Adding chapter thumbs to an appendix with KOMA-Script

Question

Including an appendix chapter using \include{chapter_appendixA} results in a 'weird error' in overleaf (compiling with XeLaTeX):

! Missing number, treated as zero. p l.1 \chapter{chapter_appendixA} A number should have been here; I inserted `0'.

! Package PGF Math Error: Unknown function `A' (in '-A*\LabelSize '). See the PGF Math package documentation for explanation. Type H for immediate help.

The chapter_appendixA.tex file only includes the following:

\chapter{Appendix}
Some text

Other appendix examples do not include a number there. The error arises when activating the gray chapter label boxes using \AddLabels from "Show current chapter number on each page margin" Does anyone have an idea?

My main code is the following:

\documentclass[10pt,twoside,parskip=half,table,xcdraw]{scrbook}
\usepackage[
  paperwidth=170mm,
  paperheight=240mm,
  top=2.5cm,
  bottom=3cm,
  inner=30mm,
  outer=25mm,
  heightrounded=true
]{geometry}

\input{preamble.tex}

\raggedbottom

% avoid annoying errors when using Koma-Script with bibtex
\DeclareOldFontCommand{\bf}{\normalfont\bfseries}{\mathbf}


\begin{document}

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%% FRONT MATTER %%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\frontmatter
\tableofcontents

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%% MAIN MATTER %%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\mainmatter
\rehead{\small{Chapter \thechapter}}

\chapter{A chapter}
    Some text
\AddLabels  

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%% APPENDIX %%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\appendix
\include{chapter_appendixA}

\end{document}

With accompanyingpreamble.tex:

%%%%%%%%%%%
%% FONTS %%
%%%%%%%%%%%
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{libertine}
\setmainfont{Linux Libertine O} 
\setsansfont{Linux Biolinum O}

%Set chapter titles and numbering
\usepackage[headsepline=true]{scrlayer-scrpage}
\clearpairofpagestyles


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%% chapter numbering %%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

%\renewcommand*{\thesection}{\thechapter.\arabic{section}}
\renewcommand{\sectionmark}[1]{\markright{#1}{}}

% Create header for odd (o) and even (e) pages
\lehead{\thepage}\rohead{\thepage}
\lohead{{\small\rightmark}}
\setkomafont{pagehead}{\normalfont\normalcolor}

\usepackage[times]{quotchap}   % fancy chapter beginning

\pretolerance=10000
\tolerance=10000

% Gray boxes for chapter numbering on pages
\usepackage[contents={},opacity=1,scale=1,color=white]{background}
\usepackage{tikzpagenodes}
\usepackage{totcount}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}

\newif\ifMaterial

\newlength\LabelSize
\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}
\AtBeginDocument{%
\regtotcounter{chapter}
%\setlength\LabelSize{\dimexpr\textheight/\totvalue{chapter}\relax}
\ifdim\LabelSize>2.5cm\relax
  \global\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}
\fi}

\newcommand\AddLabels{%
    \Materialtrue%
    \AddEverypageHook{%
        \ifMaterial%
        \ifodd\value{page} %
        \backgroundsetup{
          angle=90, position={current page.east|-current page text area.north  east}, vshift=8pt, hshift=-\thechapter*\LabelSize,
          contents={%
          \tikz\node[fill=gray!30,anchor=west,text width=\LabelSize,
            align=center,text height=15pt,text depth=10pt,font=\large\sffamily] {\thechapter};  }%
        }
         \else
         \backgroundsetup{
          angle=90, position={current page.west|-current page text area.north west}, vshift=-8pt, hshift=-\thechapter*\LabelSize,
          contents={%
          \tikz\node[fill=gray!30,anchor=west,text width=\LabelSize,
            align=center,text height=15pt,text depth=10pt,font=\large\sffamily] {\thechapter}; }%
         }
     \fi
     \BgMaterial%
     \else\relax\fi}%
}

\newcommand\RemoveLabels{\Materialfalse}
\usepackage{afterpage}
\newcommand\RemoveThisLabel{%
    \Materialfalse
    \afterpage{\global\Materialtrue}%
}

I'm not able to reproduce the problem with what you have provided, but I've given my best guess – see the notes on how to produce a minimum working example. — Andrew Dunning
– Andrew Dunning, Commented Jan 22, 2019 at 21:40
Thank you for your comment! I have edited the question. Compilation is with XeLaTeX. The problem only appears if I include a chapter \chapter{A chapter} Some text and \AddLabels for creating the gray chapter number boxes. — TGterpa
– TGterpa, Commented Jan 23, 2019 at 7:36
Take a look at that link on MWEs – essentially you want to cut out everything that isn't relevant to the problem (e.g. all the extra bits in your separate preamble). You want to have one (ideally short) piece of text that respondents can paste into their computer to test. — Andrew Dunning
– Andrew Dunning, Commented Jan 24, 2019 at 14:20
In \AddLabels you are using hshift=-\thechapter*\LabelSize. Here you use \thechapter as a number which is wrong, because it need not be an arabic number. For example in the appendix it is A, B etc. So you have to use either \value{chapter} or the value of another counter related to \chapter. — Schweinebacke
– Schweinebacke, Commented Jan 24, 2019 at 15:27

Andrew Dunning · Accepted Answer · 2019-01-24 15:11:24Z

2

KOMA-Script has a more robust approach to adding chapter thumbs using its scrlayer-scrpage package. Download the examples from the KOMA-Script book, and use the files in the Anhang-B folder. Here is a translated version of the example with an appendix added, which will work if the chapterthumb.sty file from the examples is in the same folder:

\documentclass{scrbook}
\usepackage{chapterthumb}
\usepackage{scrlayer-scrpage}
\AddLayersToPageStyle{@everystyle@}{chapterthumb}
\addtokomafont{chapterthumb}{\bfseries}

\begin{document}
\chapter{In the beginning it starts}\dots
\chapter{continuing}\dots
\chapter{further}\dots
\chapter{and even further}\dots
\chapter{And always on}\dots
\chapter{Goes the journey}\dots
\chapter{out}\dots
\chapter{And further out}\dots
\chapter{Always further out}\dots

\appendix

\chapter{Until the end}\dots

\end{document}

If you wish to customize it, this has been addressed several times before; see the chapterthumb tag.

edited Jan 24, 2019 at 15:11

answered Jan 22, 2019 at 21:30

Andrew Dunning

1,8221 gold badge15 silver badges21 bronze badges

Thank you for your suggestion. I have removed the inclusion of the appendixpackage. However, I just found out that the problem arises when including the gray chapter boxes in the margin using AddLabels. I have edited the question accordingly.

TGterpa
– TGterpa

2019-01-23 08:10:42 +00:00
Commented Jan 23, 2019 at 8:10
I've modified my answer to show a cleaner method of adding chapter thumbs.

Andrew Dunning
– Andrew Dunning

2019-01-24 14:46:10 +00:00
Commented Jan 24, 2019 at 14:46

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