frenchmoderncv
I want to modify the command \makelettertitle of the package moderncv so that I can have a heading in French style, that is, my data on the left, then below in 2 colums a "formule de politesse" on the left and the company data on the right. Below this on the left the date, then on the right the "objet" (why I'm sending the letter) and below the \opening.
The thing is that if I try to to a renewcommand it gives me many extrange errors 😛
Thanks in advance
So, I have to mention that you example is far from minimal; I would highly recommend you look over some good tips for minimizing your code that have been provided on the Meta site.
But to your question. Several items in your code were all mashed together, likely a result of bringing together several solutions from different places. The placement of the line breaks (with \\[2em], for instance) was interfering with being able to add space in front of the second minipage environment. Similarly, the date got moved around enough times that there were (and still are) some lines that probably aren't necessary (like the \hfill indicated). Since I don't know exactly what your final product should look like, I'll leave it to you to clean things up from here.
Finally, you are using \patchcmd to "patch" the command that you were already directly redefining. This is needlessly complicated, unless you anticipate using part of your code again without the changes you are trying to patch in. Just make the changes in the renewed definition of the commands. I have changed the first one to remove \raggedright multiple times where it is now not necessary. The second \patchcmd works (I changed it to be \raggedleft, which is the proper declarative form of the flushright environment), but it would be better to just make the change in the renewed definition if you want it to "just work".
Your example now becomes:
\documentclass[11pt,a4paper,sans]{moderncv}
\moderncvstyle{classic}
\moderncvcolor{blue}
\nopagenumbers{}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\usepackage{lipsum}
%%%%%%%%%%%%% Beginning of \makelettertittle modification %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\makeatletter
%-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
% letter style definition
%-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
% commands
\renewcommand*{\recomputeletterlengths}{%
\recomputecvlengths%
\setlength{\parskip}{6\p@}}
\newcommand*{\subject}[1]{\def\@subject{#1}}
\renewcommand*{\makelettertitle}{%
% recompute lengths (in case we are switching from letter to resume, or vice versa)
\recomputeletterlengths%
% sender contact info
%\hfill%
\begin{minipage}{.5\textwidth}%
\raggedright%
\addressfont\textcolor{color2}{%
{\bfseries\upshape\@firstname~\@familyname}\@firstdetailselementfalse%
\ifthenelse{\isundefined{\@addressstreet}}{}{\makenewline\addresssymbol\@addressstreet%
\ifthenelse{\equal{\@addresscity}{}}{}{\makenewline\@addresscity}}%
\ifthenelse{\isundefined{\@mobile}}{}{\makenewline\mobilesymbol\@mobile}%
\ifthenelse{\isundefined{\@phone}}{}{\makenewline\phonesymbol\@phone}%
\ifthenelse{\isundefined{\@email}}{}{\makenewline\emailsymbol\emaillink{\@email}}%
\ifthenelse{\isundefined{\@homepage}}{}{\makenewline\homepagesymbol\httplink{\@homepage}}%
\ifthenelse{\isundefined{\@extrainfo}}{}{\makenewline\@extrainfo}}%
\end{minipage}\vspace{2em}% << Add space with \vspace, have actual paragraph break
% recipient block V--V Adjust to fit text and align as desired
\hfill\begin{minipage}[t]{.5\textwidth} % << \hfill now works
\raggedright%
\addressfont%
{\bfseries\upshape\@recipientname}\\%
\@recipientaddress\\[2em]%
\@date\\[1.5em]%
\end{minipage} % << Another paragraph break here needed
% date
\hfill % << This wasn't doing anything good before, probably not now either.
\null\\[2em]%
%\raggedright % << Remove ragged right from definition
\ifthenelse{\isundefined{\@subject}}{}{%
\begin{tabular}{ p{0.08\textwidth} p{0.92\textwidth} }
Objet: & \raggedright \@subject
\end{tabular}
\\[1.5em]}%
% opening
%\raggedright % << Remove ragged right from definition
\@opening\\[1.5em]%
\hspace{0pt}\par\vspace{-\baselineskip}\vspace{-\parskip}}
\renewcommand*{\makeletterclosing}{
\@closing\\[3em]%
{\bfseries \@firstname~\@familyname}%
\ifthenelse{\isundefined{\@enclosure}}{}{%
\\%
\vfill%
{\color{color2}\itshape\enclname: \@enclosure}}}
\makeatother%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% End of \makelettertittle modification%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\patchcmd{\makeletterclosing} %%% Flushing right the signature
{\@closing}
{\raggedleft \@closing}
{}{}
\makeatother
% character encoding
\usepackage[ansinew]{inputenc}
\usepackage[francais]{babel}
% adjust the page margins
\usepackage[top=1.1cm, bottom=1.1cm, left=2cm, right=2cm]{geometry}
\setlength{\hintscolumnwidth}{3cm}
% personal data
\firstname{Mr Foo}
\familyname{Bar}
\title{Resume title}
\address{address}{city}{country}
\mobile{0987654321}
\phone{0123456789}
\email{foo.bar@mail.lol}
\begin{document}
%%%%Recipient infos%%%%
\recipient{Recruitment Office}{Derp Corp.\\12 Some Way\\Foobar}
\date{\today}
\subject{Job application ref. 121212}
\opening{Dear Sir or Madam,}
\closing{Yours faithfully,}
\enclosure[Attached]{curriculum vit\ae{}}
\makelettertitle
\lipsum[1-3]
\makeletterclosing
\end{document}
The class loads the auxiliary package moderncvheadi.sty, which has
\begin{minipage}[t]{.5\textwidth}
\raggedright%
\addressfont%
{\bfseries\upshape\@recipientname}\\%
\@recipientaddress%
\end{minipage}
and this means that if \@recipientname is empty, you get the usual error of a lone \\, that is There's no line to end.
Solution:
\recipient{\mbox{}}{}
which will make the line non empty, as far as \\ is concerned.
Best Answer
Simple way is to take the definitions from
moderncvstyleclassic.styand modify, and then put it insidemakeatletterand\makeatotherin your main file itself. (I don't advice modifyingmoderncvstyleclassic.sty)Here is the modified content:
Change whatever you want like color of the address etc in this.
The full code will be