Glossaries: Hyperlink to First Entry not List of Acronyms

Question

Is it possible to direct the hyperlink created by \gls{term} to the first use of the term in the main text instead of the glossary list?

I'm writing a thesis that uses a lot of abbreviations, but I don't want to include a glossary list in the document. Rather, I'd like to define each abbreviation on first use but provide a hyperlink to the first use during all subsequent uses of the abbreviation. Is this possible?

The following is an example of the code I'm currently using to set-up the glossaries and hyperref packages and define a term:

\documentclass{report}
\usepackage[acronym,hyperfirst=false,nonumberlist,nowarn]{glossaries}
\usepackage[hidelinks]{hyperref}
...
\newacronym{FEA}{FEA}{Finite Element Analysis}
...
\begin{document}
    ...this includes a \gls{FEA} tool to...    % first use of term
    ...the \gls{FEA} tool...                   % subsequent uses of term, want to hyperlink to first use above within PDF
\end{document}

Answer 1

I recommend you upgrade to the latest version of glossaries (v4.01 at time of writing) and try the following:

\documentclass{report}

\usepackage[colorlinks]{hyperref}
\usepackage[acronym,nowarn,hyperfirst=false]{glossaries}

% Switch off hyperlinks for all uses of \gls etc.
% Hyperlinks will be inserted manually in the custom display style
\setkeys{glslink}{hyper=false}

\renewcommand*{\CustomAcronymFields}{%
  name={\the\glsshorttok},%
  description={\the\glslongtok},%
}

\renewcommand*{\SetCustomDisplayStyle}[1]{%
  \defglsentryfmt[#1]{%
    \ifdefempty\glscustomtext
    {%
      \ifglsused\glslabel
      {% subsequent use
       % Assuming all acronyms are written in upper case, so
       % not bother to check for case changes.
        \glsifplural
        {% subsequent use, plural
          \glshyperlink[\glsentryshortpl{\glslabel}]{\glslabel}%
        }%
        {% subsequent use, singular
          \glshyperlink[\glsentryshort{\glslabel}]{\glslabel}%
        }%
      }%
      {% first use
        \glsifplural
        {% first use, plural
          \glscapscase
          {% no case change
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\glsentrylongpl{\glslabel}\glsinsert}%
            \space(\glsentryshortpl{\glslabel})%
          }%
          {% first letter upper case
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\Glsentrylongpl{\glslabel}\glsinsert}%
            \space(\glsentryshortpl{\glslabel})%
          }%
          {% all caps
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\MakeTextUppercase{%
              \glsentrylongpl{\glslabel}\glsinsert}}%
            \MakeTextUppercase{\space(\glsentryshortpl{\glslabel})}%
          }%
        }%
        {% first use, singular
          \glscapscase
          {% no case change
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\glsentrylong{\glslabel}\glsinsert}%
            \space(\glsentryshort{\glslabel})%
          }%
          {% first letter upper case
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\Glsentrylong{\glslabel}\glsinsert}%
            \space(\glsentryshort{\glslabel})%
          }%
          {% all caps
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\MakeTextUppercase{%
              \glsentrylong{\glslabel}\glsinsert}}%
            \MakeTextUppercase{\space(\glsentryshort{\glslabel})}%
          }%
        }%
      }%
    }%
    {% \glsdisp used
      \ifglsused\glslabel
      {% subsequent use
        \glshyperlink[\glscustomtext]{\glslabel}%
      }%
      {% first use
        \glstarget{\glslabel}{\glscustomtext}%
      }%
    }%
  }%
}

\SetCustomStyle

\newacronym{FEA}{FEA}{Finite Element Analysis}

\begin{document}

First use: \gls{FEA}.

Next use: \gls{FEA}.

\end{document}

I've used the colorlinks option so you can see where the link is in the result:

The link target is the first use. Be careful not to reset the acronyms (via \glsreset etc) or you'll end up with multiply defined targets.

Edit: there's a simpler method with the glossaries-extra extension package:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[colorlinks]{hyperref}
\usepackage{glossaries-extra}

\setabbreviationstyle[acronym]{long-short}

\glssetcategoryattribute{acronym}{nohyperfirst}{true}

\renewcommand*{\glsdonohyperlink}[2]{%
 {\glsxtrprotectlinks \glsdohypertarget{#1}{#2}}}

\newacronym{FEA}{FEA}{Finite Element Analysis}

\begin{document}

First use: \gls{FEA}.

Next use: \gls{FEA}.

\end{document}

This will create a target when the hyperlink is suppressed. This can cause a problem if you reset the first use flag or if you want to use the starred version \gls*. A minor modification can keep track of whether the target has been set:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[colorlinks]{hyperref}
\usepackage{glossaries-extra}

\setabbreviationstyle[acronym]{long-short}

\glssetcategoryattribute{acronym}{nohyperfirst}{true}

\renewcommand*{\glsdonohyperlink}[2]{%
 {\glsxtrprotectlinks 
   \edef\fieldvalue{\glsxtrusefield{\glslabel}{hastarget}}%
   \ifdefstring\fieldvalue{true}
   {%
     #2%
   }%
   {%
     \gGlsXtrSetField{\glslabel}{hastarget}{true}\glsdohypertarget{#1}{#2}%
   }%
 }%
}

\newacronym{FEA}{FEA}{Finite Element Analysis}

\begin{document}

First use: \gls{FEA}.

Next use: \gls{FEA}.

No hyperlink: \gls*{FEA}.

Another use: \gls{FEA}.

\end{document}

Answer 2

Not an answer this, more of a bug report but it doesn't fit in a comment, sorry...

In my document, I used \setacronymstyle in the text multiple times, so I can change the acronym first use output from long-short to short-long. Note that there is a very subtle bug when using @Nicola Talbot's answer in this context, and that is:

Once you use \setacronymstyle, first the "name" entry in the .glsdefs file changes:

$ grep name test.glsdefs
name={JAA1},%
name={\acronymfont {\glsentryshort {JAA2}}},%
name={\acronymfont {\glsentryshort {JAA3}}},%
name={\acronymfont {\glsentryshort {JAA4}}},%

... but that seems to be not as much of a problem -- as the fact that after the use of that command, the \gls@acronym@entryfmt format command changes from "standalone" code that includes \glshyperlink and \glstarget; to \GlsUseAcrEntryDispStyle {long-short} which eventually calls e.g. \glsgenacfmt which is similar "standalone" code, but which uses no hyperlinks targets (apparently because \setkeys{glslink}{hyper=false}). And as far as I can see, trying to work around this while using \setacronymstyle is possible - that is, it is possible to restore the hyperlinks, but in that case \setacronymstyle will simply have no effect (i.e. long-short would not change to short-long).

EDIT: Actually, the fix seems to be to use, in the MWE below:

% \let\glsgenacfmt\oldglsgenacfmt % this allows that the short-long effect is back; but unfortunately there are no hyperlink targets in it
\def\glsgenacfmt{\glstarget{\glslabel}{\oldglsgenacfmt}} % this makes link targets work!

... that is, temporarily make a new definition, which you'll manually wrap in a link target.

Here is an MWE that demonstrates that (see comments inside):

\documentclass[a4paper]{book}

\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\colorlet{mycolr}{red}
\hypersetup{colorlinks=true, citecolor=mycolr, filecolor=mycolr, linkcolor=mycolr, urlcolor=mycolr}

\usepackage[acronym,hyperfirst=false,nomain]{glossaries}
% nomain "This suppresses the creation of the main glossary and associated .glo file, if unrequired."
% hyperfirst "This is a boolean option that specifies whether each term has a hyperlink on first use."
% acronym "This creates a new glossary with the label acronym."
\setkeys{glslink}{hyper=true}
\setacronymstyle{long-short}
\let\oldglsgenacfmt\glsgenacfmt

% https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/140666/glossaries-hyperlink-to-first-entry-not-list-of-acronyms
% Switch off hyperlinks for all uses of \gls etc.
% Hyperlinks will be inserted manually in the custom display style
\setkeys{glslink}{hyper=false}

\renewcommand*{\CustomAcronymFields}{%
  name={\the\glsshorttok},%
  description={\the\glslongtok},%
}

\renewcommand*{\SetCustomDisplayStyle}[1]{%
  \defglsentryfmt[#1]{%
    \ifdefempty\glscustomtext
    {%
      \ifglsused\glslabel
      {% subsequent use
       % Assuming all acronyms are written in upper case, so
       % not bother to check for case changes.
        \glsifplural
        {% subsequent use, plural
          \glshyperlink[\glsentryshortpl{\glslabel}]{\glslabel}%
        }%
        {% subsequent use, singular
          \glshyperlink[\glsentryshort{\glslabel}]{\glslabel}%
        }%
      }%
      {% first use
        \glsifplural
        {% first use, plural
          \glscapscase
          {% no case change
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\glsentrylongpl{\glslabel}\glsinsert}%
            \space(\glsentryshortpl{\glslabel})%
          }%
          {% first letter upper case
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\Glsentrylongpl{\glslabel}\glsinsert}%
            \space(\glsentryshortpl{\glslabel})%
          }%
          {% all caps
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\MakeTextUppercase{%
              \glsentrylongpl{\glslabel}\glsinsert}}%
            \MakeTextUppercase{\space(\glsentryshortpl{\glslabel})}%
          }%
        }%
        {% first use, singular
          \glscapscase
          {% no case change
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\glsentrylong{\glslabel}\glsinsert}%
            \space(\glsentryshort{\glslabel})%
          }%
          {% first letter upper case
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\Glsentrylong{\glslabel}\glsinsert}%
            \space(\glsentryshort{\glslabel})%
          }%
          {% all caps
            \glstarget{\glslabel}{\MakeTextUppercase{%
              \glsentrylong{\glslabel}\glsinsert}}%
            \MakeTextUppercase{\space(\glsentryshort{\glslabel})}%
          }%
        }%
      }%
    }%
    {% \glsdisp used
      \ifglsused\glslabel
      {% subsequent use
        \glshyperlink[\glscustomtext]{\glslabel}%
      }%
      {% first use
        \glstarget{\glslabel}{\glscustomtext}%
      }%
    }%
  }%
}

\SetCustomStyle

\makeatletter
\def\printDefs#1{%
  \typeout{\space\space\space
    newacronym #1 is:
    \meaning\newacronym
  }%
  \typeout{\space\space\space
    \\newacronym #1 is:
    \expandafter\meaning\csname\string\newacronym\endcsname
  }%
  \typeout{\space\space\space
    gls #1 is:
    \meaning\gls
  }%
  \typeout{\space\space\space
    \\@gls #1 is:
    \expandafter\meaning\csname\string\@gls\endcsname
  }%
  \typeout{\space\space\space
    gls@acronym@entryfmt #1 is:
    \meaning\gls@acronym@entryfmt
  }%
  \typeout{\space\space\space
    glsgenacfmt #1 is:
    \meaning\glsgenacfmt
  }%
  \typeout{\space\space\space
    glsgenentryfmt #1 is:
    \meaning\glsgenentryfmt
  }%
  \typeout{\space\space\space}
}
\makeatother
% \GlsUseAcrEntryDispStyle: macro:#1->\csuse {@glsacr@dispstyle@#1}
% \@glsacr@dispstyle@long-short: macro:->\ifglshaslong {\glslabel }{\glsgenacfmt }{\glsgenentryfmt }
% default: gls@acronym@entryfmt

\begin{document}

\section{Testing}

% \let\oldnewacronym\newacronym% no can do; doesn't actually change (protected)
\makeatletter
\let\oldacronymentryfmt\gls@acronym@entryfmt
\makeatother

Testing first:
\newacronym{JAA1}{JAA1}{just another acronym One}%
\gls{JAA1}%
\printDefs{1}

\setacronymstyle{long-short} % this changes things!!! kills all the hyperlinks, even if there is a previously correct .glsdefs file (generated if this line is commented)!

Testing second:
\newacronym{JAA2}{JAA2}{just another acronym Two}%
\gls{JAA2}%
\printDefs{2}

% \let\oldglsgenacfmt\glsgenacfmt % now in preamble
\let\glsgenacfmt\oldacronymentryfmt % this restores all hyperlinks again, but the second one will be broken!
Testing third:
\newacronym{JAA3}{JAA3}{just another acronym Three}%
\gls{JAA3}%
\printDefs{3}

\setkeys{glslink}{hyper=true}% no effect
\setacronymstyle{short-long} % now does not kill links, but has no effect
\let\glsgenacfmt\oldglsgenacfmt % this allows that the short-long effect is back; but unfortunately there are no hyperlink targets in it
Testing fourth:
\newacronym{JAA4}{JAA4}{just another acronym Four}%
\gls{JAA4}%
\setkeys{glslink}{hyper=false}
\let\glsgenacfmt\oldacronymentryfmt % again this, to restore links for below commands


Testing refs: \gls{JAA1} and \gls{JAA2} and \gls{JAA3} and \gls{JAA4} % here 1 and 3 work, 2 and 4 are broken

\end{document}