Universe

A simple Typst package for creating and managing abbreviations. While more complex packages exist, this one prioritizes ease of use and adapts to any language (English, French, German, etc.) by letting you customize the abbreviation-list title.

Installation

Import from Typst Universe

To import the library from Typst Universe, add this to your document:

#import "@preview/abbrev:0.1.4": *

Local use

To use the library locally, download lib.typ and place it in your document’s directory (or any location of your choice). Then, into your document, import all (i.e. *) from lib.typ.

Usage

Step 1: Define abbreviations

Start by defining all your abbreviations in a dictionary:

#define-abbreviations((
  "GPU": "Graphics Processing Unit",
  "XML": "Extensible Markup Language",
  "CPU": "Central Processing Unit",
))

Step 2: Use abbreviations in your document

  • Short form (shows the abbreviation):

    #abbr("GPU")

    Output:

    GPU

  • Full form (shows the complete text):

    #abbr("GPU", form: "full")

    Output:

    Graphics Processing Unit

  • With a suffix (e.g., plural):

    #abbr("GPU", suffix: "s")

    Output:

    GPUs

Step 3: Display the abbreviation list

Generate an abbreviation list anywhere in your document:

#abbreviation-outline(
  title: [Abbreviations],
)

Output:

Example list of abbreviations

The default title is “List of abbreviations” — customize it as needed. For example, in French: title: [Liste des abréviations].

Customizing the abbreviation outline

When no abbreviations are used in the document, the outline displays [No abbreviations used.] by default. You can customize this message with the parameter empty (which accept a content).

#abbreviation-outline(
  title: [Abbreviations],
  empty: [Nothing to show.],
)

Output:

Example without abbreviations

You can also customize how your abbreviation definitions are displayed using two parameters:

  • separator: Controls the spacing between the short and long form of the abbreviation. The default is [~~] (two non-breaking space generally produces better results). For example, in French, you might use [~:~~] to include a colon with a non-breaking space before it.
  • filler: Controls the filler characters displayed between the abbreviation and page number. The default is repeat([.], gap: 0.15em), which creates dots with 0.15em spacing between them.
#define-abbreviations((
  "ABBA": "Was a Swedish pop music group formed by Agnetha, Björn, Benny Anni-Frid",
))
#abbreviation-outline(
  title: [Abbreviations],
  separator: [:~~],
  filler: repeat([^], gap: 5pt),
)
= Title
I like #abbr("ABBA"). Do you?

Output:

Example with a different separator and filler

The #abbreviation-outline() function creates an abbreviation list with a level-1 heading by default that is not numbered and does not appear in the chapter outline. Customize this behavior with the following parameters:

Parameter Default Purpose
level 1 Sets the heading level
numbering none Controls whether the title is numbered
outlined false Controls whether the title appears in the chapter outline

Example

See example.typ for a complete working example. To view the compiled output, choose one of the following:

  • Compile with the package: Run typst compile example.typ and ensure the import statement is #import "@preview/abbrev:0.1.4": *.
  • Compile locally: Run typst compile example.typ after placing lib.typ in the same directory as example.typ and updating the import statement to import lib.typ.
  • Use GitHub Actions: Select the latest passed workflow run and download the pdf-output artifact (a ZIP file containing the PDF).