How to make TeXForm use TemplateBox to generate code?

Question

If I define the TraditionalForm formatting of myFunction without TemplateBox, then TeXForm works properly:

ClearAll[myFunction]
myFunction /: HoldPattern[MakeBoxes[myFunction[a_, b_, c_], TraditionalForm]] := 
  SubsuperscriptBox[ToBoxes[a], ToBoxes[b], ToBoxes[c]]


myFunction[h, 1, 2] // TeXForm
(* h_1^2 *)

But if I try to define it using TemplateBox,

ClearAll[myFunction]
myFunction /: HoldPattern[MakeBoxes[myFunction[a_, b_, c_], TraditionalForm]] := 
  TemplateBox[
    {ToBoxes[a], ToBoxes[b], ToBoxes[c]}, "myFunctionTag", 
    DisplayFunction :> (SubsuperscriptBox[#1, #2, #3] &)
  ];

TraditionalForm works correctly,

myFunction[h, 1, 2] // TraditionalForm

(* $h_1^2$ *)

but TeXForm does not return code to format the expression as in TraditionalForm:

myFunction[h, 1, 2] // TeXForm
(* \text{myFunctionTag}[h,1,2] *)

Instead, it is just replacing the head of the function with the tag of TemplateBox. What is the correct way to make TeXForm generate code out of a TemplateBox? I'm looking for a solution that can be programmed into a package.

Answer 1

The internal function used by TeXForm to process boxes is System`Convert`CommonDump`ExpandTemplateBoxes. This function is expecting the DisplayFunction option of a TemplateBox to use Rule, not RuleDelayed. Compare:

System`Convert`CommonDump`ExpandTemplateBoxes @ TemplateBox[
    {"a"},
    "FOO",
    DisplayFunction :> (#&)
]

System`Convert`CommonDump`ExpandTemplateBoxes @ TemplateBox[
    {"a"}, 
    "FOO", 
    DisplayFunction -> (#&)
]

RowBox[{"FOO", "[", RowBox[{"a"}], "]"}]

"a"

When RuleDelayed is used, the box structure generated by the DisplayFunction is ignored. So, modify your TemplateBox format to use Rule:

ClearAll[myFunction]
myFunction /: MakeBoxes[myFunction[a_, b_, c_], TraditionalForm] := 
    TemplateBox[
        {ToBoxes[a], ToBoxes[b], ToBoxes[c]}, "myFunctionTag", 
        DisplayFunction -> (SubsuperscriptBox[#1, #2, #3] &)
    ]

myFunction[h, 1, 2] // TeXForm

h_1^2

Note that I removed a superfluous HoldPattern in your definition.