How to use the command pdflatex (with examples)
pdflatex is a command used to compile a PDF document from LaTeX source files. It is commonly used in scientific and academic writing to create professional-looking documents with mathematical equations and advanced formatting.
Use case 1: Compile a PDF document
Code:
pdflatex source.tex
Motivation: This use case is for compiling a PDF document from a LaTeX source file. It is the basic and most common use of the pdflatex command. By running this command, pdflatex will process the LaTeX source code and generate a PDF document.
Explanation: The command pdflatex source.tex instructs pdflatex to compile the LaTeX source file source.tex into a PDF document. The pdflatex command will read and interpret the LaTeX code, convert it into a PDF format, and output the resulting PDF document.
Example output: Running pdflatex source.tex will produce a PDF document named source.pdf in the same directory as the source file.
Use case 2: Compile a PDF document specifying an output directory
Code:
pdflatex -output-directory=path/to/directory source.tex
Motivation: Sometimes, it is convenient to specify a separate output directory for the generated PDF document. This can help maintain a clean directory structure by separating the source files from the compiled PDF files.
Explanation: The addition of the -output-directory flag followed by the desired path to the directory instructs pdflatex to output the generated PDF document to the specified directory instead of the current working directory. The command pdflatex -output-directory=path/to/directory source.tex will compile the LaTeX source file source.tex into a PDF document and save it in the specified path/to/directory.
Example output: Running pdflatex -output-directory=path/to/directory source.tex will generate a PDF document named source.pdf in the specified directory (path/to/directory).
Use case 3: Compile a PDF document, exiting on each error
Code:
pdflatex -halt-on-error source.tex
Motivation: When compiling LaTeX documents, errors can occur due to syntax mistakes or missing packages. In some cases, it is helpful to stop the compilation process immediately upon encountering an error to identify and fix the issue before proceeding.
Explanation: The -halt-on-error flag tells pdflatex to stop the compilation process upon encountering the first error. This can be useful in scenarios where it is necessary to identify and fix errors promptly. By running the command pdflatex -halt-on-error source.tex, pdflatex will compile the LaTeX source file source.tex and halt the compilation if any errors are encountered.
Example output: If an error occurs during compilation, pdflatex will output the error message and stop the compilation process. No PDF document will be generated in this case.
Conclusion:
The pdflatex command is a powerful tool for converting LaTeX source files into PDF documents. With different command-line options, it offers flexibility in specifying output directories and controlling the compilation process. Whether you need to compile a simple LaTeX document or a complex scientific paper, pdflatex is a reliable choice for creating professional-quality PDFs.
