Microsoft/vscode

[Markdown] Do not auto close angle brackets inside latex blocks

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#272922 opened on Oct 23, 2025

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 (6 comments) (0 reactions) (1 assignee)TypeScript (74,848 stars) (10,221 forks)batch import
bughelp wantedmarkdown-ext

Description

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: No

This issue is part of the bundled markdown-basics extension.

  • VS Code Version: 1.105.0
  • OS Version: Windows 11 24H2 26100.6899

Steps to Reproduce:

  1. Open an arbitary markdown file
  2. Type a < inside $ ... $ or $$ ... $$
  3. A > will be added as part of the auto-closing
  4. However, HTML tags are not allowed inside latex blocks, and when people use latex blocks, mostly they will use < as less than meaning instead of left angle bracket, so it should not be auto-closed

Contributor guide

Tech stack
typescript
Domain
frontend
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Understanding of VS Code's language configurationFamiliarity with Markdown syntaxBasic knowledge of auto closing pairs
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70
Research direction
Investigate the markdown language configuration in the VS Code repository, specifically within the markdown basics extension. Look for the `language configuration.json` file or TextMate grammar that defines auto closing pairs for angle brackets. The goal is to add a rule or modify existing behavior to prevent auto closing when inside `$...$` or `$$...$$` math blocks. Review existing comments or linked PRs for guidance on how similar issues have been resolved.