GNU bug report logs - #61568
Problems using reftex from Org mode's latex blocks

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Alain.Cochard <at> unistra.fr
To: bug-auctex <at> gnu.org
Cc: Alain Cochard <Alain.Cochard <at> unistra.fr>
Subject: Problems using reftex from Org mode's latex blocks
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2023 07:45:37 +0100

Hello.

When Org mode is enabled, issuing [C-c '] (org-edit-special) within a
latex "export block" such as this one

   #+begin_export latex
   \documentclass{article}
   \begin{document}
   \section{1}
   \section{2}
   \end{document}
   #+end_export

one is put into a special buffer which is latex aware.  If reftex is
turned on in that buffer, 'Ref' is added to the modeline.  Now, upon
[C-c (], one gets

   RefTeX works only in buffers visiting a file

This is disappointing, but I could accept it.  However upon [C-c =] one
gets 

   Wrong type argument: stringp, nil

which is much more problematic.  Further, a prominent Org contributor
thinks it is a reftex bug and that "It is generally expected that
major modes do work in non-file buffers in Emacs." (thread
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-orgmode/2023-02/msg00388.html)

Hence this message.  

Regards

NB: I am not subscribed to bug-auctex <at> gnu.org


-- 
EOST (École et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre) 
ITE (Institut Terre & Environnement) | alain.cochard <at> unistra.fr
5 rue René Descartes   [bureau 110]  | Phone: +33 (0)3 68 85 50 44 
F-67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France     | [ slot available for rent ]

Message #8 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Tassilo Horn <tsdh <at> gnu.org>
To: alain.cochard <at> unistra.fr
Cc: 61568 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, bug-auctex <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#61568: Problems using reftex from Org mode's latex blocks
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2023 11:23:29 +0100

Alain.Cochard <at> unistra.fr writes:

Hi Alain,

> one is put into a special buffer which is latex aware.  If reftex is
> turned on in that buffer, 'Ref' is added to the modeline.  Now, upon
> [C-c (], one gets
>
>    RefTeX works only in buffers visiting a file
>
> This is disappointing, but I could accept it.  However upon [C-c =]
> one gets
>
>    Wrong type argument: stringp, nil
>
> which is much more problematic.

RefTeX uses (buffer-file-name) at 37 locations for various reasons.
Maybe we could get away with having a reftex-buffer-file-name defined as

  (or (buffer-file-name)
      (buffer-name))

For the time being, can't you just `C-x C-w /tmp/tmp.tex RET' to make
the buffer file-visiting?

> Further, a prominent Org contributor thinks it is a reftex bug and
> that "It is generally expected that major modes do work in non-file
> buffers in Emacs." (thread
> https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-orgmode/2023-02/msg00388.html)

That's generally good, yes.  The thing is that RefTeX is a multi-file
mode which tries to parse all files belonging to the same document,
e.g., when your document looks like

  main.tex
  chapters/c1.tex
  chapters/c2.tex
  appendix.tex

Of course, you don't need that in your very use-case.

Bye,
Tassilo

Message #14 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Alain.Cochard <at> unistra.fr
To: Tassilo Horn <tsdh <at> gnu.org>
Cc: bug-auctex <at> gnu.org, alain.cochard <at> unistra.fr
Subject: Re: bug#61568: Problems using reftex from Org mode's latex blocks
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2023 12:16:32 +0100

Thanks a lot for the prompt reply and for the explanations.

I don't know how to use your trick

  C-x C-w /tmp/tmp.tex RET

If I do that and modify /tmp/tmp.tex, then I no longer have access to
that temporary Org buffer (at least I don't know how; that buffer
disappears from the *Buffer List* one gets with 'M-x buffer-menu').

The normal usage is to exit from that temporary buffer after having
modified it, falling back to the initial Org file with the modified
latex block.

-- 
EOST (École et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre) 
ITE (Institut Terre & Environnement) | alain.cochard <at> unistra.fr
5 rue René Descartes   [bureau 110]  | Phone: +33 (0)3 68 85 50 44 
F-67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France     | [ slot available for rent ]

Message #17 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Tassilo Horn <tsdh <at> gnu.org>
To: alain.cochard <at> unistra.fr
Cc: 61568 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, bug-auctex <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#61568: Problems using reftex from Org mode's latex blocks
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2023 12:50:53 +0100

Alain.Cochard <at> unistra.fr writes:

Hi Alain,

> I don't know how to use your trick
>
>   C-x C-w /tmp/tmp.tex RET
>
> If I do that and modify /tmp/tmp.tex, then I no longer have access to
> that temporary Org buffer (at least I don't know how; that buffer
> disappears from the *Buffer List* one gets with 'M-x buffer-menu').

It's still the very same buffer.  It just got a new name.

> The normal usage is to exit from that temporary buffer after having
> modified it, falling back to the initial Org file with the modified
> latex block.

Does that exiting not work anymore after writing the buffer to a file?

Ah, indeed, after writing to a file, it seems the org-binding C-c ' is
gone (and also the header line explaining the bindings).  However, I was
able to take over my edits by manually doing M-x org-edit-src-exit RET.
Not very comfortable but should do the trick for the time being.

Bye,
Tassilo

Message #23 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Alain.Cochard <at> unistra.fr
To: Tassilo Horn <tsdh <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 61568 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, alain.cochard <at> unistra.fr, bug-auctex <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#61568: Problems using reftex from Org mode's latex blocks
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2023 17:03:42 +0100

Tassilo Horn writes on Fri 17 Feb 2023 12:50:

 > Ah, indeed, after writing to a file, it seems the org-binding C-c '
 > is gone (and also the header line explaining the bindings).
 > However, I was able to take over my edits by manually doing M-x
 > org-edit-src-exit RET.  Not very comfortable but should do the
 > trick for the time being.

Indeed.  I would never have thought about that by myself.  Thank you. 

-- 
EOST (École et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre) 
ITE (Institut Terre & Environnement) | alain.cochard <at> unistra.fr
5 rue René Descartes   [bureau 110]  | Phone: +33 (0)3 68 85 50 44 
F-67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France     | [ slot available for rent ]

Message #29 received at 61568 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Arash Esbati <arash <at> gnu.org>
To: Alain.Cochard <at> unistra.fr
Cc: 61568 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Tassilo Horn <tsdh <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#61568: Problems using reftex from Org mode's latex blocks
Date: Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:40:41 +0100

Alain.Cochard <at> unistra.fr writes:

> Tassilo Horn writes on Fri 17 Feb 2023 12:50:
>
>  > Ah, indeed, after writing to a file, it seems the org-binding C-c '
>  > is gone (and also the header line explaining the bindings).
>  > However, I was able to take over my edits by manually doing M-x
>  > org-edit-src-exit RET.  Not very comfortable but should do the
>  > trick for the time being.
>
> Indeed.  I would never have thought about that by myself.  Thank you. 

It seems we have a working solution, therefore I'm closing this report.

Best, Arash

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