How to create a new TeX document with a `TeX-master` file-variable set to `t`?

Question

When creating a new TeX document, AUCTeX asks what the master file should be, for instance:

The value specified is written into the file as an Emacs file variable (see here). For example, choosing the default in the above example results in the following initial document:

%%% Local Variables:
%%% mode: latex
%%% TeX-master: "<none>"
%%% End:

If the new file is not going to \include other TeX files, it is its own master file. To indicate this, AUCTeX's TeX-master option should be set to t (see here). This configuration is stored in the new file as a file variable as follows:

%%% TeX-master: t

Observe that in contrast to the previous example the t is not enclosed between quotation marks.

Suppose that upon creating a new TeX document I am presented with the Master file query shown in the screencap above, namely

Master file: (default <none>) ~/

What should I enter if I wish to set the TeX-master variable to t? Simply writing t, thus:

Master file: (default <none>) t

doesn't work, as this results in a quoted value:

%%% TeX-master: "t"

which is not functionally equivalent to

%%% TeX-master: t

Of course, I can always edit the file variable after the document is created, but is there a way to generate a correct file from the get-go?

Answer 1

TL;DR version

Any of these should work. At least they work for me:

• C-a C-k RET (go to beginning of line, kill it, confirm)
• C-a C-k C-m (same)
• M-p RET (insert current file name and confirm)

(The third one won't work in every circumstances.)

Longer version:

The relevant bit of code is in TeX-master-file-ask :

(let* ((default (TeX-dwim-master))
   (name (or (and (eq 'dwim TeX-master) default)
         (condition-case nil
         (read-file-name (format "Master file: (default %s) "
                     (or default "this file"))
                 nil default)
           (quit "<quit>")))))
  (cond ((string= name "<quit>")
     (setq TeX-master t))
    ((string= name default)
     (setq TeX-master default)
     (TeX-add-local-master))
    ((or
      ;; Default `read-file-name' proposes and buffer visits a file.
      (string= (expand-file-name name) (buffer-file-name))
      ;; Default of `read-file-name' and buffer does not visit a file.
      (string= name default-directory)
      ;; User typed <RET> in an empty minibuffer.
      (string= name ""))
     (setq TeX-master t)
     (TeX-add-local-master))
    (t
     (setq TeX-master (TeX-strip-extension (file-relative-name name)
                       (list TeX-default-extension)
                       'path))
     (TeX-add-local-master))))

I suggested in a comment that C-g would work but, as you can see, while hitting C-g indeed sets the file as its own master, it does not actually update the file variables accordingly.

On the other hand, doing any of these :

• giving as input the actual name of the file being visited
• giving as input the name of the directory in which the file lies
• giving an empty input

will both set the variable TeX-master and update the file variables.

Answer 2

What should I enter if I wish to set the TeX-master variable to t?

Just select the current file.