Re: prettify-symbols-mode to handle "\alpha-\beta" ...

[Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>]

> Sent: Friday, February 05, 2021 at 6:21 AM
> From: "Stefan Monnier" <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
> To: "Christopher Dimech" <dimech@gmx.com>
> Cc: "Óscar Fuentes" <ofv@wanadoo.es>, emacs-devel@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: prettify-symbols-mode to handle "\alpha-\beta" ...
>
> >> I don't know what hack you're referring to.
> > Because I saw a few different implementations of prettify 
> > in various files and packages all trying to do the same 
> > kind of thing. 
> 
> It's still a bit vague.
> 
> >> > Whilst texinfo.el takes care of texinfo commands, it completely
> >> > disregards the use of tex constructs and the focus on displaying
> >> > mathematical expressions within texinfo.
> >> `texinfo.el` deserves some extra love, yes.
> >> I don't think anyone has contributed to it in the last several years :-(
> > Óscar Fuentes, I think wrote that if I insist on changing texinfo-mode
> > itself would require me to to give a very solid reason for the change
> > to be accepted.
> > As you recognise that it deserves additional work, my reason should be
> > solid enough.   
> 
> Changing the buffer's syntax table just for `prettify-symbols-mode`
> would likely encounter resistance (since it's likely to introduce
> regression in other parts of the code), but if it comes with
> corresponding updates elsewhere to accommodate that change (and those
> changes don't make the code worse), then it might be acceptable.
> 
> Of course, as I pointed out, it's not necessary to change the buffer's
> syntax table just for the immediate needs of \alpha and \beta in
> `prettify-symbols-mode`.  But in order to accommodate more TeX-style
> code it might indeed be a good idea (or not: I can't say without
> spending more time investigating the issue).

Sure, it must support a generalised scheme that can tackle the variety
of languages and what could be done with each.  prog-mode.tex already
seems to be intended as a general framework to support a variety of 
languages.  texinfo.el can then call prog-mode.tex framework for 
support with general prettify functionality.
 
>         Stefan
> 
> 
>