Re: A question about Syntax highlighting, different modes.

[Ralf Angeli]

* Jim Zhang (2005-07-11) writes:

> I am using Emacs for Mac to edit some latex files. And when I click  
> "syntax highlight" from the menu, or set "M_x font_lock_mode". Emacs  
> gives me a really fancy kind of highlighting scheme.
> I believe it's some embedded latex mode or something.

Where do you have your Emacs from?  Your description sounds like you
are running a CVS Emacs with AUCTeX enabled.  The distributor should
be able to tell you if this is the case.

> For example, if you input "x^y", the y will be put in a smaller font  
> and put on the top of x, which is nice. But it slows down the text  
> input speed.
> I have to wait a while for my words to show up!

Assuming you are using AUCTeX, could you please prepare a bug report
by typing `M-x TeX-submit-bug-report RET' and send it to the given
address?  Please include an example file which triggers the slow down.

> Another annoying thing. I don't know why? some time if I finish a $ 
> \begin{align}$ environment, I can not input "$" sign. It shows in the  
> minibuffer: "math mode because of align, Use C_q $ to force a dollar  
> sign"! Heck, what's wrong with it???

Don't you close an align environment with "\end{align}"?

> I tried "M_x text-mode", it 's way faster. I just really don't need  
> all those fancy gadgets. What i need is a very very simple syntax  
> hightlighting scheme that runs functionally for editing tex file.  
> Like what i have used before in Unix. Nothing fancy that will eat up  
> my memory, or anything that slows down the main purpose: writing!
>
> Does anyone have an idea how to handle this? How can I set up my  
> syntax highlighting, without those fancy packages involved?

You can reduce the amount of content to be highlighted by customizing
the variable `font-lock-maximum-decoration'.  For example, you can put
something like

(setq font-lock-maximum-decoration '((latex-mode . 1) (t . t)))

into your init file.

-- 
Ralf