fix for #1622

base/doc/ltnews41.tex

@@ -452,6 +452,25 @@ \subsection{\pkg{array}:\ Improve preamble setup code for \texttt{p} and friends
 \githubissue{1585}
 
 
+\subsection[\pkg{varioref}:\ How to make \cs{reftex...}\ empty]
+           {\pkg{varioref}:\ How to make \cs{reftexafter} and friends empty}
+
+In the unusual case that one wants to make a command such as
+\cs{reftextafter} produce nothing one has o get rid of the space that
+is automatically placed in front of it. This can be done by simply
+defining the command to remove it, e.g.,
+\begin{verbatim}
+  \renewcommand\reftextafter{\unskip}
+\end{verbatim}
+The \pkg{varioref} package does not test if such strings are empty,
+because that would require a lot of tests each time \cs{vref} is used,
+and it would nearly always find that the text is not empty. However,
+as shown above, the solution for this uncommon case is simple, and it
+is now explicitly documented in the package documentation.
+%
+\githubissue{1622}
+
+
 
 
 %\section{Changes to files in the \pkg{cyrillic} category}

required/tools/changes.txt

@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ completeness or accuracy and it contains some references to files that
 are not part of the distribution.
 =======================================================================
 
+2025-01-14  Frank Mittelbach  <[email protected]>
+
+	* varioref.dtx: Describe how to make any of the \reftext...
+	text strings empty, by using \unskip (gh/1622)
+
 2024-12-27  Frank Mittelbach  <[email protected]>
 
 	* multicol.dtx (subsection{Tagging support}):

required/tools/varioref.dtx

@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 %<package>\DeclareCurrentRelease{}{2019-10-01}
 %<package>
 %<package>\ProvidesPackage{varioref}
-%<package>    [2024/05/23 v1.6g package for extended references (FMi)]
+%<package>    [2025/01/14 v1.6g package for extended references (FMi)]
 % \fi
 %
 %%
@@ -452,6 +452,11 @@
 % one argument, the symbolic reference string, so that one can make
 % use of |\pageref| in its replacement text.
 %
+% In the somewhat unusual case that you want to make some or all of
+% the |\reftext...| texts empty it is necessary to get rid of the
+% space that is automatically put in front of them. You can do this by
+% defining them to expand to |\unskip|.
+%
 %
 %\DescribeMacro\reftextvario To allow a bit random variation in the
 % generated strings one can use the command |\reftextvario| inside the