[Tex/LaTex] Rename label and automatically update all references

cross-referencingeditorskiletexstudio

Suppose, we have a section with a label \label{content}. This label is referenced at multiple occasions via \ref{content}.

During the writing process the content of the section changes and we would like a label name that properly reflects the content (so we do not get confused ourselves). Therefore, we replace \label{content} by \label{newContent}. The problem is that we have to manually update all references to that label.

Almost every programming IDE has a built-in function that lets you rename variables and updates all references to that variable automatically. A simple search and replace might be sufficient in some cases, but will fail every time the label name is part of some other content in the document. Of course, we could make label names sufficiently complex and thus unique, but this does not seem practical either.

Hence, I am looking for an editor function that can automatically update all references when a LaTeX label has changed. Preferably, this feature exists in kile or texstudio, but I am open to other editors as well.

Best Answer

On any label ore ref argument: Context Menu -> Find Usages

There you can rename the label and it's usages.

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Name of current section/figure

You can use the package hyperref with the commands autoref and nameref

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\begin{document}
\section{aaa}\label{sec:1}
Hello \autoref{sec:1}\qquad\nameref{sec:1}

\subsection{bbb}\label{subsec:1}
Hello \autoref{subsec:1}\qquad\nameref{subsec:1}

\begin{figure}[!ht]
 whatever
 \caption{bla}\label{fig:1}
 \end{figure}

 \autoref{fig:1}\qquad\nameref{fig:1}

\end{document}

The code above produce the following result:

In relation to the comments here an example without hyperref by using nameref and cleveref

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{nameref}
\usepackage{cleveref}

\begin{document}
\section{aaa}\label{sec:1}
Hello \nameref{sec:1}\qquad\cref{sec:1}\qquad\namecref{sec:1}

\subsection{bbb}\label{subsec:1}
Hello \nameref{subsec:1}\qquad\cref{subsec:1}\qquad\namecref{subsec:1}

\begin{figure}[!ht]
 whatever
 \caption{bla}\label{fig:1}
 \end{figure}

\nameref{fig:1}\qquad\cref{fig:1}\qquad\namecref{fig:1}
\end{document}

[Tex/LaTex] Putting all cross references in brackets in LyX

If the numbers of all cross-refernces, and not just those to equations, should be encased in round parentheses, you may achieve by inserting the following instructions in your document's preamble.

\AtBeginDocument{\let\origref\ref
   \renewcommand{\ref}[1]{(\origref{#1})}}}

Here's a full MWE (but without screenshot);

\documentclass{article}
\AtBeginDocument{\let\origref\ref
   \renewcommand{\ref}[1]{(\origref{#1})}}
\begin{document}
\begin{equation}\label{eq:pyth} a^2+b^2=c^2 \end{equation}
\begin{figure}\caption{hello}\label{fig:hello}\end{figure}

Here's a cross-reference to equation \ref{eq:pyth}, and here's a 
cross-reference to figure \ref{fig:hello}.
\end{document}

Related Question

[Tex/LaTex] Referencing Definition by Name and Optional Argument