GNU bug report logs - #38258
12.2.0; reftex-view-crossref on citation pre- and postnotes

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From: Gustavo Barros <gusbrs.2016 <at> gmail.com>
To: Arash Esbati <arash <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 38258 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#38258: 12.2.0; reftex-view-crossref on citation pre- and postnotes
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2020 15:36:23 -0300

Hi Arash,

thank you for your answer.

On Tue, 25 Aug 2020 at 15:11, Arash Esbati <arash <at> gnu.org> wrote:

> Hi Gustavo,
>
> Gustavo Barros <gusbrs.2016 <at> gmail.com> writes:
>
>> `reftex-view-crossref', when called from a prenote or postnote of a 
>> citation macro will assume it is a citation key and run 
>> `reftex-view-cr-cite' in whatever is around point, which of course 
>> won't 
>> be found in the bibfiles, and returns an error of "no such database 
>> entry", when it would be expected it to return error "Not on a 
>> crossref 
>> macro argument". As a result, when the point is left on a prenote or 
>> postnote of a citation macro, a spurious echo of "no such database 
>> entry" is generated.
>
> first of all, sorry for the very late response.  It seems to me this 
> is
> more a documented feature[1]:
>
> Command: reftex-view-crossref
>
>     View cross reference of macro at point. Point must be on the key
>     argument. ...
>
> Note the word `must'.  Having point on pre- or postnote is expected 
> not
> to work.
>
> Best, Arash
>
> Footnotes:
> [1]  https://www.gnu.org/software/auctex/manual/reftex.html#IDX240

But my point is not that it should work outside of the key argument, 
which is, as you noted, documented behavior.  The point is that the 
command will do a bibfile search when it is not on the key argument, and 
on top of that, gives the user the wrong error message of "no such 
database argument", when it should be giving "Not on a crossref macro 
argument".  Besides, one does not even need to call it to get the 
spurious echo of "no such database entry", by just leaving point on a 
prenote/postnote.

(Disclaimer: I haven't tested the current state of things, I'm relying 
on my old report.)

Best,
Gustavo.

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