How to use the command 'tectonic' (with examples)
Tectonic is a modern, self-contained TeX/LaTeX engine that offers a number of useful features for compiling and building TeX/LaTeX files. This article will guide you through several use cases of the ’tectonic’ command and provide examples for each.
Use case 1: Compile a standalone TeX/LaTeX file
Code:
tectonic -X compile path/to/file.tex
Motivation: Compiling a TeX/LaTeX file is necessary to generate the corresponding PDF output. The ’tectonic’ command, when used with the ‘compile’ option, allows you to compile a standalone TeX/LaTeX file easily.
Explanation:
- ’tectonic’: The command itself.
- ‘-X compile’: Specifies the compile option to indicate that we want to compile the file.
- ‘path/to/file.tex’: The path to the TeX/LaTeX file you want to compile.
Example output:
Compilation successful. Output PDF generated: path/to/file.pdf
Use case 2: Compile a standalone TeX/LaTeX file with synctex data
Code:
tectonic -X compile --synctex path/to/file.tex
Motivation: Adding synctex data to a TeX/LaTeX file allows for efficient navigation between the source file and the corresponding PDF output. By using the ‘–synctex’ option, ’tectonic’ will generate synctex data along with the PDF output.
Explanation:
- ’tectonic’: The command itself.
- ‘-X compile’: Specifies the compile option to indicate that we want to compile the file.
- ‘–synctex’: Enables the generation of synctex data.
- ‘path/to/file.tex’: The path to the TeX/LaTeX file you want to compile.
Example output:
Compilation successful. Output PDF generated: path/to/file.pdf
Synctex data generated: path/to/file.synctex.gz
Use case 3: Initialize a tectonic project in the current directory
Code:
tectonic -X init
Motivation: Initializing a tectonic project in the current directory allows you to easily manage and build your TeX/LaTeX projects using ’tectonic’. It sets up the necessary configuration files and directory structure for a project.
Explanation:
- ’tectonic’: The command itself.
- ‘-X init’: Specifies the init option to initialize a tectonic project.
Example output:
Project initialized successfully.
Use case 4: Initialize a tectonic project in the specified directory
Code:
tectonic -X new project_name
Motivation: Using the ’new’ option allows you to create a new tectonic project in a specific directory. This is useful when you want to create a project in a location other than the current directory.
Explanation:
- ’tectonic’: The command itself.
- ‘-X new’: Specifies the new option to create a new tectonic project.
- ‘project_name’: The name of the project and the directory in which it will be created.
Example output:
Project 'project_name' created successfully in: /path/to/project_name
Use case 5: Build the project in the current directory
Code:
tectonic -X build
Motivation: Building a tectonic project compiles all the TeX/LaTeX files within the project directory and creates the corresponding PDF outputs. It helps to ensure that all the files in your project are up-to-date and in sync.
Explanation:
- ’tectonic’: The command itself.
- ‘-X build’: Specifies the build option to build the project.
Example output:
Project built successfully. Output PDFs generated for all files in the project.
Use case 6: Start a watcher to build the project on change
Code:
tectonic -X watch
Motivation: Starting a watcher with ’tectonic’ allows you to automatically build the project whenever there are changes made to the TeX/LaTeX files. This provides a convenient way to continuously compile your project while you work on it.
Explanation:
- ’tectonic’: The command itself.
- ‘-X watch’: Specifies the watch option to start a watcher.
Example output:
Watcher started successfully. Project will be built on file changes.
Conclusion:
The ’tectonic’ command provides a modern and convenient way to compile, build, and manage TeX/LaTeX projects. By understanding and utilizing its various options, you can streamline your TeX/LaTeX workflow and achieve efficient document generation.
