bug#63228: 13.2.0; TeX-auto-generate-global TeX-auto-parse-region: Wrong type argument: stringp, nil

[Sebastian Drude]

Dear Arash,

Thanks for answering so quickly.
My answers/comments are below, marked with "SD>" (for some reason, my mail 
program did not quote your answer correctly).

Best wishes,
Sebastian
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-----Original Message-----
From: Arash Esbati <arash@gnu.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, May 2, 2023 8:22 AM
To: Sebastian Drude <drude@xs4all.nl>
Cc: 63228@debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#63228: 13.2.0; TeX-auto-generate-global TeX-auto-parse-region: 
Wrong type argument: stringp, nil

Sebastian Drude <mailto:drude@xs4all.nl> writes:

> I am coming back to AUCTeX after many years, now on a Linux-MINT 
> system (Debian-based).

Welcome back.

> I understand that, in order to be able to get command-expansion etc. 
> for all (La)TeX packages, I need to run the command 
> "TeX-auto-generate-global" once.

May I ask which package you want to use where AUCTeX support for completion is 
missing?  I'm asking because TeX-auto-generate\(-global\)? can produce 
completion files which are not really accurate.  So if you want to use a 
specific package where the AUCTeX style package.el is missing, it's better to 
write it yourself or ask here for help.

SD> I am using the Language Science Press (for xetex) langscibook class, and 
when starting, I could not complement on commands defined in that class and 
other packages loaded in a local file \input{localpackages.tex}.  I had to 
update langscibook, and after that I thought I should create the AUCTeX style 
files for my packages, which is when I started to try to invoke 
TeX-auto-generate-global.

SD> So you tell me that invoking TeX-auto-generate-global is actually not 
necessary?  But as far as I can see, the AUCTeX-style-files do cover only a 
part of all packages provided with LiveTeX.

SD> And So it is normal that it fails on so many files with the error 
"TeX-auto-parse-region: Wrong type argument: stringp, nil"?  This seems very 
weird to me...

> auctex is an available obsolete package.
>      Status: Available Obsolete from gnu -- Install
>     Archive: gnu
>     Version: 13.2.0
>      Commit: 9d47b0a1bdffb8e01a83bf507dac7677ecca92f7
>     Summary: Integrated environment for *TeX*
>    Requires: emacs-25.1
>    Homepage: https://www.gnu.org/software/auctex/
>    Keywords: tex latex texinfo context doctex preview-latex Other 
> versions: 13.2.0 (installed).

This is what I see after `list-packages':

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
Package auctex is available.

     Status: Available from gnu -- Install
    Archive: gnu
    Version: 13.2.0
     Commit: 9d47b0a1bdffb8e01a83bf507dac7677ecca92f7
    Summary: Integrated environment for *TeX*
   Requires: emacs-25.1
    Website: https://www.gnu.org/software/auctex/
   Keywords: tex latex texinfo context doctex preview-latex
 Maintainer: <mailto:auctex-devel@gnu.org>
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

> My question: why is there a version (13.2.0) in the gnu-archive which 
> is tagged as "obsolete"??  It took me quite a while before I installed 
> AUCTeX nevertheless, and now I see that I have these two versions, one 
> installed and one on the gnu server.

Strange.  How did you install the package?  With `M-x list-packages RET', 
choosing AUCTeX with 'i' and 'x'?

SD> yes, I used `M-x list-packages RET', searched for AUCTeX with C-s, and then 
entered the package and chose "install".  I am not sure whether I saw the 
"obsolete" description the first time I searched for the package or only the 
second time.