About LaTeX/TeX modes

About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Angelo Graziosi]

I notice that when in .tex documents one puts the statement 

\PassOptionsToPackage{...}{...}

before the 

\documentclass{...}

Emacs renders the buffers in TeX mode instead of LaTeX mode. This results a bit annoying because documents that do not need the '\PassOptionsToPackage' statement are classified as LaTeX-mode the other as TeX-mode and in tabbar one has each time to switch between these two groups.

I am wondering if the fact I use  AUCTeX from Elpa is the cause of this..

Ciao,
 Angelo.

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Arash Esbati]

Angelo Graziosi <angelo.g0@libero.it> writes:

> I notice that when in .tex documents one puts the statement 
>
> \PassOptionsToPackage{...}{...}
>
> before the 
>
> \documentclass{...}
>
> Emacs renders the buffers in TeX mode instead of LaTeX mode. This
> results a bit annoying because documents that do not need the
> '\PassOptionsToPackage' statement are classified as LaTeX-mode the
> other as TeX-mode and in tabbar one has each time to switch between
> these two groups.
>
> I am wondering if the fact I use  AUCTeX from Elpa is the cause of this..

AUCTeX expects the \documentclass macro early in the file.  I suggest
you add the following at the end of your .tex file:

%%% Local Variables:
%%% mode: latex
%%% End:

and reload your file.  AUCTeX should start in LaTeX mode regardless of
the macros it finds at the beginning of the file.

Best, Arash

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Angelo Graziosi]

> Il 07/08/2022 13:11 Arash Esbati ha scritto:
> 
>  
> Angelo Graziosi writes:
> 
> > I notice that when in .tex documents one puts the statement 
> >
> > \PassOptionsToPackage{...}{...}
> >
> > before the 
> >
> > \documentclass{...}
> >
> > Emacs renders the buffers in TeX mode instead of LaTeX mode. This
> > results a bit annoying because documents that do not need the
> > '\PassOptionsToPackage' statement are classified as LaTeX-mode the
> > other as TeX-mode and in tabbar one has each time to switch between
> > these two groups.
> >
> > I am wondering if the fact I use  AUCTeX from Elpa is the cause of this..
> 
> AUCTeX expects the \documentclass macro early in the file.  I suggest
> you add the following at the end of your .tex file:
> 
> %%% Local Variables:
> %%% mode: latex
> %%% End:
> 
> and reload your file.  AUCTeX should start in LaTeX mode regardless of
> the macros it finds at the beginning of the file.

Yes, meanwhile I added 

%% -*- mode: LaTeX; -*-

at the beginning...

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[T.V Raman]

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Not quite.
Getting auctex-mode defined modes to become operational feels more
complex than it needs to be -- and I've never understood (30+ years and
counting) as to why Emacs hasn't yet just made Auctex the default Tex
editing package for emacs; I note that we have adopted far newer
packages as the default in more recent times.

Many years ago I made the following my default first line in .tex files:

% foo.tex: -*- mode: LaTeX -*-

and it works as in gets the mode from auctex -- but asking 
describe-function about the mode still shows the one from the emacs
install, not from auctex.




latex-mode is defaliased to 
LaTeX-mode in tex-mode.el
Library is file
/usr/local/share/emacs/29.0.50/lisp/textmodes/tex-mode.elc


latex-mode is an autoloaded interactive compiled Lisp function in
¡®tex-mode.el¡¯.

(latex-mode)

Major mode for editing files of input for LaTeX.
Makes $ and } display the characters they match.
Makes " insert `` when it seems to be the beginning of a quotation,
and '' when it appears to be the end; it inserts " only after a \.

Use M-x tex-region to run LaTeX on the current region, plus the preamble
copied from the top of the file (containing \documentstyle, etc.),
running LaTeX under a special subshell.  M-x tex-buffer does the whole buffer.
M-x tex-file saves the buffer and then processes the file.
M-x tex-print prints the .dvi file made by any of these.
M-x tex-view previews the .dvi file made by any of these.
M-x tex-bibtex-file runs bibtex on the file of the current buffer.

Use M-x tex-validate-buffer to check buffer for paragraphs containing
mismatched $¡¯s or braces.

Special commands:

Key             Binding

C-j		tex-handle-newline
"		tex-insert-quote
C-<return>	tex-feed-input

C-c C-s		latex-split-block

M-RET		latex-insert-item

C-c C-b		tex-buffer
C-c C-c		tex-compile
C-c C-e		latex-close-block
C-c C-f		tex-file
C-c TAB		tex-bibtex-file
C-c C-k		tex-kill-job
C-c C-l		tex-recenter-output-buffer
C-c RET		tex-feed-input
C-c C-o		latex-insert-block
C-c C-p		tex-print
C-c C-q		tex-show-print-queue
C-c C-r		tex-region
C-c C-t		latex-insert-block
C-c C-u		tex-goto-last-unclosed-latex-block
C-c C-v		tex-view
C-c /		latex-close-block
C-c ]		latex-close-block
C-c {		tex-insert-braces
C-c }		up-list

C-M-i		ispell-complete-word


Mode variables:
latex-run-command
	Command string used by M-x tex-region or M-x tex-buffer.
tex-directory
	Directory in which to create temporary files for LaTeX jobs
	run by M-x tex-region or M-x tex-buffer.
tex-dvi-print-command
	Command string used by M-x tex-print to print a .dvi file.
tex-alt-dvi-print-command
	Alternative command string used by M-x tex-print (when given a prefix
	argument) to print a .dvi file.
tex-dvi-view-command
	Command string used by M-x tex-view to preview a .dvi file.
tex-show-queue-command
	Command string used by M-x tex-show-print-queue to show the print
	queue that M-x tex-print put your job on.

Entering Latex mode runs the hook ¡®text-mode-hook¡¯, then
¡®tex-mode-hook¡¯, and finally ¡®latex-mode-hook¡¯.  When the special
subshell is initiated, ¡®tex-shell-hook¡¯ is run.

This function has :override advice: ¡®TeX-latex-mode¡¯.

  Parent mode: ¡®tex-mode¡¯.
  Probably introduced at or before Emacs version 18.

[back]

-- 

Thanks,

--Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
7©4 Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  •0Ü8

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Arash Esbati]

"T.V Raman" <raman@google.com> writes:

> Not quite.
> Getting auctex-mode defined modes to become operational feels more
> complex than it needs to be

For me, AUCTeX always inserts the mode into the local variables block
when I open a new file like:

  %%% Local Variables:
  %%% mode: latex
  %%% TeX-master: t
  %%% End:

or

  %%% Local Variables:
  %%% mode: latex
  %%% TeX-master: "other-tex-file"
  %%% End:

so the complexity behind the scenes shouldn't be visible to the users.

> and I've never understood (30+ years and counting) as to why Emacs
> hasn't yet just made Auctex the default Tex editing package for emacs;
> I note that we have adopted far newer packages as the default in more
> recent times.

Getting AUCTeX into Emacs is still a mission statement in the RELEASE
file[1] which says:

  Future development and additional information
  ---------------------------------------------

  AUCTeX is proceeding as a GNU project with the long-term intent of
  merging it into Emacs.  For that reason, all new contributors need to
  assign copyright to their contributions to the FSF (the usual
  procedure for Emacs contributors).

My personal view on this is that ELPA works fine for AUCTeX and the goal
above isn't high on the todo list anymore.

> Many years ago I made the following my default first line in .tex files:
>
> % foo.tex: -*- mode: LaTeX -*-
>
> and it works as in gets the mode from auctex -- but asking 
> describe-function about the mode still shows the one from the emacs
> install, not from auctex.
>
> latex-mode is defaliased to 
> LaTeX-mode in tex-mode.el
> Library is file
> /usr/local/share/emacs/29.0.50/lisp/textmodes/tex-mode.elc

See above, a prop-line shouldn't be needed.  But yes, AUCTeX loads
tex-mode.el and builds its functionality on top of it.

As a side note: I think tex-mode.el has still a user base, so replacing
it maybe upset some people.

Best, Arash

Footnotes:
[1]  http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/auctex.git/tree/RELEASE#n194

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[T.V Raman]

Could you say where/how you configured auctex to do the auto-insertion
 of the mode setting?Arash Esbati writes:
 > "T.V Raman" <raman@google.com> writes:
 > 
 > > Not quite.
 > > Getting auctex-mode defined modes to become operational feels more
 > > complex than it needs to be
 > 
 > For me, AUCTeX always inserts the mode into the local variables block
 > when I open a new file like:
 > 
 >   %%% Local Variables:
 >   %%% mode: latex
 >   %%% TeX-master: t
 >   %%% End:
 > 
 > or
 > 
 >   %%% Local Variables:
 >   %%% mode: latex
 >   %%% TeX-master: "other-tex-file"
 >   %%% End:
 > 
 > so the complexity behind the scenes shouldn't be visible to the users.
 > 
 > > and I've never understood (30+ years and counting) as to why Emacs
 > > hasn't yet just made Auctex the default Tex editing package for emacs;
 > > I note that we have adopted far newer packages as the default in more
 > > recent times.
 > 
 > Getting AUCTeX into Emacs is still a mission statement in the RELEASE
 > file[1] which says:
 > 
 >   Future development and additional information
 >   ---------------------------------------------
 > 
 >   AUCTeX is proceeding as a GNU project with the long-term intent of
 >   merging it into Emacs.  For that reason, all new contributors need to
 >   assign copyright to their contributions to the FSF (the usual
 >   procedure for Emacs contributors).
 > 
 > My personal view on this is that ELPA works fine for AUCTeX and the goal
 > above isn't high on the todo list anymore.
 > 
 > > Many years ago I made the following my default first line in .tex files:
 > >
 > > % foo.tex: -*- mode: LaTeX -*-
 > >
 > > and it works as in gets the mode from auctex -- but asking 
 > > describe-function about the mode still shows the one from the emacs
 > > install, not from auctex.
 > >
 > > latex-mode is defaliased to 
 > > LaTeX-mode in tex-mode.el
 > > Library is file
 > > /usr/local/share/emacs/29.0.50/lisp/textmodes/tex-mode.elc
 > 
 > See above, a prop-line shouldn't be needed.  But yes, AUCTeX loads
 > tex-mode.el and builds its functionality on top of it.
 > 
 > As a side note: I think tex-mode.el has still a user base, so replacing
 > it maybe upset some people.
 > 
 > Best, Arash
 > 
 > Footnotes:
 > [1]  http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/auctex.git/tree/RELEASE#n194

-- 

Thanks,

--Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮

--

Thanks,

--Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Arash Esbati]

"T.V Raman" <raman@google.com> writes:

> Could you say where/how you configured auctex to do the auto-insertion

The relevant part of my AUCTeX configuration looks like this:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
;; Set before loading out of local repo:
(setq TeX-data-directory "~/path/to/repo/auctex"
      TeX-lisp-directory TeX-data-directory)

;; Load AUCTeX out of repo:
(load "~/path/to/repo/auctex/auctex.el" nil t t)

;; Always ask for TeX-master
(setq-default TeX-master nil)
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

I load AUCTeX from a local repo, so I have to set `TeX-data-directory'
and `TeX-lisp-directory' before loading auctex.el, and then the final
form for `TeX-master'.  This is it.

How did you install and configure AUCTeX?

Best, Arash

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[T.V Raman]

Thanks for your config, it's different from mine.

1. I install auctex from melpa
   and do everything else via custom and let emacs find auctex on its
   own.

   In that world, I believe emacs pulls in the autoloads file from
   auctex 
-- 

Thanks,

--Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮

--

Thanks,

--Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮

--

Thanks,

--Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Per Starbäck]

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It would certainly be good if AucTeX recognized that file as a LaTeX file.
It would be a simple fix to add PassOptionsToPackage to a list of commands
in the function tex--guess-mode in tex-mode.el (Maintainer:
emacs-devel@gnu.org).

For what it's worth I still think it would be really good if AucTeX was
merged into Emacs. Let's avoid the feeling of "when you use Emacs you
really should first customize it like this and this and this". When I use
Emacs in demos for students I use a plain no-frills Emacs, because I want
it to be what they get themselves if they install on their own computers,
but I've "had to" make an exception for TeX,  because not using AucTeX
would be too hard for me.

Den mån 8 aug. 2022 kl 17:34 skrev T.V Raman <raman@google.com>:

> Thanks for your config, it's different from mine.
>
> 1. I install auctex from melpa
>    and do everything else via custom and let emacs find auctex on its
>    own.
>
>    In that world, I believe emacs pulls in the autoloads file from
>    auctex
> --
>
> Thanks,
>
> --Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
> ♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮
>
> --
>
> Thanks,
>
> --Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
> ♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮
>
> --
>
> Thanks,
>
> --Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
> ♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮
>
>

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Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Stefan Kangas]

Per Starbäck <per@starback.se> writes:

> For what it's worth I still think it would be really good if AucTeX was
> merged into Emacs. Let's avoid the feeling of "when you use Emacs you
> really should first customize it like this and this and this".

+1

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[T.V Raman]

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Per Starb0Š1ck <per@starback.se> writes:


Also I figured out why I wasn't getting the %%% local variables:
automatically in my LaTeX files -- I've been using TeX and LaTeX for so
long, that rarely/never do I start a "new tex" file -- I always copy
over something with a similar template to what I used and tweak it. So
the magic in auctex that inserts the %%% magic -- which is perhaps newer
than most of  my existing template docs never got a chance.

1+ on making all this work "out of the box" to use a modern term, though
I have never had to take Emacs out of any box as long as I can
remember. 

> It would certainly be good if AucTeX recognized that file as a LaTeX
> file. It would be a simple fix to add PassOptionsToPackage to a list
> of commands in the function tex--guess-mode in tex-mode.el
> (Maintainer: emacs-devel@gnu.org).
>
> For what it's worth I still think it would be really good if AucTeX
> was merged into Emacs. Let's avoid the feeling of "when you use Emacs
> you really should first customize it like this and this and this".
> When I use Emacs in demos for students I use a plain no-frills Emacs,
> because I want it to be what they get themselves if they install on
> their own computers, but I've "had to" make an exception for TeX, 
> because not using AucTeX would be too hard for me.
>
> Den m0Š2n 8 aug. 2022 kl 17:34 skrev T.V Raman <raman@google.com>:
>
>     Thanks for your config, it's different from mine.
>
>     1. I install auctex from melpa
>        and do everything else via custom and let emacs find auctex on
>     its
>        own.
>
>        In that world, I believe emacs pulls in the autoloads file from
>        auctex 
>     -- 
>
>     Thanks,
>
>     --Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
>     7©4 Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  •0Ü8
>
>     -- 
>
>     Thanks,
>
>     --Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
>     7©4 Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  •0Ü8
>
>     -- 
>
>     Thanks,
>
>     --Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
>     7©4 Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  •0Ü8
>

-- 

Thanks,

--Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
7©4 Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  •0Ü8

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Matthias Meulien]

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Le mar. 9 août 2022, 12:54, Per Starbäck <per@starback.se> a écrit :

> (...) For what it's worth I still think it would be really good if AucTeX
> was merged into Emacs. Let's avoid the feeling of "when you use Emacs you
> really should first customize it like this and this and this". When I use
> Emacs in demos for students I use a plain no-frills Emacs, because I want
> it to be what they get themselves if they install on their own computers,
> but I've "had to" make an exception for TeX,  because not using AucTeX
> would be too hard for me.
>

My experience is the opposite! The legacy mode worked out of the box,
AucTeX didn't and I faced a huge manual and got lost in tons of options and
new commands to narrow, comment, compile...


> Den mån 8 aug. 2022 kl 17:34 skrev T.V Raman <raman@google.com>:
>
>> Thanks for your config, it's different from mine.
>>
>> 1. I install auctex from melpa
>>    and do everything else via custom and let emacs find auctex on its
>>    own.
>>
>>    In that world, I believe emacs pulls in the autoloads file from
>>    auctex
>> --
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> --Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
>> ♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮
>>
>> --
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> --Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
>> ♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮
>>
>> --
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> --Raman(I Search, I Find, I Misplace, I Research)
>> ♉ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮
>>
>>

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Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Tassilo Horn]

Matthias Meulien <orontee@gmail.com> writes:

>> (...) For what it's worth I still think it would be really good if
>> AucTeX was merged into Emacs. Let's avoid the feeling of "when you
>> use Emacs you really should first customize it like this and this and
>> this". When I use Emacs in demos for students I use a plain no-frills
>> Emacs, because I want it to be what they get themselves if they
>> install on their own computers, but I've "had to" make an exception
>> for TeX, because not using AucTeX would be too hard for me.
>>
>
> My experience is the opposite! The legacy mode worked out of the box,
> AucTeX didn't and I faced a huge manual and got lost in tons of
> options and new commands to narrow, comment, compile...

If it doesn't work out-of-the-box with the AUCTeX ELPA package that's a
bug you should report.

Bye,
Tassilo

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Angelo Graziosi]

> Il 08/08/2022 17:32 T.V Raman  ha scritto:
> 
>  I always copy over something with a similar template 
>  to what I used and tweak it.
> 

as most of us...

> 
>  1+ on making all this work "out of the box"
>   

+1 also for me!

Ciao,
  Angelo.

Re: About LaTeX/TeX modes

[Angelo Graziosi]

> Tassilo Horn wrote:
> 
>  
> If it doesn't work out-of-the-box with the AUCTeX ELPA package that's a bug you should report.
> 

Indeed! I installed AUCTeX from ELPA a few years ago and it always worked OB (Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux). My init file contains just this:

---------------------------------
;;
;; AUCTeX
(setq font-latex-fontify-sectioning 'color)

;; Emacs latex modes
(defun my-latex-mode ()
  "My customization for Emacs `latex-mode'."
  (interactive)

  ;; (auto-fill-mode 1)
  (turn-on-reftex)

  ;; Add index to menu bar
  (imenu-add-to-menubar "Contents")
  )

;; AucTeX LaTeX mode
(add-hook 'LaTeX-mode-hook 'my-latex-mode)
---------------------------------

but the package works also without that in the init file...