way thanks for your time and explanations. (You understand my extreme frustration after having spent months writing a master thesis of more than 100 pages ^^)

Just to summarize: If i use anotherLatex installation on an old computer (working before .ie.e compuling the old template) and not connect to the internet so the packages don't get updated maybe it might have a chance to work ( With the old template)?

[Machupicchu]

sorry for the cross post by the way. Please note that i asked again in this post becausethat I'm in a hurry. And I must as soon as possible make some minor changes to my thesis and submitted for publication. And if any layout changes occur I would have to verify each page of my thesis to be sure that it complies exactly with the previous version.

[Johannes_B]

Buddy, what is the big deal? It is one line of code you have to change, maybe two. There is no real need to update the template, look at the solutions samcarter and i gave:

https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/388426/37907
https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/383175/37907

[Machupicchu]

Ok thanks I did try that but then I do not know where to place \supervisor{..} \author{} etc. which came after \thesistitle before the begin document command. Therefore I still get errors. but you might argue that it's my problem and I might need to search that for myself. (Please understand that I am really not a Latex expert, I use the templates sort of in a 'blind' way... I do not understand the underlying mechanisms... (don't have the time to study it))