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(reftex)Optimizations

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Optimizations
=============

   Implementing the principle of least surprises, the default settings
of RefTeX ensure a safe ride for beginners and casual users.  However,
when using RefTeX for a large project and/or on a small computer, there
are ways to improve speed or memory usage.

   * Removing Lookup Buffers
     RefTeX will load other parts of a multifile document as well as
     BibTeX database files for lookup purposes.  These buffers are
     kept, so that subsequent use of the same files is fast.  If you
     can't afford keeping these buffers around, and if you can live
     with a speed penalty, try

          (setq reftex-keep-temporary-buffers nil)

   * Partial Document Scans
     A `C-u' prefix on the major RefTeX commands `reftex-label' (`C-u
     C-c ('), `reftex-reference' (`C-u C-c )'), `reftex-citation' (`C-u
     C-c ['), `reftex-toc' (`C-u C-c ='), and `reftex-view-crossref'
     (`C-u C-c &') initiates re-parsing of the entire document in order
     to update the parsing information.  For a large document this can
     be unnecessary, in particular if only one file has changed.
     RefTeX can be configured to do partial scans instead of full ones.
     `C-u' re-parsing then does apply only to the current buffer and
     files included from it.  Likewise, the `r' key in both the label
     selection buffer and the table-of-contents buffer will only prompt
     scanning of the file in which the label or section macro near the
     cursor was defined.  Re-parsing of the entire document is still
     available by using `C-u C-u' as a prefix, or the capital `R' key
     in the menus.  To use this feature, try

          (setq reftex-enable-partial-scans t)

   * Saving Parser Information
     Even with partial scans enabled, RefTeX still has to make one full
     scan, when you start working with a document.  To avoid this,
     parsing information can be stored in a file.  The file
     `MASTER.rel' is used for storing information about a document with
     master file `MASTER.tex'.  It is written automatically when you
     kill a buffer in `reftex-mode' or when you exit Emacs.  The
     information is restored when you begin working with a document in
     a new editing session.  To use this feature, put into `.emacs':

          (setq reftex-save-parse-info t)

   * Automatic Document Scans
     At rare occasions, RefTeX will automatically rescan a part of the
     document.  If this gets into your way, it can be turned off with

          (setq reftex-allow-automatic-rescan nil)

     RefTeX will then occasionally annotate new labels in the selection
     buffer, saying that their position in the label list in uncertain.
     A manual document scan will fix this.

   * Multiple Selection Buffers
     Normally, the selection buffer `*RefTeX Select*' is re-created for
     every selection process.  In documents with very many labels this
     can take several seconds.  RefTeX provides an option to create a
     separate selection buffer for each label type and to keep this
     buffer from one selection to the next.  These buffers are updated
     automatically only when a new label has been added in the buffers
     category with `reftex-label'.  Updating the buffer takes as long
     as recreating it - so the time saving is limited to cases where no
     new labels of that category have been added.  To turn on this
     feature, use

          (setq reftex-use-multiple-selection-buffers t)

     You can also inhibit the automatic updating entirely.  Then the
     selection buffer will always pop up very fast, but may not contain
     the most recently defined labels.  You can always update the
     buffer by hand, with the `g' key.  To get this behavior, use
     instead

          (setq reftex-use-multiple-selection-buffers t
                reftex-auto-update-selection-buffers nil)

As a summary, here are the settings I recommend for heavy use of RefTeX
with large documents:

     (setq reftex-enable-partial-scans t
           reftex-save-parse-info t
           reftex-use-multiple-selection-buffers t)