Automatic snippet expansion and specific snippets in math mode

[TryerGit]

Hello,

I have been using Vim with VimTeX and Ultisnips as my LaTeX front end and I would now like to try VSCode-LaTeX-Workshop out.

I would like to check if the following features of Vim + VimTeX + Ultisnips are available within VSCode-LaTeX-Workshop.

(I use VSCode for C++ programming and am aware that atleast within C++, not all of the following are possible)

(1) Detecting math environment:

context "math()"
snippet ss "subscript" iA
_{$1} $0
endsnippet

Within $ | $ or \( | \) or \[ | \], where | is the cursor position, typing ss automatically gives the subscript command. The key here is that this is automatic because the option iA [this comes from Ultisnips] expands the snippet automatically without having to press a snippet trigger/expansion/completion (for e.g., Tab) key. The context "math()" line ensures that this expansion occurs only in math delimited environments and not plain text prose environments. I have looked at https://github.com/James-Yu/LaTeX-Workshop/wiki/Snippets#Mathematical-font-commands and it appears to me that pressing the snippet trigger/completion/expansion key (say the Tab key) is mandatory. Is my understanding correct?

(2) Somewhat related to the above, is it possible to have the equivalent of the following snippet:

snippet mm "Inline Math" wA
\\( $1 \\) $0
endsnippet

This snippet has option wA and the functionality here is that if the user types mm (the wA option stands for the beginning of a new word and the expansion is automatic with no need to press a snippet trigger/expansion/completion (e.g., Tab) key. Within a line, this provides the \( | \) inline math environment. I think this is not possible at least within C++ programming in VSCode -- every snippet expansion seems to require the snippet trigger/expansion/completion key. I would like to confirm that it is indeed possible/not possible within LaTeX-Workshop as well.

The use case is that pressing mm is a lot easier since the keys are close to the home row rather than pressing any other snippet trigger/expansion/completion key

Thank you.

---

I have done a search for automatic expansion in the issues search tab and that did not turn any relevant issues/discussions. Hence this OP.

[James-Yu]

No, it's not possible with vscode, not limited by the extension. Math mode detection is theoretically possible but unlikely implemented, due to the extra computing burden.

[TryerGit]

Fair enough. Thank you.

[TryerGit]

For what it is worth, I have opened an issue with the VSCode folks requesting this feature:

microsoft/vscode#170423

[TryerGit]

20 upvotes needed on the above for any hope to get it done started in the hope that it completes in 2-3 years. Pretty please :-)

[sleepymalc]

Nah, it's already implemented, but it just needed to be more well-known. Please check out HyperSnips. I also have documentation on how to set it up correctly and have some showcases here; for the exact section, see here.

[sleepymalc]

Yea, Hypersnips definitely can have some improvement, but some of the recent updates really make it stable (tho it's fast throughout, in fact).

[TryerGit]

@sleepymalc I have begun trying HyperSnips and so far they seem to be doing quite fine and fast -- indeed they seem faster than native VSCode snippet triggering. I am curious to know how you handle the context "math()" snippets. For e.g., the following was one of my snippets in Vim + VimTeX + Ultisnips:

context "math()"
snippet ss "subscript" iA
_{$1} $0
endsnippet

that triggers automatically but only in math mode.

Within only a math environment (display math or inline math environment) but not within prose, how would it be possible to have the above snippet triggered using Hypersnips? As I recall, the context math() code was provided by VimTeX and not by UltiSnips.

Thanks.

[sleepymalc]

It's at the top of this file. I guess it's the best way to handle math context since sometimes you might run into cases that you need to use \text{} inside of a math environment, or even use math environment again in a nested manner.

[TryerGit]

Yes, I tried that and it works perfectly. I have to say that Hypersnips is severly underrated. I can imagine using that for many of my C++ snippet needs as well. I am curious to know -- given Hypersnips, do you have any need for native VSCode snippets at all -- either in LaTeX or C++ in case you program in it.

[sleepymalc]

Yes, in my set-up, when I need to insert a snippet via VSCode in a sequence of tasks, VSCode snippets will be helpful. But apart form that, I only use Hypersnips.