TeXStudio: redefined newcommand variant has bad error highlighting

Question

I would like to use the following command in my LaTeX code

\newcommand{\newsym}[2]{\newcommand{#1}{\ensuremath{#2}}}

so that I can easily define new symbols that I often use in my equations, such as:

\newsym{\kTq}{\frac{k_BT}{q}}.

The intent being to reduce the amount of typing necessary to define new symbols and to enhance readability of the code.

The problem now is twofold:

• TeXstudio dosn't realize my \newsym defines a new command and complains that the first argument (\kTq) is an uncrecognized command.
• It also doesn't realize the second argument is eventually enclosed in an \ensuremath environment and complains math command outside math environment

As a result I have my \newsym definitions cluttered with bad-syntax highlighting, impeding the readability, which was the entire half of the purpose of defining \newsum in the first place.

Can I solve this dilemma by somehow adjusting the way TeXstudio does the error highlighting in this particular case? I don't wan't to disable the highlighting altogether; they are otherwise useful.

Or is there a smarter alternative to my definition of \newsym that avoids this problem?

Answer 1

How to create a custom .cwl-file for TXS:

1. Open any ASCII-Text editor of your choice, e.g. vi, Notepad++. Alternatively: use TXS.
2. Create and save a new text file with the file extension .cwl. If created for a package, the .cwl-file needs to be named in compliance to the package name.

3. Add all commands you created as follows:

   #<author> <date> \<command>{<arguments>} \begin{<environmentname>} \end{<environmentname>}

4. Save and copy or move your .cwl-file to the settings directory of TXS. For Windows 7 it is in %AppData%\texstudio\completion\user.

5. Restart TXS, if necessary and goto Options -> Configure TeXstudio -> Completion. Check box of your .cwl-file.

# indicates comment line unless used within classification or with keywords. For more information refer to TXS manual section 4.13 or TXS FAQ .

Example:

example.cwl

#naphaneal/2016-07-01 \begin{my-code} \end{my-code}