General ⇒ macros: grey text box

[Lagrange]

Hi!

I want to include a grey text box in my code. Fortunately I did find a little macro in the internet, which is doing the job. Unfortunately I am too stupid to use it .

Code: Select all

\newcommand{\greybox}{\long\def\greybox#1{%
    \newbox\contentbox%
    \newbox\bkgdbox%
    \setbox\contentbox\hbox to \hsize{%
        \vtop{
            \kern\columnsep
            \hbox to \hsize{%
                \kern\columnsep%
                \advance\hsize by -2\columnsep%
                \setlength{\textwidth}{\hsize}%
                \vbox{
                    \parskip=\baselineskip
                    \parindent=0bp
                    #1
                }%
                \kern\columnsep%
            }%
            \kern\columnsep%
        }%
    }%
    \setbox\bkgdbox\vbox{
        \pdfliteral{0.85 0.85 0.85 rg}
        \hrule width  \wd\contentbox %
               height \ht\contentbox %
               depth  \dp\contentbox
        \pdfliteral{0 0 0 rg}
    }%
    \wd\bkgdbox=0bp%
    \vbox{\hbox to \hsize{\box\bkgdbox\box\contentbox}}%
    \vskip\baselineskip%
}

}

This is the way I tried to include it. If I compile it, I get the following error message:

./Thesis.tex:24:Illegal parameter number in definition of \greybox. }

Can anyone help? The code is from:
http://www.alfredklomp.com/programming/tex/macros/

Thx a lot!

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi Lagrange,

welcome to the bord!
Just remove that \newcommand{...} around the \greybox definition. Use it exactly like defined on that web site.

Stefan

[gmedina]

HI,

the problem comes from enclosing the original definition inside a superfluous \newcommand command. The following simple code works OK:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}% just to generate some text

\long\def\greybox#1{%
    \newbox\contentbox%
    \newbox\bkgdbox%
    \setbox\contentbox\hbox to \hsize{%
        \vtop{
            \kern\columnsep
            \hbox to \hsize{%
                \kern\columnsep%
                \advance\hsize by -2\columnsep%
                \setlength{\textwidth}{\hsize}%
                \vbox{
                    \parskip=\baselineskip
                    \parindent=0bp
                    #1
                }%
                \kern\columnsep%
            }%
            \kern\columnsep%
        }%
    }%
    \setbox\bkgdbox\vbox{
        \pdfliteral{0.85 0.85 0.85 rg}
        \hrule width  \wd\contentbox %
               height \ht\contentbox %
               depth  \dp\contentbox
        \pdfliteral{0 0 0 rg}
    }%
    \wd\bkgdbox=0bp%
    \vbox{\hbox to \hsize{\box\bkgdbox\box\contentbox}}%
    \vskip\baselineskip%
}

\begin{document}

\lipsum[1]
\greybox{\lipsum[1]}

\end{document}

By the way, the framed package offers the shaded environment.

[Lagrange]

Ok, now I just copied everything - like it is on the web page - into the preamble. Now I can compile the document, but I cannot call the macro.

\greybox{verferf} produces the error message

./chapter3.tex:99:Undefined control sequence. \greybox{verferf}

Is it a problem, that I defined the macro in "Thesis.tex", but I try to call it in "chapter3.tex"?

Thx


@gmedina
I did copy your example into my preamble, but I still get the same error message . I even tried to run your example - but it gives the same error message. I do not have the package lipsum.sty, so I just used \greybox{gergerg}

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Perhaps show your .log file, you could post it as attachment here.

Stefan

[Lagrange]

sure!

[Stefan Kottwitz]

You're using latex format, not pdflatex. The macro uses \pdfliteral commands not allowed in dvi mode. It could work if you compile directly to pdf using pdflatex.

Stefan

[Lagrange]

The problem is that I am working on a linux machine, hence all my pictures are in the eps-format. But yes you are right. If I try to compile gmedina's example with pdflatex it does work. So there is no way to use this macro?

[Stefan Kottwitz]

You could use your eps pictures with pdflatex using the epstopdf package.

Stefan

[gmedina]

...So there is no way to use this macro?

Another option, that I've already suggested, would be to use the shaded environment fron the framed package instead of the \greybox command.