[OS X TeX] Customizing Emacs.

[Frederick Hoyt]

I have found abbreviations to be very helpful for the kinds of 
functions you describe. For example, I use \emph, \textbf, \textsc, and 
a bunch of other environment commands all the time, so I have 
abbreviations defined for these. If I type "emph" followed by a "{", 
the "emph" is changed to "\emph" automatically.

To set up abbreviations, add these lines to your .emacs file:

(setq-default abbrev-mode t)
(read-abbrev-file "~/.abbrev_defs")
(setq save-abbrevs t)

To define an abbreviation, type the abbreviation string, and then 
ctrl+x+a+i+g. A prompt will appear in the command buffer asking you for 
an expansion. For example, type "emph", and then ctrl+x+a+i+g, and you 
see "Global expansion for "emph":" Type "\emph" and you're done.

I have also defined a macro that allows me to select a word and enclose 
it in an \emph{} command. To do this, select the word, then type 
ctrl+x+shift+9 to start defining a macro. Then cut the word, type 
\emph{, paste the word, close the brackets, and type ctrl+x+shift+0 to 
close the macro. Then type alt+x name-last-kbd-macro to name the macro 
- I call it just emph. Having done that, I can just select a word, type 
alt+x emph and the word has the \emph{} command wrapped around it.

I'm sure that you could also bind this macro to a keystroke, but I 
haven't done that and can't tell you how.

Fred Hoyt



\On Nov 29, 2004, at 8:45 AM, Andrea Riciputi wrote:

> I'm speaking of having keyboard shorcuts bounded to some frequently 
> used LaTeX commands, such as \emph{}, \mbox{}, \frac{}{}, ^{}, _{} and 
> other, like Alpha did in past times. (Actually I know Alpha is still 
> there, but for several reason I prefer to stay with emacs now). 
> Furthermore I'd be very very happy to make AucTeX AMSLaTeX aware, it 
> should sound strange but I've not ever been able to get it working. 
> :-(
>
> And yes, I've read the f***ing manual but it's so terse that was of no 
> help (at least for me). I've also asked for help on AucTeX list, but 
> it seems that my questions were too basic for those guys. :-(
>
> Just a little example. If I try to type '\em' and then hit M-tab or 
> C-c C-m I can't get the expected (and desired) completion '\emph{}'
>
> Another example. When I want to type in an equation with, let say, the 
> integral symbol it should be nice to have a dialog that asks for lower 
> and upper bounds of integration and return the right LaTeX input.
>
> Anyone here has ever managed things like these?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>   Andrea.
>
> On 29 Nov 2004, at 15:14, Frederick Hoyt wrote:
>
>> I'm not sure which functionalities you're speaking of, but I used to 
>> use TexShop (and still do, sometimes), and have been able to 
>> reproduce some if its features in Emacs by defining macros and 
>> abbreviations. I find these extremely useful.
>>
>
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________________________________

"Hell is other people at breakfast." - Sartre

Frederick M. Hoyt
Linguistics Department
University of Texas at Austin


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           & FAQ: http://latex.yauh.de/faq/
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