latex-change-env

This package provides a way to modify LaTeX environments, macros, as well as inline and display maths mode (seeing them as an environment of sorts). There exists a blog post, which includes some moving pictures that showcase the functionality of this package.

Installation

MELPA

The package is on MELPA, so you can install it like any other package:

M-x package-install RET latex-change-env RET

Manual

Put latex-change-env.el somewhere inside of your load-path and require it:

  (require 'latex-change-env)

Configuration

Note that, in the sequel, "environment" shall usually refer to LaTeX environments, macros, as well as inline and display maths mode—not just to LaTeX environments themselves.

The entry point is the latex-change-env function, which—when invoked from inside an environments—pops up a list of possible actions, as defined by the latex-change-env-options variable. There is also the option to cycle through arguments in latex-change-env-cycle. This then depends on math-delimiters for convenient integration of math-style cycles.

An example initial configuration of the package may look like:

  (with-eval-after-load 'latex
    (require 'latex-change-env)
    (bind-key (kbd "C-c r") #'latex-change-env LaTeX-mode-map))

or, using use-package:

  (use-package latex-change-env
    :after latex
    :bind (:map LaTeX-mode-map ("C-c r" . latex-change-env)))

By default, the default values of the latex-change-env-options variable are

• Delete the current environment.

• Modify the current environment; the completion list is provided by LaTeX-enviroment-list.

• Convert the current environment to display math.

Note that, while the second option could be implemented to incorporate the third option as well, it was a conscious decision not to do that. The goal is to make switching to display math as prominent as possible. This fits quite well with the authors particular sensibilities.

What exactly we mean by "inline" and "display maths" is controlled by the latex-change-env-math-{inline,display} variables. By default, these are set to $…$ and \[...\] respectively. If the excellent math-delimiters package is also used, customizing them along the lines of

  (setq latex-change-env-math-display math-delimiters-display)
  (setq latex-change-env-math-inline  math-delimiters-inline )

keeps consistency with that package.

This package is not compatible with plain tex, as it depends on AUCTeX—but you are already using that anyways.

Labels

There is primitive label handling incorporated in latex-change-env; this is controlled by the latex-change-env-labels variable. It is an alist, containing environment names with their associated label prefix. If an environment is switched to another one and both are present in the alist, the label will be renamed according to that scheme. For example—using the default value of latex-change-env-labels—switching from an equation environment to a lemma:

% BEFORE
\begin{theorem} \label{thm:test}
  hi!
\end{theorem}

% AFTER
\begin{lemma} \label{lem:test}
  hi!
\end{lemma}

We also automatically remove the label when switching to display math or any of the *-type environments (equation*, align*, and the like).

Further, if one deletes a label by switching to display math or an environment that does not have an associated label in latex-change-env-labels, and later switches back to an environment that does, the label will be restored if the contents of the environment didn't change.

Lastly, when a label changes and the user has customised latex-change-env-edit-project-labels to t then an interactive query-replace session is started in the current project to replace any labels with their potentially updated version.