\typeout (LaTeX2e unofficial reference manual (November 2018))

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### 27.4 `\typeout`

Synopsis:

    \typeout{msg}

Print `msg` on the terminal and in the `log` file.

This

    \newcommand{\student}{John Dee}
    \typeout{Recommendation for \student .}

outputs ‘`Recommendation for John Dee`’. Like what happens here with `\student`, commands that are defined with `\newcommand` or `\renewcommand` (among others) are replaced by their definitions before being printed.

LaTeX’s usual rules for treating multiple spaces as a single space and ignoring spaces after a command name apply to `msg`. As above, use the command `\space` to get a single space, independent of surrounding spaces. Use `^^J` to get a newline. Get a percent character with `\csname @percentchar\endcsname`.

This command can be useful for simple debugging, as here:

    \newlength{\jhlength}
    \setlength{\jhlength}{5pt}
    \typeout{The length is \the\jhlength.}

produces on the command line ‘`The length is 5.0pt`’.

Unofficial LaTeX2e reference manual