Float crossrefs with unlabeled subfloats

[HelenaLC]

Bug description

summary

current behavior:

• a code chunk that renders multiple plots with #| fig-cap: set duplicates the caption
• consequently, the figure counter is incremented twice

expected/desired behavior:

• sub-captions are optional: not specifying #| fig-subcap: gives a main caption only, without sub-panels being labeled (a)-(z)
• alternatively, there's a chunk option to mark figures as not/having labeled sub-panels
• an incorrect number of #| fig-subcap: items gives an error
• in either case, the figure counter is incremented once only (since there's one #| fig-cap: that can be cross-referenced)

repex

.qmd:

```{r}
#| label: fig-histograms-1
#| fig-cap: "this caption is duplicated"
#| fig-show: hold
#| fig-width: 4
#| fig-height: 3
#| layout-nrow: 1
hist(runif(100))
hist(rnorm(100))
```

```{r}
#| label: fig-histograms-2
#| fig-cap: "this caption is unique"
#| fig-subcap: 
#|   - ""
#|   - ""
#| fig-show: hold
#| fig-width: 4
#| fig-height: 3
#| layout-nrow: 1
hist(runif(100))
hist(rnorm(100))
```

output:

software

• Quarto version 1.1.168
• macOS Monterey version 12.2
• RStudio IDE version "Prairie Trillium" Release
  (1db809b8, 2022-05-16) for macOS

Checklist

• Please include a minimal, fully reproducible example in a single .qmd file? Please provide the whole file rather than the snippet you believe is causing the issue.
• Please format your issue so it is easier for us to read the bug report.
• Please document the RStudio IDE version you're running (if applicable), by providing the value displayed in the "About RStudio" main menu dialog?
• Please document the operating system you're running. If on Linux, please provide the specific distribution.

[jjallaire]

The solution here should be to provide an array of fig-cap as documented here: https://quarto.org/docs/authoring/figures.html#figures

[HelenaLC]

Hm, if I understand correctly, this would allow multiple (independently numbered) figure captions. However, how would one create a multi-panel figure with a single caption (and number)? I think it’s worth distinguishing between a chunks that generate 1) multiple figures and 2) multiple panels to be consolidated on a single figure. The former case is covered by current options. The latter, however, currently has some drawbacks/issues I believe - as outlined above - e.g., must specify sub-captions (even when empty), cannot have un-labeled sub-panels.

[jjallaire]

HI there, sorry about the delay in answering this! You can get the behavior you want to creating a figure div (see https://quarto.org/docs/authoring/figures.html#figure-divs). For example:

::: {#fig-histograms}

```{r}
#| fig-show: hold
#| fig-width: 4
#| fig-height: 3
#| layout-nrow: 1
hist(runif(100))
hist(rnorm(100))
```

This caption is unique
:::