Text Formatting'Undefined control sequence Strong text \strong' issue

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astenix
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:48 pm

'Undefined control sequence Strong text \strong' issue

Post by astenix »

Hi all,
can anyone get me an idea about what is happened with my LaTeX document?

My enviromnent:
  • Debian: jessie
  • Kile: 2.1.3
  • Qt: 4.8.6
  • KDE: 4.14.0
  • TeX Live 2014/Debian
  • pdfTeX: 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.15
My very simple document:

Code: Select all

\documentclass[a4paper,10pt]{book}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

\begin{document}

Strong text \strong{1}
Textbf text \textbf{2}

\end{document}
Compilation result with following:
[PDFLaTeX] finished with exit code 1
./test.tex:6:Undefined control sequence Strong text \strong

I'm sorry, but WAT? :shock:
How it can be possible?
Am I wrong about it, or '\strong' doesn't exist?

The log:

Code: Select all

This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.15 (TeX Live 2014/Debian) (preloaded format=pdflatex 2014.9.20)  2 OCT 2014 21:53
entering extended mode
 restricted \write18 enabled.
 %&-line parsing enabled.
**test.tex
(./test.tex
LaTeX2e <2014/05/01>
Babel <3.9k> and hyphenation patterns for 9 languages loaded.
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/book.cls
Document Class: book 2007/10/19 v1.4h Standard LaTeX document class
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/bk10.clo
File: bk10.clo 2007/10/19 v1.4h Standard LaTeX file (size option)
)
\c@part=\count79
\c@chapter=\count80
\c@section=\count81
\c@subsection=\count82
\c@subsubsection=\count83
\c@paragraph=\count84
\c@subparagraph=\count85
\c@figure=\count86
\c@table=\count87
\abovecaptionskip=\skip41
\belowcaptionskip=\skip42
\bibindent=\dimen102
)
(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/inputenc.sty
Package: inputenc 2014/04/30 v1.2b Input encoding file
\inpenc@prehook=\toks14
\inpenc@posthook=\toks15

(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/utf8.def
File: utf8.def 2008/04/05 v1.1m UTF-8 support for inputenc
Now handling font encoding OML ...
... no UTF-8 mapping file for font encoding OML
Now handling font encoding T1 ...
... processing UTF-8 mapping file for font encoding T1

(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/t1enc.dfu
File: t1enc.dfu 2008/04/05 v1.1m UTF-8 support for inputenc
   defining Unicode char U+00A1 (decimal 161)
   defining Unicode char U+00A3 (decimal 163)
   defining Unicode char U+00AB (decimal 171)
   defining Unicode char U+00BB (decimal 187)
   defining Unicode char U+00BF (decimal 191)
   defining Unicode char U+00C0 (decimal 192)
   defining Unicode char U+00C1 (decimal 193)
   defining Unicode char U+00C2 (decimal 194)
   defining Unicode char U+00C3 (decimal 195)
   defining Unicode char U+00C4 (decimal 196)
   defining Unicode char U+00C5 (decimal 197)
   defining Unicode char U+00C6 (decimal 198)
   defining Unicode char U+00C7 (decimal 199)
   defining Unicode char U+00C8 (decimal 200)
   defining Unicode char U+00C9 (decimal 201)
   defining Unicode char U+00CA (decimal 202)
   defining Unicode char U+00CB (decimal 203)
   defining Unicode char U+00CC (decimal 204)
   defining Unicode char U+00CD (decimal 205)
   defining Unicode char U+00CE (decimal 206)
   defining Unicode char U+00CF (decimal 207)
   defining Unicode char U+00D0 (decimal 208)
   defining Unicode char U+00D1 (decimal 209)
   defining Unicode char U+00D2 (decimal 210)
   defining Unicode char U+00D3 (decimal 211)
   defining Unicode char U+00D4 (decimal 212)
   defining Unicode char U+00D5 (decimal 213)
   defining Unicode char U+00D6 (decimal 214)
   defining Unicode char U+00D8 (decimal 216)
   defining Unicode char U+00D9 (decimal 217)
   defining Unicode char U+00DA (decimal 218)
   defining Unicode char U+00DB (decimal 219)
   defining Unicode char U+00DC (decimal 220)
   defining Unicode char U+00DD (decimal 221)
   defining Unicode char U+00DE (decimal 222)
   defining Unicode char U+00DF (decimal 223)
   defining Unicode char U+00E0 (decimal 224)
   defining Unicode char U+00E1 (decimal 225)
   defining Unicode char U+00E2 (decimal 226)
   defining Unicode char U+00E3 (decimal 227)
   defining Unicode char U+00E4 (decimal 228)
   defining Unicode char U+00E5 (decimal 229)
   defining Unicode char U+00E6 (decimal 230)
   defining Unicode char U+00E7 (decimal 231)
   defining Unicode char U+00E8 (decimal 232)
   defining Unicode char U+00E9 (decimal 233)
   defining Unicode char U+00EA (decimal 234)
   defining Unicode char U+00EB (decimal 235)
   defining Unicode char U+00EC (decimal 236)
   defining Unicode char U+00ED (decimal 237)
   defining Unicode char U+00EE (decimal 238)
   defining Unicode char U+00EF (decimal 239)
   defining Unicode char U+00F0 (decimal 240)
   defining Unicode char U+00F1 (decimal 241)
   defining Unicode char U+00F2 (decimal 242)
   defining Unicode char U+00F3 (decimal 243)
   defining Unicode char U+00F4 (decimal 244)
   defining Unicode char U+00F5 (decimal 245)
   defining Unicode char U+00F6 (decimal 246)
   defining Unicode char U+00F8 (decimal 248)
   defining Unicode char U+00F9 (decimal 249)
   defining Unicode char U+00FA (decimal 250)
   defining Unicode char U+00FB (decimal 251)
   defining Unicode char U+00FC (decimal 252)
   defining Unicode char U+00FD (decimal 253)
   defining Unicode char U+00FE (decimal 254)
   defining Unicode char U+00FF (decimal 255)
   defining Unicode char U+0102 (decimal 258)
   defining Unicode char U+0103 (decimal 259)
   defining Unicode char U+0104 (decimal 260)
   defining Unicode char U+0105 (decimal 261)
   defining Unicode char U+0106 (decimal 262)
   defining Unicode char U+0107 (decimal 263)
   defining Unicode char U+010C (decimal 268)
   defining Unicode char U+010D (decimal 269)
   defining Unicode char U+010E (decimal 270)
   defining Unicode char U+010F (decimal 271)
   defining Unicode char U+0110 (decimal 272)
   defining Unicode char U+0111 (decimal 273)
   defining Unicode char U+0118 (decimal 280)
   defining Unicode char U+0119 (decimal 281)
   defining Unicode char U+011A (decimal 282)
   defining Unicode char U+011B (decimal 283)
   defining Unicode char U+011E (decimal 286)
   defining Unicode char U+011F (decimal 287)
   defining Unicode char U+0130 (decimal 304)
   defining Unicode char U+0131 (decimal 305)
   defining Unicode char U+0132 (decimal 306)
   defining Unicode char U+0133 (decimal 307)
   defining Unicode char U+0139 (decimal 313)
   defining Unicode char U+013A (decimal 314)
   defining Unicode char U+013D (decimal 317)
   defining Unicode char U+013E (decimal 318)
   defining Unicode char U+0141 (decimal 321)
   defining Unicode char U+0142 (decimal 322)
   defining Unicode char U+0143 (decimal 323)
   defining Unicode char U+0144 (decimal 324)
   defining Unicode char U+0147 (decimal 327)
   defining Unicode char U+0148 (decimal 328)
   defining Unicode char U+014A (decimal 330)
   defining Unicode char U+014B (decimal 331)
   defining Unicode char U+0150 (decimal 336)
   defining Unicode char U+0151 (decimal 337)
   defining Unicode char U+0152 (decimal 338)
   defining Unicode char U+0153 (decimal 339)
   defining Unicode char U+0154 (decimal 340)
   defining Unicode char U+0155 (decimal 341)
   defining Unicode char U+0158 (decimal 344)
   defining Unicode char U+0159 (decimal 345)
   defining Unicode char U+015A (decimal 346)
   defining Unicode char U+015B (decimal 347)
   defining Unicode char U+015E (decimal 350)
   defining Unicode char U+015F (decimal 351)
   defining Unicode char U+0160 (decimal 352)
   defining Unicode char U+0161 (decimal 353)
   defining Unicode char U+0162 (decimal 354)
   defining Unicode char U+0163 (decimal 355)
   defining Unicode char U+0164 (decimal 356)
   defining Unicode char U+0165 (decimal 357)
   defining Unicode char U+016E (decimal 366)
   defining Unicode char U+016F (decimal 367)
   defining Unicode char U+0170 (decimal 368)
   defining Unicode char U+0171 (decimal 369)
   defining Unicode char U+0178 (decimal 376)
   defining Unicode char U+0179 (decimal 377)
   defining Unicode char U+017A (decimal 378)
   defining Unicode char U+017B (decimal 379)
   defining Unicode char U+017C (decimal 380)
   defining Unicode char U+017D (decimal 381)
   defining Unicode char U+017E (decimal 382)
   defining Unicode char U+200C (decimal 8204)
   defining Unicode char U+2013 (decimal 8211)
   defining Unicode char U+2014 (decimal 8212)
   defining Unicode char U+2018 (decimal 8216)
   defining Unicode char U+2019 (decimal 8217)
   defining Unicode char U+201A (decimal 8218)
   defining Unicode char U+201C (decimal 8220)
   defining Unicode char U+201D (decimal 8221)
   defining Unicode char U+201E (decimal 8222)
   defining Unicode char U+2030 (decimal 8240)
   defining Unicode char U+2031 (decimal 8241)
   defining Unicode char U+2039 (decimal 8249)
   defining Unicode char U+203A (decimal 8250)
   defining Unicode char U+2423 (decimal 9251)
)
Now handling font encoding OT1 ...
... processing UTF-8 mapping file for font encoding OT1

(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/ot1enc.dfu
File: ot1enc.dfu 2008/04/05 v1.1m UTF-8 support for inputenc
   defining Unicode char U+00A1 (decimal 161)
   defining Unicode char U+00A3 (decimal 163)
   defining Unicode char U+00B8 (decimal 184)
   defining Unicode char U+00BF (decimal 191)
   defining Unicode char U+00C5 (decimal 197)
   defining Unicode char U+00C6 (decimal 198)
   defining Unicode char U+00D8 (decimal 216)
   defining Unicode char U+00DF (decimal 223)
   defining Unicode char U+00E6 (decimal 230)
   defining Unicode char U+00EC (decimal 236)
   defining Unicode char U+00ED (decimal 237)
   defining Unicode char U+00EE (decimal 238)
   defining Unicode char U+00EF (decimal 239)
   defining Unicode char U+00F8 (decimal 248)
   defining Unicode char U+0131 (decimal 305)
   defining Unicode char U+0141 (decimal 321)
   defining Unicode char U+0142 (decimal 322)
   defining Unicode char U+0152 (decimal 338)
   defining Unicode char U+0153 (decimal 339)
   defining Unicode char U+2013 (decimal 8211)
   defining Unicode char U+2014 (decimal 8212)
   defining Unicode char U+2018 (decimal 8216)
   defining Unicode char U+2019 (decimal 8217)
   defining Unicode char U+201C (decimal 8220)
   defining Unicode char U+201D (decimal 8221)
)
Now handling font encoding OMS ...
... processing UTF-8 mapping file for font encoding OMS

(/usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/tex/latex/base/omsenc.dfu
File: omsenc.dfu 2008/04/05 v1.1m UTF-8 support for inputenc
   defining Unicode char U+00A7 (decimal 167)
   defining Unicode char U+00B6 (decimal 182)
   defining Unicode char U+00B7 (decimal 183)
   defining Unicode char U+2020 (decimal 8224)
   defining Unicode char U+2021 (decimal 8225)
   defining Unicode char U+2022 (decimal 8226)
)
Now handling font encoding OMX ...
... no UTF-8 mapping file for font encoding OMX
Now handling font encoding U ...
... no UTF-8 mapping file for font encoding U
   defining Unicode char U+00A9 (decimal 169)
   defining Unicode char U+00AA (decimal 170)
   defining Unicode char U+00AE (decimal 174)
   defining Unicode char U+00BA (decimal 186)
   defining Unicode char U+02C6 (decimal 710)
   defining Unicode char U+02DC (decimal 732)
   defining Unicode char U+200C (decimal 8204)
   defining Unicode char U+2026 (decimal 8230)
   defining Unicode char U+2122 (decimal 8482)
   defining Unicode char U+2423 (decimal 9251)
))
No file test.aux.
\openout1 = `test.aux'.

LaTeX Font Info:    Checking defaults for OML/cmm/m/it on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    Checking defaults for T1/cmr/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    Checking defaults for OT1/cmr/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    Checking defaults for OMS/cmsy/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    Checking defaults for OMX/cmex/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    ... okay on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    Checking defaults for U/cmr/m/n on input line 4.
LaTeX Font Info:    ... okay on input line 4.
! Undefined control sequence.
l.6 Strong text \strong
                       {1}
The control sequence at the end of the top line
of your error message was never \def'ed. If you have
misspelled it (e.g., `\hobx'), type `I' and the correct
spelling (e.g., `I\hbox'). Otherwise just continue,
and I'll forget about whatever was undefined.

[1{/home/astenix/.texmf-var/fonts/map/pdftex/updmap/pdftex.map}

] (./test.aux) ) 
Here is how much of TeX's memory you used:
 431 strings out of 494508
 4241 string characters out of 6173565
 50705 words of memory out of 5000000
 3726 multiletter control sequences out of 15000+600000
 4301 words of font info for 16 fonts, out of 8000000 for 9000
 430 hyphenation exceptions out of 8191
 23i,4n,19p,137b,143s stack positions out of 5000i,500n,10000p,200000b,80000s
</usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/type1/public/amsfonts/cm/c
mbx10.pfb></usr/share/texlive/texmf-dist/fonts/type1/public/amsfonts/cm/cmr10.p
fb>
Output written on test.pdf (1 page, 20537 bytes).
PDF statistics:
 16 PDF objects out of 1000 (max. 8388607)
 10 compressed objects within 1 object stream
 0 named destinations out of 1000 (max. 500000)
 1 words of extra memory for PDF output out of 10000 (max. 10000000)

Last edited by Johannes_B on Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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User avatar
Johannes_B
Site Moderator
Posts: 4182
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 4:08 pm

'Undefined control sequence Strong text \strong' issue

Post by Johannes_B »

The KOMA-script author provides a search that gives you the name of the package(s) providing a command. -> LaTeX commands (sorry, the site is a bit multilingual)

I was using this, because i don't know a command strong.

Searching a bit further leads me to Does LaTeX define a semantic equivalent of \textbf?. Again, no direct hit, but Martin Scharrer provides a new macro similar to \emph but using \textbf. You can use it in your documents.

Here is his code which you can run directly by clicking on »Open in writelatex«

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}
\makeatletter
\newcommand{\strong}[1]{\@strong{#1}}
\newcommand{\@@strong}[1]{\textbf{\let\@strong\@@@strong#1}}
\newcommand{\@@@strong}[1]{\textnormal{\let\@strong\@@strong#1}}
\let\@strong\@@strong
\makeatother

\begin{document}

Text \strong{strong text \strong{strong2 \strong{st-\strong{st}-st}  yyy } xxxx} after

\end{document}
Let's ask ourself, why doesn't LaTeX provide this command in the first place? \emph is the short form of emphasize. Another possibility to highlight something is to use small caps (uppercase letters at lowercase letters size). Please look at the attached pdf, what catches your eye when looking at the pages in full? Bold face words are always a bit like screaming »Look at me, look at me now!« ;-)
Or in other words, a reader turning the page will see some Klecks on the page and immediately look down at it, as there is something disturbing the greyness of the page.
Attachments
astenixStrong.pdf
(47.39 KiB) Downloaded 482 times
The smart way: Calm down and take a deep breath, read posts and provided links attentively, try to understand and ask if necessary.
astenix
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:48 pm

Re: 'Undefined control sequence Strong text \strong' issue

Post by astenix »

Thank you, Johannes!
User avatar
Johannes_B
Site Moderator
Posts: 4182
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 4:08 pm

Re: 'Undefined control sequence Strong text \strong' issue

Post by Johannes_B »

I added some remarks in between, not sure if you catched those. If you want to, take a look.
And by the way, welcome to our little community. ;-)
The smart way: Calm down and take a deep breath, read posts and provided links attentively, try to understand and ask if necessary.
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