comment start "%"

symbol = "&|~"
symbol = '\\[$_&{}~^%#`\'"|[:space:]\\]'

string delim "\"" "\"" escape "\\" multiline
string delim "``" "''" escape "\\" multiline
string delim "`" "'"  escape "\\" multiline
#string delim "'" "'"  escape "\\" multiline

math = "$$|\\[|\\]"
math delim "$" "$" escape "\\" multiline

state keyword start "\\textit" begin
  environment italics start "{" begin
    italics delim "{" "}" escape "\\" multiline nested 
    italics = "}" exitall
  end
end

state keyword start "\\textbf" begin
  environment bold start "{" begin
    bold delim "{" "}" escape "\\" multiline nested 
    bold = "}" exitall
  end
end

state keyword start "\\texttt" begin
  environment fixed start "{" begin
    fixed delim "{" "}" escape "\\" multiline nested 
    fixed = "}" exitall
  end
end

state keyword start "\\underline" begin
  environment underline start "{" begin
    underline delim "{" "}" escape "\\" multiline nested 
    underline = "}" exitall
  end
end

vardef command = '\\[[:alpha:]]+'

keyword = $command 

symbol = "*"

normal = '\{[[:blank:]]*\z' # a { and then a new line
optionalargument delim "[" "]" escape "\\"
argument delim "{" "}" escape "\\" multiline nested