***Note that not counting words is not an option.***
====================================================

***All*** **journals in my discipline require a word count on submission, as do most anthology editors, conference organisers and other institutional powers.**

---

How can I run `texcount` on a `.tex` file which defines a new column type for use in tabulars with mathematical content.

For example the following MWE compiles fine:

```
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array}
\newcolumntype{C}{>{$}c<{$}}
\begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{C}
  x\\
\end{tabular}
\end{document}

```

but `texcount` does not like it:

```
!!! Encountered } without corresponding {. !!!

!!! Encountered } without corresponding {. !!!

!!! Encountered } without corresponding {. !!!

!!! Reached end of file while waiting for $. !!!

!!! Reached end of file while waiting for }. !!!

!!! Reached end of file while waiting for $. !!!

!!! Reached end of file while waiting for }. !!!

!!! Reached end of file while waiting for }. !!!
File: prawf.tex
Encoding: ascii
Words in text: 0
Words in headers: 0
Words outside text (captions, etc.): 0
Number of headers: 0
Number of floats/tables/figures: 0
Number of math inlines: 0
Number of math displayed: 0

(errors:8)

```

[This question concerning a shell script in a `.tex` file](https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/222480/texcount-problems-with-dollar-sign-in-shell-command) seems related except that my dollar signs and curly brackets etc. are paired and I'm not using anything in a way TeX does not allow.

Nonetheless, it does work if I write

```
\newcommand*\makecolC{\newcolumntype{C}{>{$}c<{$}}}
\makecolC

```

in the sense that I no longer get errors. (`texcount` appears not to count the `tabular` at all and gives a count of zero. But that's a different question.)

But I'm tempted to think that there ought to be some better approach to cope with something which is, after all, not in the 'foreign' language of the shell, but pretty basic LaTeX.

Moreover, I have a number of these definitions and it seems ridiculous to define macros to define all of them, just to satisfy `texcount`'s warped sense of propriety.

Is there another way to convince it that my definition is perfectly valid syntax?