Endnotes are a type of note similar to footnotes, where additional text, according to the motto "what is not directly needed for the understanding of the text is not directly written", is placed at the end of the overall text using an endnote. This enhances readability, and individual pages are free from additional entries in the footer. At the end of the document, endnote entries are typically presented together. Besides the mentioned reasons, it is often the publication requirements that prompt users to use endnotes instead of footnotes.
To use endnotes instead of or in addition to regular footnotes in LaTeX, there are a few select packages available.
The fn2end package provides the \makeendnotes command, which converts all subsequently placed footnotes into endnotes. Another new command, \theendnotes, is used to insert these endnotes into the document. Upon insertion, neither a page break nor a heading is automatically created.
The endnotes package works in a similar way to the fn2end package shown above. Here too, existing footnotes can be converted into endnotes. However, there's also a new command for creating endnotes, \endnote. Similarly, the endnotes-hy package is an extension of the endnotes package and additionally supports the functions of the hyperref package.
The enotez package is the newest among the packages shown here. It allows for the simultaneous use of endnotes alongside footnotes. However, in this case, one of the counters' display should be changed to avoid confusion among readers, as both count by default using Arabic numerals. A notable difference from the previous packages is how the endnotes are presented at the end of the text. Here, they are displayed with a corresponding overview. Overall, this package probably offers the most options regarding settings and customizations.
The package is included with \usepackage{fn2end}. The package neither includes other packages nor has options at the current time.
The package provides the user with three new commands.
The \makeendnotes command converts all subsequent footnotes into endnotes starting from the point where it's set. Therefore, it's advisable to set the command at the beginning of the document if all footnotes are to be converted.
The \restorefootnotes command reverses the effect of the \makeendnotes command. Footnotes become footnotes again starting from the point where this command is set.
The \theendnotes command generates an overview of the endnotes, consisting of the number and the corresponding text of each endnote. Neither a heading nor a page break is inserted before it.
Both the number format \notenumberformat of the endnotes and the distance between the number and text \noteskip can be changed. It should be noted that a mathematical environment with the parameter enclosed in a pair of dollar signs is used for the number.
In the example, the number has been raised and written with twice the distance from the text.
\renewcommand{\notenumberformat}[1]{${}^{#1}$}
\setlength{\noteskip}{2em}
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{fn2end}
...
\begin{document}
...
\makeendnotes
...
I have a \footnote{footnote here} to see if it works?
Is it that simple? \footnote{To see if this becomes an endnote.}
...
\section*{Endnotes}\indent
\theendnotes
\end{document}
Direct use of umlauts and the sharp ß character in footnotes does not work. These characters must be entered indirectly using the appropriate command. The inclusion of the hyperref package is not supported, and links are not automatically generated from footnotes or endnotes.
The endnotes package (15.01.2003) is a package that allows for the setting of endnotes via a new command. It is also possible to convert existing footnotes into endnotes or use footnotes and endnotes together. However, it should be noted that both types of notes count by default using Arabic numerals, which may lead to confusion for the reader. In this case, one of the counters should be changed to prevent this.
The package is included with \usepackage{endnotes}. The package itself does not include any additional packages. Currently, the package does not have any options.
The \endnote{Note} command is structured similarly to the \footnote{Note} command. Like the latter, it has an option \endnote[Number]{Note} that allows manually setting the number of the endnote. If the option is set, the counter of the endnotes is not changed. This means that the next endnote without an option will continue counting from the original counter value, as if the endnote with the option did not exist.
The \theendnotes command inserts the endnotes at the point where it is set. The heading "Notes" is set above the text of the endnotes. However, neither a page break nor automatic linguistic adjustment of the heading is included.
In the following example, a page break (\newpage) has been inserted, the heading changed from "Notes" to "Endnotes" (\renewcommand{\notesname}{Endnotes}), and the font size of the endnotes increased to \normalsize (\renewcommand{\enotesize}{\normalsize}).
\documentclass[ngerman]{article}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage{endnotes}
...
Hello, this is an endnote\endnote{Endnote} and this here is a footnote\footnote{Footnote}.
And another endnote\endnote{Endnote}.
...
\newpage
\renewcommand{\notesname}{Endnotes}
\renewcommand{\enotesize}{\normalsize}
\theendnotes
...
\end{document}
It is also possible to convert existing footnotes into endnotes. To do this, the \let\footnote=\endnote command is inserted into the preamble of the document. This automatically converts all subsequent footnotes into endnotes.
\documentclass[ngerman]{article}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{endnotes}
\let\footnote=\endnote
...
\begin{document}
...
...
\newpage
\renewcommand{\enotesize}{\normalsize}
\renewcommand{\notesname}{Endnotes}
\theendnotes
\end{document}
The endnotes package does not support the hyperref package. A solution to this is the endnotes-hy package. If footnotes and endnotes are to be used together in a document, it is easier to adjust the counter of the footnotes.
The endnotes-hy package (v0.1 08.04.2020) is an extension of the endnotes package aimed at making the hyperref package work with endnotes.
The package is included with \usepackage{endnotes-hy} and in turn includes the endnotes and etoolbox packages. The hyperref package must be included by the user. The package does not have any options.
To utilize the functionality of the hyperref package with an endnote, it must be extended with a label \endnote{Note}\label{Label}. Only endnotes that have been extended with a label will be linked by hyperref.
In cases where all endnotes should be linked, or to avoid manually setting a label each time, it is convenient to define a new counter along with a new command to automate label setting. In the following example, a new counter \newcounter{en} is defined and set to zero \setcounter{en}{0}. Then, a new command myendnote is defined with \newcommand{\myendnote}[1]{\endnote{#1}\label{\theen}\stepcounter{en}}, which sets an endnote with a label and then increments the counter used as a label.
\documentclass[ngerman]{article}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{endnotes-hy}
\usepackage{hyperref}
...
\newcounter{en}
\setcounter{en}{0}
\newcommand{\myendnote}[1]{\endnote{#1}\label{\theen}\stepcounter{en}}
...
\begin{document}
Hello, this is an endnote\myendnote{Endnote} and this here is not a footnote\myendnote{not a footnote}.
This is then an endnote\endnote{without hyperref jump function}. And another endnote\myendnote{Endnote}.
\newpage
\renewcommand{\enotesize}{\normalsize}
\renewcommand{\notesname}{Endnotes}
\theendnotes
\end{document}
As seen in the example, both the old command \endnote{Note} and the new command \myendnote{Note} can still be used, and all endnotes are numbered consecutively. The only difference is that the classic variant \endnote{Note} is set without hyperlinking.
The endnotes package and its extensions provide different approaches to handling endnotes in LaTeX documents. Depending on the requirements and preferences, users can choose the most suitable package and customize its settings accordingly. Each package offers unique features and functionalities, allowing for flexible and efficient management of endnotes within LaTeX documents.