GNU bug report logs - #25127
reftex: Highlight all missing references/citations

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From: Arash Esbati <arash <at> gnu.org>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: bug-auctex <at> gnu.org, 25127 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Hong Xu <hong <at> topbug.net>
Subject: bug#25127: reftex: Highlight all missing references/citations
Date: Fri, 13 May 2022 20:48:59 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org> writes:

> Hong Xu <hong <at> topbug.net> writes:
>
>> It would be a nice feature if reftex can highlight all missing
>> references/citations in the buffer. For example, references/citations
>> such as \ref{nonexistence} or \cite{nonexistence} point to nonexistent
>> entries, which should be highlighted as errors.
>
> I've added bug-auctex to the CCs; perhaps they have some comments here.

Such a functionality is provided by AUCTeX (I can't tell about Emacs
stock LaTeX mode).  Take for example this file:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{natbib}

\begin{document}

Hit \verb|C-c C-t C-w| to set \verb|TeX-debug-warnings| to \verb|t|.
Run LaTeX on the file with \verb|C-c C-c RET|
Choose from the menu \verb|Command->Error Overview|
\cite{lamp1:94}
\cite{mitt1:97}

\begin{thebibliography}{}
\bibitem[Mittelbach et al.(1997)]{mitt:97} Goossens, Michel; Rahtz,
  Sebastian; Mittelbach, Frank: The LaTeX Graphics Companion --
  Illustrating documents with TeX and PostScript.  Addison-Wesley.
  1997.

\bibitem[Lamport(1994)]{lamp:94} Lamport, Leslie: LaTeX -- A Document
  Preparation System: User's Guide and Reference Manual, Second
  Edition.  Pearson/Prentice Hall.  1994.
\end{thebibliography}

\end{document}

%%% Local Variables:
%%% mode: latex
%%% TeX-master: t
%%% End:
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

If you follow the steps mentioned above, you get this:

[warnings.png (image/png, inline)]

[Message part 3 (text/plain, inline)]

I think this is what the request is about, so we don't need to teach
RefTeX the same thing what LaTeX is actually doing and AUCTeX is
parsing.  I also think this is the right order.

So I'd say this is wontfix.

> (Does auctex have a separate bug tracker?  I think I asked once before,
> but I forgot the answer.)

No, it uses debbugs as well.  You have to reassign the bug to AUCTeX and
you have one report less on your plate 😉

Best, Arash

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