Feature: Conceal support for \cite commands

autoload/vimtex/options.vim

@@ -278,6 +278,11 @@ function! vimtex#options#init() abort " {{{1
         \ 'math_super_sub': g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_default,
         \ 'math_symbols': g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_default,
         \ 'styles': g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_default,
+        \ 'cites': g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_default,
+        \})
+  call s:init_option('vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites', {
+        \ 'type': 'icon',
+        \ 'icon': '📖',
         \})
   call s:init_option('vimtex_syntax_nested', {
         \ 'aliases' : {

autoload/vimtex/syntax/core.vim

@@ -464,6 +464,11 @@ function! vimtex#syntax#core#init() abort " {{{1
     if g:vimtex_syntax_conceal.accents
       call s:match_conceal_accents()
     endif
+
+    " Conceal cite commands
+    if g:vimtex_syntax_conceal.cites
+      call s:match_conceal_cites_{g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites.type}()
+    endif
   endif
 
   " }}}2
@@ -531,6 +536,7 @@ function! vimtex#syntax#core#init_highlights() abort " {{{1
   highlight def link texCmdPackage         texCmd
   highlight def link texCmdPart            texCmd
   highlight def link texCmdRef             texCmd
+  highlight def link texCmdRefConcealed    texCmdRef
   highlight def link texCmdSize            texCmdType
   highlight def link texCmdSpaceCode       texCmd
   highlight def link texCmdStyle           texCmd
@@ -590,6 +596,10 @@ function! vimtex#syntax#core#init_highlights() abort " {{{1
   highlight def link texNewenvParm         texParm
   highlight def link texOptEqual           texSymbol
   highlight def link texRefOpt             texOpt
+  highlight def link texRefConcealedOpt    texRefOpt
+  highlight def link texRefConcealedArg    texRefArg
+  highlight def link texRefConcealedPre    texDelim
+  highlight def link texRefConcealedPost   texDelim
   highlight def link texTabularArg         texOpt
   highlight def link texTabularAtSep       texMathDelim
   highlight def link texTabularChar        texSymbol
@@ -1505,3 +1515,30 @@ function! s:match_conceal_greek() abort " {{{1
 endfunction
 
 " }}}1
+function! s:match_conceal_cites_brackets() abort " {{{1
+  syntax match texCmdRefConcealed
+        \ "\\cite[tp]\?\>\*\?"
+        \ conceal skipwhite nextgroup=texRefConcealedOpt,texRefConcealedPre
+  call vimtex#syntax#core#new_opt('texRefConcealedOpt', {
+        \ 'opts': 'conceal',
+        \ 'next': 'texRefConcealedOpt,texRefConcealedPre',
+        \})
+  syntax match texRefConcealedPre contained "{"
+        \ conceal cchar=[
+        \ skipwhite nextgroup=texRefConcealedArg
+  syntax match texRefConcealedArg contained "[^}]*"
+        \ skipwhite nextgroup=texRefConcealedPost
+  syntax match texRefConcealedPost contained "}"
+        \ conceal cchar=]
+endfunction
+
+" }}}1
+function! s:match_conceal_cites_icon() abort " {{{1
+  if empty(g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites.icon) | return | endif
+
+  execute 'syntax match texCmdRefConcealed'
+        \ '"\\cite[tp]\?\*\?\%(\[[^]]*\]\)\{,2}{[^}]*}"'
+        \ 'conceal cchar=' . g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites.icon
+endfunction
+
+" }}}1

autoload/vimtex/syntax/p/biblatex.vim

@@ -33,6 +33,28 @@ function! vimtex#syntax#p#biblatex#load(cfg) abort " {{{1
   syntax match texCmdRef nextgroup=texRefOpts,texRefArgs skipwhite skipnl "\\cite\%(field\|list\|name\)>"
   call vimtex#syntax#core#new_arg('texRefArgs', {'next': 'texRefOpts,texRefArgs', 'contains': 'texComment,@NoSpell'})
   call vimtex#syntax#core#new_opt('texRefOpts', {'next': 'texRefOpt,texRefArg'})
+
+  if g:vimtex_syntax_conceal.cites
+    call s:match_conceal_cites_{g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites.type}()
+  endif
+endfunction
+
+" }}}1
+
+function! s:match_conceal_cites_brackets() abort " {{{1
+  syntax match texCmdRefConcealed
+        \ "\v\\%(cite[tp]?>\*?|%([Tt]ext|[Ss]mart|[Aa]uto)cite>)"
+        \ conceal skipwhite nextgroup=texRefConcealedOpt,texRefConcealedPre
+endfunction
+
+" }}}1
+function! s:match_conceal_cites_icon() abort " {{{1
+  if empty(g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites.icon) | return | endif
+
+  execute 'syntax match texCmdRefConcealed'
+        \ '"\v\\%(cite[tp]?\*?|%([Tt]ext|[Ss]mart|[Aa]uto)cite)'
+        \   . '%(\[[^]]*\]){,2}\{[^}]*\}"'
+        \ 'conceal cchar=' . g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites.icon
 endfunction
 
 " }}}1

doc/vimtex.txt

@@ -2025,6 +2025,13 @@ OPTIONS                                                        *vimtex-options*
 
   Default value: 1.
 
+*g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_default*
+  Specify the default flag for the conceal feature. This is used e.g. in
+  |vimtex_syntax_conceal| and for package specific options in
+  |vimtex_syntax_packages|.
+
+  Default value: 1
+
 *g:vimtex_syntax_conceal*
   A dictionary for specifying which core conceal features to activate. This
   mostly implies concealing particular elements with a replacement unicode
@@ -2070,18 +2077,39 @@ OPTIONS                                                        *vimtex-options*
 
         `\emph{text here}` --> `text here`
 
+    cites~
+      Conceal LaTeX cite commands such as `\citet[...]{ref00}`. The conceal
+      style is specified by |g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites|.
+
   Note: Not all fonts have all the characters used for concealing! So, for
         this feature to work properly, you need to install and use a font that
         includes the unicode characters.
 
   Default value: All keys set to |g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_default|.
 
-*g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_default*
-  Specify the default flag for the conceal feature. This is used e.g. in
-  |vimtex_syntax_conceal| and for package specific options in
-  |vimtex_syntax_packages|.
+*g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites*
+  A simple dictionary to control how citation conceal should work. It has two
+  keys:
 
-  Default value: 1
+    type~
+      Specify the type of concealment. There are two options, and the
+      difference is best explained by example:
+
+        Value       LaTeX     Concealed
+        -----       -----     ---------
+        'icon'      `\cite{x}`  `📖`
+        'brackets'  `\cite{x}`  `[x]`
+
+    icon~
+      Specify an icon for `icon` conceal. This must be a single (possibly
+      multibyte) character.
+
+  Default value: >
+
+    let g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites = {
+          \ 'type': 'icon',
+          \ 'icon': '📖',
+          \}
 
 *g:vimtex_syntax_nested*
   A dictionary for configuring nested syntaxes. The following keys are

test/test-syntax/test-biblatex.tex

@@ -23,4 +23,7 @@
 \citeyearpar{}
 \bibentry{}
 
+% Conceal example
+Bla bla bla, see Ref.~\cite{John2012Measurement,Anne2017Bifurcation}. For more info, see also \cite{Bob2025Mystery}.
+
 \end{document}

test/test-syntax/test-biblatex.vim

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+source common.vim
+
+highlight Conceal ctermfg=4 ctermbg=7 guibg=NONE guifg=blue
+
+let g:vimtex_syntax_conceal_cites = {
+      \ 'type': 'brackets',
+      \}
+
+silent edit test-biblatex.tex
+
+split
+silent wincmd w
+set conceallevel=2
+
+if empty($INMAKE) | finish | endif
+quit!