The glossaries
user manual advises against using nested links (that is, using commands like \gls
within field values that are used by commands like \gls
). There's more information in the Nested Links section of the glossaries-extra
manual.
The recommended methods are as follows:
Using the base glossaries
package.
Write out the actual text in the long
, longplural
, short
and shortplural
parts, as appropriate, and use \acrlong
in the description
:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[colorlinks]{hyperref}
\usepackage{glossaries}
\makeglossaries
\setacronymstyle{long-short}
\newacronym[longplural=Artificial Chemistries]
{AChem}{AChem}{Artificial Chemistry}
\newacronym[longplural=subsymbolic Artificial Chemistries,
description={subsymbolic \acrlong{AChem}}]
{ssAChem}{ssAChem}{subsymbolic Artificial Chemistry}
\begin{document}
First use: \gls{AChem}, \gls{ssAChem}.
Next use: \gls{AChem}, \gls{ssAChem}.
\glsresetall
First use: \glspl{AChem}, \glspl{ssAChem}.
Next use: \glspl{AChem}, \glspl{ssAChem}.
\glsresetall
First use: \Gls{AChem}, \Gls{ssAChem}.
Next use: \Gls{AChem}, \Gls{ssAChem}.
\printglossaries
\end{document}

Using the glossaries-extra
extension package.
The glossaries-extra
package provides some commands specifically for this use, but they still come with some caveats, in particular don't use them at the start of a field as that will interfere with the first letter uppercasing commands.
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[colorlinks]{hyperref}
\usepackage{glossaries-extra}
\makeglossaries
\setabbreviationstyle[acronym]{long-short}
\newacronym[longplural=Artificial Chemistries]
{AChem}{AChem}{Artificial Chemistry}
\newacronym[longplural=subsymbolic \glsxtrp{longpl}{AChem}]
{ssAChem}{ssAChem}{subsymbolic \glsxtrp{long}{AChem}}
\begin{document}
First use: \gls{AChem}, \gls{ssAChem}.
Next use: \gls{AChem}, \gls{ssAChem}.
\glsresetall
First use: \glspl{AChem}, \glspl{ssAChem}.
Next use: \glspl{AChem}, \glspl{ssAChem}.
\glsresetall
First use: \Gls{AChem}, \Gls{ssAChem}.
Next use: \Gls{AChem}, \Gls{ssAChem}.
\printglossaries
\end{document}
If the nested term appears at the start of the field, or if the field is used for sorting, or if the field value needs to be used in an expandable context, then the first method is preferable (with the appropriate modifications needed to convert it for use with glossaries-extra
):
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[colorlinks]{hyperref}
\usepackage{glossaries-extra}
\makeglossaries
\setabbreviationstyle[acronym]{long-short}
\newacronym[longplural=Artificial Chemistries]
{AChem}{AChem}{Artificial Chemistry}
\newacronym[longplural=subsymbolic Artificial Chemistries,
description={subsymbolic \glsxtrlong{AChem}}]
{ssAChem}{ssAChem}{subsymbolic Artificial Chemistry}
\begin{document}
First use: \gls{AChem}, \gls{ssAChem}.
Next use: \gls{AChem}, \gls{ssAChem}.
\glsresetall
First use: \glspl{AChem}, \glspl{ssAChem}.
Next use: \glspl{AChem}, \glspl{ssAChem}.
\glsresetall
First use: \Gls{AChem}, \Gls{ssAChem}.
Next use: \Gls{AChem}, \Gls{ssAChem}.
\printglossaries
\end{document}
Alternatively:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[colorlinks]{hyperref}
\usepackage{glossaries-extra}
\makeglossaries
\setabbreviationstyle{long-short}
\newabbreviation[longplural=Artificial Chemistries]
{AChem}{AChem}{Artificial Chemistry}
\newabbreviation[longplural=subsymbolic Artificial Chemistries,
description={subsymbolic \glsxtrlong{AChem}}]
{ssAChem}{ssAChem}{subsymbolic Artificial Chemistry}
\begin{document}
First use: \gls{AChem}, \gls{ssAChem}.
Next use: \gls{AChem}, \gls{ssAChem}.
\glsresetall
First use: \glspl{AChem}, \glspl{ssAChem}.
Next use: \glspl{AChem}, \glspl{ssAChem}.
\glsresetall
First use: \Gls{AChem}, \Gls{ssAChem}.
Next use: \Gls{AChem}, \Gls{ssAChem}.
\printglossaries
\end{document}