# Silencing Warnings and Errors in LaTeX

## Statement of need
Occasionally, `LaTeX` throws warnings and errors that I don't want to do anything about.
In this sense, those warnings are redundant.
In `LaTeX`, the `silence` package can be used to suppress unwanted output or error messages that can otherwise disrupt the formatting and appearance of a document. This helps streamline the `LaTeX` workflow by reducing the amount of extraneous information displayed during the document compilation process. 

## The `silence` Package

The `silence` package offers the following `macros` to help suppress various warnings and errors:

| Command          | Description                              | Usage                                  |
|------------------|------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| `\WarningFilter` | Suppresses warnings in logs              | `\WarningFilter{<package>}{<message>}` |
| `WarningsOff`    | Suppresses warnings the brutal way       | `\WarningsOff[<package>]`              |
| `\ErrorsFilter`  | Suppresses error messages in logs        | `\ErrorsFilter{<package>}{<message>}`  |
| `\ErrorsOff`     | Suppresses error messages the brutal way | `\ErrorsOff[<package]`                 |

<div class="admonition warning">
  <p class="admonition-title">Even cruder</p>
Using the starred versions

	\usepackage{silence}
	\WarningsOff*
	\ErrorsOff*

suppresses all warnings and errors.
</div>

## Example A: Ignoring style (`.sty`) errors in Beamer
I use the beamer `metropolis` theme quite a bit, but I get the following error when compiling on my desktop TeXstudio:
```latex
! Package beamerfontthememetropolis Error: Patching section title failed.
See the beamerfontthememetropolis package documentation for explanation.
```

I have no intention of dealing with the error (not interested in dealing with `pdflatex` vs. `xelatex` vs. `lualatex`(??), etc.). 
My beamer slides still compile. An error I'm aware of but don't intend to deal with is just noise.
So silencing the error is useful.

The crude way of using `silence` is to filter error messages related to `beamerfontthememetropolis`
```latex
\usepackage{silence}
\ErrorsOff[beamerfontthememetropolis]
```


## Example B: Float too large for page
Another example is getting an error about floats being too large for the page. The warning I get is something like:
```latex
Float too large for page by 17.91571pt on input line 22.
```
Again, not intending to tinker with formatting.
The `silence` package also handles a more exquisite way of turning off warnings using the following syntax for a specific package and a type of warning.
```latex
\usepackage{silence}
\WarningFilter{<package>}{<message>}
```

So the following turns off the `Float too large warning for page` warning originating from the `latex` package.
```latex
\usepackage{silence}
\WarningFilter{latex}{Float too large for page}
```

## Example C: Margin paragraph moved
I tested out the Tufte-LaTeX class for producing notes. It allows notes to appear on the margins. 
But I get a warning if too many notes are defined close together in the same page.
In which case LaTeX moves the notes accordingly to space them out gives the warning:
```latex
LaTeX Warning: Marginpar on page 3 moved.
LaTeX Warning: Marginpar on page 22 moved.
...
```
Again, no intention of dealing with it.
Adding the following in the preamble turns the warnings off.
```latex
\usepackage{silence}
\WarningFilter{latex}{Marginpar on page}
```

## Gotcha with load order
The silence package is called as with any other package.
```latex
\usepackage[<options>]{silence}
```
As with any other package, it is only effective after it has been called. 
So compiling error messages and warnings thrown before `silence` is loaded will not be filtered.
Place the `silence` loading at the top of the preamble to capture all messages.

## Resources

* [silence – Selective filtering of error messages and warnings](https://ctan.org/pkg/silence?lang=en)