Provide a modified xref backend for TeX buffers

In addition to providing a new `xref' backend, the patch also improves
the general handling of expl3 syntax.  Expl3 is the next-generation
LaTeX specification, and has for some time been available by default in
the LaTeX kernel.  The new syntax co-exists in many files with the
standard LaTeX2e syntax, so we try at least minimally to separate the
way modes handle the two specifications, both to reduce
visually-disturbing interference between them and also to improve the
`xref' backend.  (Bug#53749)

* lib-src/etags.c (TeX_commands): Improve parsing of commands in TeX
buffers.
(TEX_defenv): Expand list of commands to tag by default in TeX buffers.
(TeX_help):
* doc/emacs/maintaining.texi (Tag Syntax): Document new tagged commands.
(Identifier Search): Add note about semantic-symref-filepattern-alist,
auto-mode-alist, and xref-find-references.

* lisp/textmodes/tex-mode.el (tex-font-lock-suscript): Test for
underscore in expl3 files and regions, disable subscript face there.
(tex-common-initialization): Set up xref backend for in-tree TeX modes.
Detect expl3 files, and in others set up a list of expl3 regions.
(tex-expl-buffer-parse): New function called in previous.
(tex-expl-buffer-p): New variable to hold the result of previous.
(tex-expl-region-set): New function added to
'syntax-propertize-extend-region-functions' hook.
(tex-expl-region-list): New variable to hold the result of previous.
(tex--xref-backend): New function to identify the xref backend.
(tex--thing-at-point, tex-thingatpt--beginning-of-symbol)
(tex-thingatpt--end-of-symbol, tex--bounds-of-symbol-at-point):
New functions to return 'thing-at-point' for xref backend.
(tex-thingatpt-exclude-chars): New variable to do the same.
(xref-backend-identifier-at-point): New TeX backend method to provide
symbols for processing by xref.
(xref-backend-identifier-completion-table)
(xref-backend-identifier-completion-ignore-case)
(xref-backend-definitions, xref-backend-apropos): Placeholders to
call the standard 'etags' xref backend methods.
(xref-backend-references): Wrapper to call the default xref backend
method, finding as many relevant files as possible and using a bespoke
syntax-propertize-function when required.
(tex--collect-file-extensions, tex-xref-syntax-function): Helper
functions for previous.
(tex-find-references-syntax-table, tex--buffers-list)
(tex--xref-syntax-fun, tex--old-syntax-function): New variables for
the same.

1 files changed, 35 insertions, 4 deletions

diff --git a/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi b/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
index 3c34afbaa20..0ec2385860b 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
@@ -2549,6 +2549,15 @@ identifier, showing the file name and the line where the identifier is
 referenced.  The XREF mode commands are available in this buffer, see
 @ref{Xref Commands}.
 
+When invoked in a buffer whose major mode uses the @code{etags} backend,
+@kbd{M-?} searches files and buffers whose major mode matches that of
+the original buffer.  It guesses that mode from file extensions, so if
+@kbd{M-?} seems to be skipping relevant buffers or files, try
+customizing either the variable @code{semantic-symref-filepattern-alist}
+(if your buffer's major mode already has an entry in it), or
+@code{auto-mode-alist} (if not), thereby informing @code{xref} of the
+missing extensions (@pxref{Choosing Modes}).
+
 @vindex xref-auto-jump-to-first-xref
   If the value of the variable @code{xref-auto-jump-to-first-xref} is
 @code{t}, @code{xref-find-references} automatically jumps to the first
@@ -2767,10 +2776,32 @@ Tags for variables and functions in classes are named
 @item
 In @LaTeX{} documents, the arguments for @code{\chapter},
 @code{\section}, @code{\subsection}, @code{\subsubsection},
-@code{\eqno}, @code{\label}, @code{\ref}, @code{\cite},
-@code{\bibitem}, @code{\part}, @code{\appendix}, @code{\entry},
-@code{\index}, @code{\def}, @code{\newcommand}, @code{\renewcommand},
-@code{\newenvironment} and @code{\renewenvironment} are tags.
+@code{\eqno}, @code{\label}, @code{\ref}, @code{\Ref}, @code{\footref},
+@code{\cite}, @code{\bibitem}, @code{\part}, @code{\appendix},
+@code{\entry}, @code{\index}, @code{\def}, @code{\edef}, @code{\gdef},
+@code{\xdef}, @code{\newcommand}, @code{\renewcommand},
+@code{\newenvironment}, @code{\renewenvironment},
+@code{\DeclareRobustCommand}, @code{\newrobustcmd},
+@code{\renewrobustcmd}, @code{\providecommand},
+@code{\providerobustcmd}, @code{\NewDocumentCommand},
+@code{\RenewDocumentCommand}, @code{\ProvideDocumentCommand},
+@code{\DeclareDocumentCommand}, @code{\NewExpandableDocumentCommand},
+@code{\RenewExpandableDocumentCommand},
+@code{\ProvideExpandableDocumentCommand},
+@code{\DeclareExpandableDocumentCommand},
+@code{\NewDocumentEnvironment}, @code{\RenewDocumentEnvironment},
+@code{\ProvideDocumentEnvironment}, @code{\DeclareDocumentEnvironment},
+@code{\csdef}, @code{\csedef}, @code{\csgdef}, @code{\csxdef},
+@code{\csletcs}, @code{\cslet}, @code{\letcs}, @code{\let},
+@code{\cs_new_protected_nopar}, @code{\cs_new_protected},
+@code{\cs_new_nopar}, @code{\cs_new_eq}, @code{\cs_new},
+@code{\cs_set_protected_nopar}, @code{\cs_set_protected},
+@code{\cs_set_nopar}, @code{\cs_set_eq}, @code{\cs_set},
+@code{\cs_gset_protected_nopar}, @code{\cs_gset_protected},
+@code{\cs_gset_nopar}, @code{\cs_gset_eq}, @code{\cs_gset},
+@code{\cs_generate_from_arg_count}, and @code{\cs_generate_variant} are
+tags.  So too are the arguments of any starred variants of these
+commands.
 
 Other commands can make tags as well, if you specify them in the
 environment variable @env{TEXTAGS} before invoking @command{etags}.  The