[AUCTeX] Question involving TeX-source-correlate-method

[Nikolaus Vonessen]

Hi!

I have a question involving the variable TeX-source-correlate-method.

I used to use latex to generate dvi files, but am now switching to
pdflatex.  Often, I create new files based on older ones.  Some older
latex files, in particular ones involving graphics, do not compile
correctly using pdflatex.  Therefore, it would be very useful to be
able to switch, on a per-buffer-basis, between compiling between
ordinary latex and pdflatex, and in both cases using the appropriate
TeX-source-correlate-method (source-specials for dvi, synctex for
pdf).  The problem is that, according to the documentation of
TeX-source-correlate-method:

     Setting this variable does not take effect if TeX Source
     Correlate mode has already been active.  Restart Emacs in this
     case.

Restarting emacs is rather drastic if one wants to work with two files
at the same time.

Is there a way to get around this?  The most convenient would be a
command that would toggle, for a given buffer, between the setup for
dvi (and source-specials and dvi-previewer), and pdflatex (and synctex
and pdf-previewer).  Besides TeX-source-correlate-method this would
involve toggling TeX-PDF-mode between nil and t.  Of course, this all
currently already works except for the switch between source-specials
and synctex.

A substitute would be an alternate command (not part of
TeX-command-list) that would always attempt to (dvi)latex the current
buffer with source-specials.  I am by far not savvy enough in lisp and
AUCTeX to write such a command myself.

Maybe I should add that I am using Emacs 24.2.1 with AUCTeX 11.87 on
Windows 7.

I'd appreciate help.

Yours,

Nikolaus Vonessen