12.7.4 LaTeX specific attributes

LaTeX understands attributes specified in an ATTR_LATEX line. They affect tables, images, plain lists, special blocks and source blocks.

Tables in LaTeX export

For LaTeX export of a table, you can specify a label and a caption (see Images and tables). You can also use attributes to control table layout and contents. Valid LaTeX attributes include:

:mode

Nature of table’s contents. It can be set to table, math, inline-math or verbatim. In particular, when in math or inline-math mode, every cell is exported as-is, horizontal rules are ignored and the table will be wrapped in a math environment. Also, contiguous tables sharing the same math mode will be wrapped within the same environment. Default mode is determined in org-latex-default-table-mode.

:environment

Environment used for the table. It can be set to any LaTeX table environment, like tabularx¹⁴⁵, longtable, array, tabu¹⁴⁶, bmatrix... It defaults to org-latex-default-table-environment value.

:caption

#+CAPTION keyword is the simplest way to set a caption for a table (see Images and tables). If you need more advanced commands for that task, you can use :caption attribute instead. Its value should be raw LaTeX code. It has precedence over #+CAPTION.

:float

:placement

Float environment for the table. Possible values are sidewaystable, multicolumn, t and nil. When unspecified, a table with a caption will have a table environment. Moreover, :placement attribute can specify the positioning of the float.

:align

:font

:width

Set, respectively, the alignment string of the table, its font size and its width. They only apply on regular tables.

:spread

Boolean specific to the tabu and longtabu environments, and only takes effect when used in conjunction with the :width attribute. When :spread is non-nil, the table will be spread or shrunk by the value of :width.

:booktabs

:center

:rmlines

They toggle, respectively, booktabs usage (assuming the package is properly loaded), table centering and removal of every horizontal rule but the first one (in a "table.el" table only). In particular, org-latex-tables-booktabs (respectively org-latex-tables-centered) activates the first (respectively second) attribute globally.

:math-prefix

:math-suffix

:math-arguments

A string that will be inserted, respectively, before the table within the math environment, after the table within the math environment, and between the macro name and the contents of the table. The :math-arguments attribute is used for matrix macros that require more than one argument (e.g., qbordermatrix).

Thus, attributes can be used in a wide array of situations, like writing a table that will span over multiple pages, or a matrix product:

#+ATTR_LATEX: :environment longtable :align l|lp{3cm}r|l
| ..... | ..... |
| ..... | ..... |

#+ATTR_LATEX: :mode math :environment bmatrix :math-suffix \times
| a | b |
| c | d |
#+ATTR_LATEX: :mode math :environment bmatrix
| 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 |

In the example below, LaTeX command \bicaption{HeadingA}{HeadingB} will set the caption.

#+ATTR_LATEX: :caption \bicaption{HeadingA}{HeadingB}
| ..... | ..... |
| ..... | ..... |

Images in LaTeX export

Images that are linked to without a description part in the link, like ‘[[file:img.jpg]]’ or ‘[[./img.jpg]]’ will be inserted into the PDF output file resulting from LaTeX processing. Org will use an \includegraphics macro to insert the image¹⁴⁷.

You can specify specify image width or height with, respectively, :width and :height attributes. It is also possible to add any other option with the :options attribute, as shown in the following example:

#+ATTR_LATEX: :width 5cm :options angle=90
[[./img/sed-hr4049.pdf]]

If you need a specific command for the caption, use :caption attribute. It will override standard #+CAPTION value, if any.

#+ATTR_LATEX: :caption \bicaption{HeadingA}{HeadingB}
[[./img/sed-hr4049.pdf]]

If you have specified a caption as described in Images and tables, the picture will be wrapped into a figure environment and thus become a floating element. You can also ask Org to export an image as a float without specifying caption by setting the :float attribute. You may also set it to:

• - t: if you want to use the standard ‘figure’ environment. It is used by default if you provide a caption to the image.
• - multicolumn: if you wish to include an image which spans multiple columns in a page. This will export the image wrapped in a figure* environment.
• - wrap: if you would like to let text flow around the image. It will make the figure occupy the left half of the page.
• - nil: if you need to avoid any floating environment, even when a caption is provided.

To modify the placement option of any floating environment, set the placement attribute.

#+ATTR_LATEX: :float wrap :width 0.38\textwidth :placement {r}{0.4\textwidth}
[[./img/hst.png]]

If the :comment-include attribute is set to a non-nil value, the LaTeX \includegraphics macro will be commented out.

Plain lists in LaTeX export

Plain lists accept two optional attributes: :environment and :options. The first one allows the use of a non-standard environment (e.g., ‘inparaenum’). The second one specifies additional arguments for that environment.

#+ATTR_LATEX: :environment compactitem :options [$\circ$]
- you need ``paralist'' package to reproduce this example.

Source blocks in LaTeX export

In addition to syntax defined in Literal examples, names and captions (see Images and tables), source blocks also accept a :float attribute. You may set it to:

• - t: if you want to make the source block a float. It is the default value when a caption is provided.
• - multicolumn: if you wish to include a source block which spans multiple columns in a page.
• - nil: if you need to avoid any floating environment, even when a caption is provided. It is useful for source code that may not fit in a single page.

#+ATTR_LATEX: :float nil
#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
Code that may not fit in a single page.
#+END_SRC

Special blocks in LaTeX export

In LaTeX back-end, special blocks become environments of the same name. Value of :options attribute will be appended as-is to that environment’s opening string. For example:

#+BEGIN_ABSTRACT
We demonstrate how to solve the Syracuse problem.
#+END_ABSTRACT

#+ATTR_LATEX: :options [Proof of important theorem]
#+BEGIN_PROOF
...
Therefore, any even number greater than 2 is the sum of two primes.
#+END_PROOF

becomes

\begin{abstract}
We demonstrate how to solve the Syracuse problem.
\end{abstract}

\begin{proof}[Proof of important theorem]
...
Therefore, any even number greater than 2 is the sum of two primes.
\end{proof}

If you need to insert a specific caption command, use :caption attribute. It will override standard #+CAPTION value, if any. For example:

#+ATTR_LATEX: :caption \MyCaption{HeadingA}
#+BEGIN_PROOF
...
#+END_PROOF

Horizontal rules

Width and thickness of a given horizontal rule can be controlled with, respectively, :width and :thickness attributes:

#+ATTR_LATEX: :width .6\textwidth :thickness 0.8pt
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