diff --git a/examples/scholarly_paper/2018-cicm-isabelle_dof-applications/IsaDofApplications.thy b/examples/scholarly_paper/2018-cicm-isabelle_dof-applications/IsaDofApplications.thy
index 9e5772d..2cc4c55 100755
--- a/examples/scholarly_paper/2018-cicm-isabelle_dof-applications/IsaDofApplications.thy
+++ b/examples/scholarly_paper/2018-cicm-isabelle_dof-applications/IsaDofApplications.thy
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ define_shortcut* isadof   \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\isadof\<close>
                  Protege  \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>Prot{\'e}g{\'e}\<close>
 
 (* slanted text in contrast to italics *)
-define_macro* slanted_text \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\textsl{\<close> \<open>}\<close>
+define_macro* slanted_text \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\textsl{\<close> _ \<open>}\<close>
 
 (*>*)
 
diff --git a/examples/technical_report/Isabelle_DOF-Manual/00_Frontmatter.thy b/examples/technical_report/Isabelle_DOF-Manual/00_Frontmatter.thy
index db1d713..ca125b1 100755
--- a/examples/technical_report/Isabelle_DOF-Manual/00_Frontmatter.thy
+++ b/examples/technical_report/Isabelle_DOF-Manual/00_Frontmatter.thy
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ define_shortcut* TeXLive \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\TeXLive\<close>
 text\<open>Note that these setups assume that the associated \<^LaTeX> macros 
      are defined, \<^eg>, in the document prelude. \<close>
 
-define_macro* index \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\index{\<close> \<open>}\<close>
-define_macro* bindex \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\bindex{\<close> \<open>}\<close>
+define_macro* index \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\index{\<close> _ \<open>}\<close>
+define_macro* bindex \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\bindex{\<close> _ \<open>}\<close>
 
 
 ML\<open>
diff --git a/src/DOF/Isa_COL.thy b/src/DOF/Isa_COL.thy
index d43998a..ad0ef05 100755
--- a/src/DOF/Isa_COL.thy
+++ b/src/DOF/Isa_COL.thy
@@ -429,15 +429,21 @@ ML\<open>
 val parse_literal = Parse.alt_string || Parse.cartouche
 val parse_define_shortcut = (Parse.binding 
                              -- ((\<^keyword>\<open>\<rightleftharpoons>\<close> || \<^keyword>\<open>==\<close>) |-- parse_literal))
+                             --|Parse.underscore
                              -- parse_literal
                              -- (Scan.option (\<^keyword>\<open>(\<close> |-- Parse.ML_source --|\<^keyword>\<open>)\<close>))
 
-fun define_macro (X,NONE) = (uncurry(uncurry(uncurry DOF_lib.define_macro)))(X,K(K()));
-
+fun define_macro (X,NONE) = (uncurry(uncurry(uncurry DOF_lib.define_macro)))(X,K(K()))
+   |define_macro (X,SOME(src:Input.source)) = 
+       let val _ = ()
+       in 
+       (uncurry(uncurry(uncurry DOF_lib.define_macro)))(X,K(K()))
+       end;
 
 val _ =  Outer_Syntax.command \<^command_keyword>\<open>define_macro*\<close> "define LaTeX shortcut"
             (Scan.repeat1 parse_define_shortcut >> (Toplevel.theory o (fold define_macro)));
 
+Parse.underscore;
 \<close>
 
 
diff --git a/src/ontologies/scholarly_paper/scholarly_paper.thy b/src/ontologies/scholarly_paper/scholarly_paper.thy
index 59e3210..535107d 100755
--- a/src/ontologies/scholarly_paper/scholarly_paper.thy
+++ b/src/ontologies/scholarly_paper/scholarly_paper.thy
@@ -481,13 +481,14 @@ define_shortcut* eg  \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\eg\<close>  (* Latin: „exemp
 
 subsection\<open>Layout Trimming Commands\<close>
 
-define_macro* hs \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\hspace{\<close> \<open>}\<close>
-define_macro* vs \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\vspace{\<close> \<open>}\<close>
+define_macro* hs \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\hspace{\<close> _ \<open>}\<close>
+define_macro* vs \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\vspace{\<close> _ \<open>}\<close>
+
+(* setup\<open>    DOF_lib.define_macro    \<^binding>\<open>hs\<close>        "\\hspace{" "}" (K(K())) \<close> *)
+ML\<open> Parse.real \<close>
+
+setup\<open>    DOF_lib.define_macro    \<^binding>\<open>vs2\<close>        "\\vspace{" "}" (fn ctxt => fn src => ()) \<close> 
 
-(*
-setup\<open>    DOF_lib.define_macro    \<^binding>\<open>hs\<close>        "\\hspace{" "}" (K(K())) \<close>
-setup\<open>    DOF_lib.define_macro    \<^binding>\<open>vs\<close>        "\\vspace{" "}" (K(K())) \<close> 
-*)
 
 define_shortcut* clearpage \<rightleftharpoons> \<open>\clearpage{}\<close>