Passing key and value to multiple TikZlings - TeX - TopAnswers

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Passing key and value to multiple TikZlings

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samcarter

For testing purposes I would like to pass a key and value (e.g. `body=red`) to all Ti*k*Zlings. Is there an easier way than repeating it for each Ti*k*Zling?

```
\documentclass{standalone}

\usepackage{tikzlings}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\bear[body=red]
\end{tikzpicture}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\penguin[body=red]
\end{tikzpicture}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\marmot[body=red]
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}
```

Top Answer

user 3.14159

A very simpleminded approach.
```
\documentclass{standalone}

\usepackage{tikzlings}
\tikzset{tikzling body red/.code={\tikzset{/#1/body=red}}}
\begin{document}
\tikzset{tikzling body red/.list={bear,penguin,marmot}}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\bear
\end{tikzpicture}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\penguin
\end{tikzpicture}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\marmot
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
```
![Screen Shot 2020-12-21 at 9.19.28 AM.png](/image?hash=c9478e92debb68c44c8f68b19347c06ba72685e1cb5b2ca84969451ede9797e6)

and of course
```
\tikzset{tikzling body red/.list={bear,marmot}}
```
gives
![Screen Shot 2020-12-21 at 9.20.26 AM.png](/image?hash=572004d5122fb18c7d0877ee3c72b279445b4877fd641dec0f9c7f5e01338690)

BTW, some time ago I experimented a bit with keys that allow you to build the union or complement of two lists, but I never finalized this. Such tools might be useful for coloring all Ti*k*Zlings. However, if you play with such lists, the `/.expanded` may be important:
```
\def\lstTikzlings{{bear,penguin,marmot}}
\tikzset{tikzling body red/.list/.expanded=\lstTikzlings}
```

comments

transcript

samcarter

Using your `also/.expanded={}` magic and playing around a bit to parse a suitable list with latex, I think I found a working solution, Thanks a lot for all your input! This will make adding new tikzlings much easier, so hopefully one gets to see a lot more in the future!

samcarter

@marmot  You're awesome!

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

I think a better way would be to have some kind of package that allows the user to thread over lists. It is not that this does not exist, e.g. `etoolbox` does that, but it would be great IMHO if this was done in pdf keys, where you have much more flexibility and are less likely to overwrite some otherwise important macro. Pseudo-code:  
```  
\pgfkeys{TikZlings/.initial={anteater, bear,coati},Tikzlings/.thread={/#1}{my new list}}  
```  
and then the new list is `{/anteater, /bear,/coati}`. This is totally possible.

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

Ohhhh, black magic!

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

Well, this allows you to install a search prefix. But am not sure if I myself would use it.  
```  
\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}

\def\tikzlinglist{
  bee/bees,
  marmot/marmots%
}

\def\otherlist{
  bee,
  marmot%
}

% Bee %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\tikzset{
  /bee/.search also={/tikz,/pgf,/thing},
  /bee/.cd,
  body/.code         = \def\beebody{#1},
  body               = yellow!70!orange,
}
\newcommand*{\bee}[1][]{%
  \begin{scope}%
    \tikzset{/bee/.cd,#1}%
    \fill[\beebody] (0,0) circle [radius=1];
  \end{scope}%
  \thing[#1]%
}

% Marmot %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\newif\ifmarmotblush
\tikzset{
  /marmot/.search also={/tikz,/pgf,/thing},
  /marmot/.cd,
  body/.code         = \def\marmotbody{#1},
  body               = brown,
  blush/.code        = \marmotblushtrue,
}
\newcommand*{\marmot}[1][]{%
  \begin{scope}%
    \tikzset{/marmot/.cd,#1}%
    \fill[\marmotbody] (0,0) circle [radius=1];
    \ifmarmotblush
      \fill[red] (-0.5,-0.2) circle [radius=0.1] (0.5,-0.2) circle [radius=0.1];;
    \fi
  \end{scope}%
  \thing[#1]%
}

% Addons %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\newif\ifthinghat
\makeatletter
\def\pgfkeys@searchalso@appendentry#1,#2{%
  \def\pgfkeys@searchalso@nexttok{#2}%
  \pgfkeys@spdef\pgfkeys@temp{\pgfkeysvalueof{/samcarter/my search prefix}#1}%
  {%
    \toks0=\expandafter{\pgfkeys@global@temp##1\pgfeov}%
  \toks1=\expandafter{\pgfkeys@temp}%
  \xdef\pgfkeys@global@temp{%
    \the\toks0 % the space is important!
    \noexpand\ifpgfkeyssuccess\noexpand\else
      \noexpand\pgfqkeys{\the\toks1 }{\noexpand\pgfkeys@searchalso@name
               \ifx\pgfkeys@searchalso@nexttok\pgfkeys@mainstop\else/.try\fi /.expand once=\noexpand\pgfkeys@searchalso@temp@value}%
    \noexpand\fi}%
  \expandafter\gdef\expandafter\pgfkeys@global@temp\expandafter##\expandafter1\expandafter\pgfeov\expandafter{\pgfkeys@global@temp}%
  }%
  \pgfkeys@searchalso@parse#2%
}
\pgfkeys{/samcarter/my search prefix/.initial={}}
\makeatother
\pgfkeys{/handlers/.prepend/.code=/#1}%
\tikzset{%
  /samcarter/my search prefix={/},% locally install a search prefix
  /thing/.search also/.expanded={tikz,pgf,\otherlist},% <- simplify this line
  /thing/.cd,
  hat/.code = \thinghattrue,
}

\newcommand*{\thing}[1][]{%
  \begin{scope}%
    \tikzset{/thing/.cd,#1}%
    \ifthinghat
      \fill[black] (0,1) ellipse [x radius=1,y radius=0.4];
    \fi
  \end{scope}%
}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\bee[body=yellow]
\marmot[blush,xshift=2cm,hat]
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}
```

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

Neither "elegant" nore "more than once" is a requirement here :)

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

Not necessarily. It is just that the super easy ways are not the sustainable ways because, if you decide to do that more frequently, there will be a more elegant solution.

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

Ok, the summary seems to be "not possible in an easy way" :)

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

You can definitely simplify this, either by creating a new key handler that prepends the `/` to the items, which is, however, a bit of an overkill, customizing the current `/.search also` handler by allowing the user to specify a prefix, which will be rather convenient but also a bit dangerous, or by creating tools that thread over lists and prepend the `/` which is basically what some list management tools can do.

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

Thanks a lot for the reply! With simplify I mean to only maintain one central list with the names of the tikzlings. So I would like to avoid having a separate list with `\def\searchlist{/tikz,/pgf,/bee,/marmot}` and instead use `\tikzlinglist` (or at least `\otherlist`) there

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

You can build up lists, too, and thread some code over lists. I have implemented some basic list management in 3dtools, see section 1.7 of [the manual](https://github.com/marmotghost/tikz-3dtools/blob/master/3DToolsManual.pdf). It does not really belong to `3dtools`, but this list management can simplify things there, so I added this. In principle one could write a package `pgftools` or so for such things, which contains more handlers and other tools.

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

I do not really know what simplify means because this is already simple IMHO.  You can do something like this:
```   
\def\searchlist{/tikz,/pgf,/bee,/marmot}
\tikzset{%
  /thing/.search also/.expanded={\searchlist},% <- simplify this line
  /thing/.cd,
  hat/.code = \thinghattrue,
} 
```  
But I do not know what the aim is. Full code.  
```  
\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}

\def\tikzlinglist{
  bee/bees,
  marmot/marmots%
}

\def\otherlist{
  bee,
  marmot%
}

% Bee %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\tikzset{
  /bee/.search also={/tikz,/pgf,/thing},
  /bee/.cd,
  body/.code         = \def\beebody{#1},
  body               = yellow!70!orange,
}
\newcommand*{\bee}[1][]{%
  \begin{scope}%
    \tikzset{/bee/.cd,#1}%
    \fill[\beebody] (0,0) circle [radius=1];
  \end{scope}%
  \thing[#1]%
}

% Marmot %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\newif\ifmarmotblush
\tikzset{
  /marmot/.search also={/tikz,/pgf,/thing},
  /marmot/.cd,
  body/.code         = \def\marmotbody{#1},
  body               = brown,
  blush/.code        = \marmotblushtrue,
}
\newcommand*{\marmot}[1][]{%
  \begin{scope}%
    \tikzset{/marmot/.cd,#1}%
    \fill[\marmotbody] (0,0) circle [radius=1];
    \ifmarmotblush
      \fill[red] (-0.5,-0.2) circle [radius=0.1] (0.5,-0.2) circle [radius=0.1];;
    \fi
  \end{scope}%
  \thing[#1]%
}

% Addons %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\newif\ifthinghat
\def\searchlist{/tikz,/pgf,/bee,/marmot}
\tikzset{%
  /thing/.search also/.expanded={\searchlist},% <- simplify this line
  /thing/.cd,
  hat/.code = \thinghattrue,
}

\newcommand*{\thing}[1][]{%
  \begin{scope}%
    \tikzset{/thing/.cd,#1}%
    \ifthinghat
      \fill[black] (0,1) ellipse [x radius=1,y radius=0.4];
    \fi
  \end{scope}%
}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\bee[body=yellow]
\marmot[blush,xshift=2cm,hat]
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}  
```

samcarter

(at this stage I don't really care if `\tikzlinglist` or `\otherlist` would be used. `\tikzlinglist` would be easier because I already use it in other palaces, but if this is too difficult, I could add a second list with only the singular names)

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

(Sorry for the delay, this project went a bit into hibernation, but now spring is coming :) )     

Could you have a look at the following example if your `.list/.expanded` trick can be used to simplify line 54 (the one with the `% <- simplify this line` comment)?  
```  
\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}

\def\tikzlinglist{
  bee/bees,
  marmot/marmots%
}

\def\otherlist{
  bee,
  marmot%
}

% Bee %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\tikzset{
  /bee/.search also={/tikz,/pgf,/thing},
  /bee/.cd,
  body/.code         = \def\beebody{#1},
  body               = yellow!70!orange,
}
\newcommand*{\bee}[1][]{%
  \begin{scope}%
    \tikzset{/bee/.cd,#1}%
    \fill[\beebody] (0,0) circle [radius=1];
  \end{scope}%
  \thing[#1]%
}

% Marmot %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\newif\ifmarmotblush
\tikzset{
  /marmot/.search also={/tikz,/pgf,/thing},
  /marmot/.cd,
  body/.code         = \def\marmotbody{#1},
  body               = brown,
  blush/.code        = \marmotblushtrue,
}
\newcommand*{\marmot}[1][]{%
  \begin{scope}%
    \tikzset{/marmot/.cd,#1}%
    \fill[\marmotbody] (0,0) circle [radius=1];
    \ifmarmotblush
      \fill[red] (-0.5,-0.2) circle [radius=0.1] (0.5,-0.2) circle [radius=0.1];;
    \fi
  \end{scope}%
  \thing[#1]%
}

% Addons %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\newif\ifthinghat
\tikzset{%
  /thing/.search also={%
    /tikz,/pgf,
    /bee,/marmot % <- simplify this line
  },
  /thing/.cd,
  hat/.code = \thinghattrue,
}

\newcommand*{\thing}[1][]{%
  \begin{scope}%
    \tikzset{/thing/.cd,#1}%
    \ifthinghat
      \fill[black] (0,1) ellipse [x radius=1,y radius=0.4];
    \fi
  \end{scope}%
}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\bee[body=yellow]
\marmot[blush,xshift=2cm,hat]
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}
```   
(no marmots or bees were harmed in creating this example, the rest of their bodies is safely stored)

user 3.14159

Another interesting aspect of `/.list` is that it does not put the stuff it is iterating over in a list. So it is basically like `\pgfplotsinvokeforeachungrouped` but without loading `pgfplots`. It understands the `foreach` syntax. This is an illustration. 
```  
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgffor}
\edef\mycount{0}%
\pgfkeys{count/.code={\edef\mycount{0}%
\pgfkeys{step/.list={#1}}},
step/.code={\edef\mycount{\the\numexpr\mycount+1}}}
\begin{document}

\pgfkeys{count={a,fr,d,12,17}}\mycount

\pgfkeys{count={1,...,17}}\mycount
\end{document}
```

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

My bad, I made a really dumb mistake. Sorry!  
```  
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgffor}
\begin{document}
% define a key:
\pgfkeys{/anteater/option/.code={Invoking /anteater/option with `#1'}} 
\pgfkeys{/bear/option/.code={Invoking /bear/option with `#1'}} 
\pgfkeys{/bee/option/.code={Invoking /bee/option with `#1'}} 
\pgfkeys{/cat/option/.code={Invoking /cat/option with `#1'}} 
% set up a search path:

\def\mylist{anteater,bear,bee,cat}
\pgfkeys{mainsearch/.code={\pgfkeys{/main path/.search also=/#1}},
mainsearch/.list/.expanded=\mylist}
\pgfkeys{/main path/.cd,option=value}
\end{document}
```

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

Thanks already for all your input!

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

Sorry, I should have tested myself. I just do not happen to have anything at my disposal that really uses `/.search also`.

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

Arg! Whatever I try, it always complains about unknown keys. I'll try to make a mwe tomorrow.

user 3.14159

Don't read this. It is wrong. Or  
```  
\def\mylist{anteater,bear,bee,cat,coati,hippo,koala,marmot,mouse}
\pgfkeys{thingsearch/.code={/thing/.search also=/#1},
thingsearch/.list/.expanded=\mylist}
````  
so that you can recycle the list of TikZlings for all sorts of purposes.

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

Don't read this, it is wrong.  
`\def\mylist{/bear,/bee}`, for example. Or (I did not test):  
```  
\pgfkeys{thingsearch/.code={/thing/.search also=/#1},
thingsearch/.list/.expanded={anteater,bear,bee,cat,coati,hippo,koala,marmot,mouse}}
 ```

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

and `\mylist` would look like what?

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

You may really try to define a list and do `/.search also/.expanded=\mylist`. If that works then this could be some motivation to look into the the list handlers. (I am almost inclined just to use the macros from `etoolbox` and just write wrappers in pgf. Otherwise one reinvents stuff that has already been developed. Sadly, at this point `etoolbox` does not seem to have a sorting function.)

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

I switched to also use `moles/moles` in the list in an commit earlier today: https://github.com/samcarter/tikzlings/blob/master/tikzlings.sty#L33  
and also use `moles` for the namespace https://github.com/samcarter/tikzlings/commit/9075780b657809fe109dcf470495cef3c97a172d

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

Guilty!!!! moles is the only tikzling for which I use the plural to avoid the conflict with the `\mole` macro from siunitx.

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

Did you try to just put a list there, maybe with `/.search also/.expanded`? (I have not tried this.) The idea is that you have just one list of TikZlings and derive a list with `/` in front or use other tricks. My main problem when trying this out is that I always get confused between `mole` and `moles`. For instance, in your above list, shouldn't be the key for the macro be `moles` instead of `mole`?

samcarter

(I keep forgetting to add new tikzlings there)

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

Thanks a lot! Do you happen to know any way how I could use this list to avoid having to type all the namespaces in this line:  
https://github.com/samcarter/tikzlings/blob/master/tikzlings-addons.sty#L86

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

More or less stolen from your commit but without explicit `\foreach`.  
```  
\documentclass[tikz]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikzlings}
\makeatletter
\def\tikzling@list{%
   anteater/anteaters,
   bear/bears,
   bee/bees,
   cat/cats,
   coati/coatis,
   hippo/hippos,
   koala/koalas,
   marmot/marmots,
   mouse/mice,
   mole/moles,
   owl/owls,
   panda/pandas,
   penguin/penguins,
   pig/pigs,
   rhino/rhinos,
   sheep/sheep,
   sloth/sloths,
   snowman/snowmans,
   squirrel/squirrels
 }
\pgfkeys{/tikzlings/tikzling/.code args={#1/#2}{\begin{tikzpicture}
\csname#1\endcsname[/tikzlings/every tikzling]
\end{tikzpicture}},/tikzlings/every tikzling/.style={}} 
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\makeatletter
\pgfkeys{/tikzlings/tikzling/.list/.expanded=\tikzling@list}

\pgfkeys{/tikzlings/.cd,every tikzling/.style={body=red},
tikzling/.list/.expanded=\tikzling@list}
\makeatother
\end{document}  
```

samcarter replying to user 3.14159

That's really interesting!

JeT replying to user 3.14159

Merci! I am writing the question !

user 3.14159 replying to JeT

I think that you should ask @samcarter, or ask an official question. The contours of some of them can be obtained by using the `back` key, e.g.  
```  
\documentclass[tikz,border=3mm]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikzlings}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\bear[back,body=white]
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}  
```  
but I think @samcarter can tell you more.

JeT

@marmot, re: [your answer](#a1820),  May I ask one thing ? What shall I do so that I get only the contour of the TiklZlings ? (it'll be printed for my 4yo to fill manually the colors, she's a young fan).  You've just given me ideas about a little playbook in LaTeX.

user 3.14159 replying to samcarter

Some time ago I started to look at the possibility to manipulate lists with a new (?) key handler.  This is a very stripped down version. (In principle, a variation thereof can be used to define a `/.remove style` key, which is one reason why I looked into this. That is, sometimes one has a huge collection of keys in a style, and wants to have a variation thereof in which just one or a few items get dropped. To the best of my knowledge, there is no support for this apart from the possibility of making the style even longer, e.g. by adding `sharp corners` to drop `rounded corners`.)
```  
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgf}
\makeatletter
\pgfkeys{/handlers/.add item/.code=\pgfkeys{\pgfkeyscurrentpath/.append={,#1}},
/handlers/.remove item/.code={%
\edef\pgfutil@tmpa{\pgfkeysvalueof{\pgfkeyscurrentpath}}%
\edef\pgfutil@tmpb{#1}%
\edef\pgfutil@tmpc{\noexpand\@removeelement{\pgfutil@tmpb}{\pgfutil@tmpa}{\noexpand\pgfutil@tmpa}}%
\pgfutil@tmpc
\pgfkeyssetvalue{\pgfkeyscurrentpath}{\pgfutil@tmpa}%
}}%
\makeatother
\begin{document}
\pgfkeys{/my lists/.cd,
tikzlings/.initial={anteater,bear,bee,cat,coati,hippo,koala,marmot,mouse}}
The first 9 Ti\emph{k}Zlings are\\ \pgfkeysvalueof{/my lists/tikzlings}.
\medskip

\pgfkeys{/my lists/tikzlings/.add item=wolpertinger}
After the wolpertinger joined the list became\\ \pgfkeysvalueof{/my lists/tikzlings}.
\medskip

\pgfkeys{/my lists/tikzlings/.remove item=mouse}
Sadly, the mouse could not stand the wolpertinger, so the list Ti\emph{k}Zlings
got reduced to\\ \pgfkeysvalueof{/my lists/tikzlings}.
\end{document}
```

samcarter

@marmot, re: [your answer](#a1820), Fantastic!