Re: Is AUCTeX supposed to parse packages for new symbols?

[Arash Esbati]

Gulshan Singh <address@hidden> writes:

> I just started using AUCTeX today.

Congratulations :)

> It seems like AUCTeX knows the symbols for some packages I use, but
> not all of them (I've been testing this with autocomplete using
> company-auctex).

I don't use company with AUCTeX, but have you also the tried the
completion AUCTeX provides with `C-c RET' for macros and `C-c C-e' for
environments?

> After checking "TeX-style-path", I found a directory with AUCTeX style
> files for specific packages, like "amsmath". I didn't see one for some
> other packages I use, like "physics".

True, AUCTeX provides support for vanilla LaTeX via latex.el.
Additional support for other classes and/or packages are provided via
AUCTeX style files which (mostly) have the name of the respective
class/package with .el suffix.  Not every package on CTAN is currently
supported.

> Does each new package need an AUCTeX style file, or can AUCTeX
> generate the style from the .sty file for the package, like it does
> for user files?

AUCTeX comes with a command for this purpose:

,----[ C-h f TeX-auto-generate RET ]
| TeX-auto-generate is an autoloaded interactive compiled Lisp function
| in ‘tex.el’.
| 
| (TeX-auto-generate TEX AUTO)
| 
| Generate style file for TEX and store it in AUTO.
| If TEX is a directory, generate style files for all files in the directory.
`----

In your case of physics.sty, I doubt that the result will be
satisfactory.  Hence, I'm afraid the real solution is to write a style
file for physics.sty manually.  Want to give it a try?  I hope there are
more AUCTeX days to come.

Best, Arash