Use \sphinxcite instead of \cite

CHANGES

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Incompatible changes
 * #789: ``:samp:`` role supports to escape curly braces with backslash
 * #4811: The files under :confval:`html_static_path` are excluded from source
   files.
-* latex: Use ``\cite`` for citation references instead ``\hyperref``
+* latex: Use ``\sphinxcite`` for citation references instead ``\hyperref``
 
 Deprecated
 ----------

doc/latex.rst

@@ -397,6 +397,8 @@ Macros
      formerly, the meaning of ``\tableofcontents`` was modified by Sphinx.
 - the ``\maketitle`` command is redefined by the class files
   :file:`sphinxmanual.cls` and :file:`sphinxhowto.cls`.
+- the citation reference is typeset via ``\sphinxcite`` which is a wrapper
+  of standard ``\cite``.
 
 Environments
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty

@@ -663,6 +663,10 @@
    \belowcaptionskip\smallskipamount}
 
 
+%% CITATIONS
+%
+\protected\def\sphinxcite{\cite}
+
 %% FOOTNOTES
 %
 % Support large numbered footnotes in minipage

sphinx/writers/latex.py

@@ -2161,7 +2161,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
         if self.in_title:
             pass
         else:
-            self.body.append('\\cite{%s:%s}' % (node['docname'], node['refname']))
+            self.body.append('\\sphinxcite{%s:%s}' % (node['docname'], node['refname']))
             raise nodes.SkipNode
 
     def depart_citation_reference(self, node):

tests/test_build_latex.py

@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ def test_footnote(app, status, warning):
     assert ('\\begin{footnote}[2]\\sphinxAtStartFootnote\nauto numbered\n%\n'
             '\\end{footnote}') in result
     assert '\\begin{footnote}[3]\\sphinxAtStartFootnote\nnamed\n%\n\\end{footnote}' in result
-    assert '\\cite{footnote:bar}' in result
+    assert '\\sphinxcite{footnote:bar}' in result
     assert ('\\bibitem[bar]{footnote:bar}\ncite\n') in result
     assert '\\sphinxcaption{Table caption \\sphinxfootnotemark[4]' in result
     assert ('\\hline%\n\\begin{footnotetext}[4]\\sphinxAtStartFootnote\n'
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ def test_reference_in_caption_and_codeblock_in_footnote(app, status, warning):
     print(status.getvalue())
     print(warning.getvalue())
     assert ('\\caption{This is the figure caption with a reference to '
-            '\\cite{index:authoryear}.}' in result)
+            '\\sphinxcite{index:authoryear}.}' in result)
     assert '\\chapter{The section with a reference to {[}AuthorYear{]}}' in result
     assert ('\\sphinxcaption{The table title with a reference'
             ' to {[}AuthorYear{]}}' in result)
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ def test_latex_show_urls_is_inline(app, status, warning):
             '{\\hyperref[\\detokenize{index:the-section'
             '-with-a-reference-to-authoryear}]'
             '{\\sphinxcrossref{The section with a reference to '
-            '\\cite{index:authoryear}}}}') in result
+            '\\sphinxcite{index:authoryear}}}}') in result
     assert ('\\phantomsection\\label{\\detokenize{index:id33}}'
             '{\\hyperref[\\detokenize{index:the-section-with-a-reference-to}]'
             '{\\sphinxcrossref{The section with a reference to }}}' in result)
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ def test_latex_show_urls_is_footnote(app, status, warning):
     assert ('\\phantomsection\\label{\\detokenize{index:id32}}'
             '{\\hyperref[\\detokenize{index:the-section-with-a-reference-to-authoryear}]'
             '{\\sphinxcrossref{The section with a reference '
-            'to \\cite{index:authoryear}}}}') in result
+            'to \\sphinxcite{index:authoryear}}}}') in result
     assert ('\\phantomsection\\label{\\detokenize{index:id33}}'
             '{\\hyperref[\\detokenize{index:the-section-with-a-reference-to}]'
             '{\\sphinxcrossref{The section with a reference to }}}') in result
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ def test_latex_show_urls_is_no(app, status, warning):
     assert ('\\phantomsection\\label{\\detokenize{index:id32}}'
             '{\\hyperref[\\detokenize{index:the-section-with-a-reference-to-authoryear}]'
             '{\\sphinxcrossref{The section with a reference '
-            'to \\cite{index:authoryear}}}}') in result
+            'to \\sphinxcite{index:authoryear}}}}') in result
     assert ('\\phantomsection\\label{\\detokenize{index:id33}}'
             '{\\hyperref[\\detokenize{index:the-section-with-a-reference-to}]'
             '{\\sphinxcrossref{The section with a reference to }}}' in result)
@@ -1244,4 +1244,4 @@ def test_latex_thebibliography(app, status, warning):
             '\\bibitem[AuthorYear]{index:authoryear}\n'
             'Author, Title, Year\n'
             '\\end{sphinxthebibliography}\n' in result)
-    assert '\\cite{index:authoryear}' in result
+    assert '\\sphinxcite{index:authoryear}' in result