Visual Studio Code for LaTeX

This post covers my LaTeX Workshop extension settings in Visual Studio Code settings for compiling TeX documents.

TeX files are compiled by calling the “Build LaTeX project” command (CTRL+ALT+b) from the command palette or from the TeX badge. LaTeX Workshop uses the concepts of recipes, wherein each recipe calls a sequence of tools. Recipes are defined in latex-workshop.latex.recipes while tools are defined in latex-workshop.latex.tools.

The recipe called by the “Build LaTeX project” command is defined by latex-workshop.latex.recipe.default, which can be either first or lastUSed.

I like to keep a project dependent settings.json file in the .vscode subdirectory of the root/project directory. A complete settings.json file is shown below. Entries can be taken out as needed for the project.

"latex-workshop.intellisense.package.enabled": "true",
"latex-workshop.latex.autoClean.run": "onFailed",
"latex-workshop.latex.recipe.default": "first",
"latex-workshop.latex.recipes": [
  {
    "name": "latexmk",
    "tools": ["latexmk"]
  },
  {
    "name": "pdflatex ➞ bibtex ➞ pdflatex`×2",
    "tools": ["pdflatex", "bibtex", "pdflatex", "pdflatex"]
  },
  {
    "name": "xelatex",
    "tools": ["xelatex"]
  },  
  {
    "name": "texify",
    "tools": ["texify"]
  }
],
"latex-workshop.latex.tools": [
  {
    "name": "latexmk",
    "command": "latexmk",
    "args": [ "-shell-escape", "-synctex=1", "-interaction=nonstopmode", "-file-line-error", 
              "-pdf", "-outdir=%OUTDIR%", "%DOC%"],
    "env": {}
  },
  {
    "name": "pdflatex",
    "command": "pdflatex",
    "args": ["-synctex=1", "-interaction=nonstopmode", "-file-line-error", "%DOC%"],
    "env": {}
  },
  {
    "name": "bibtex",
    "command": "bibtex",
    "args": ["%DOCFILE%"],
    "env": {}
  },
  {
    "name": "xelatex",
    "command": "xelatex",
    "args": [ "-synctex=1", "-interaction=nonstopmode", 
              "-file-line-error", "%DOC%"],
    "env": {}
  },
  {
    "name": "texify",
    "command": "texify",
    "args": [ "--synctex", "--pdf", "--tex-option=\"-interaction=nonstopmode\"", 
              "--tex-option=\"-file-line-error\"", "%DOC%.tex"],
    "env": {}
   }  
]

Variables available for usage in the args and env sections of a tool are: - %DOC%: The LaTeX root file path and name without the .tex extension - %DOCFILE%: The LaTeX root file name without the .tex extension - %DIR%: The LaTeX root file path - %TMPDIR%: A temporary folder for storing ancillary files - %OUTDIR%: The output directory configured in latex-workshop.latex.outDir

Notes

The env setting can be used to modify TEXMFHOME to the current project directory if needed!
```
  "env": {
      "TEXMFHOME": "%DIR%/texmf"
  }
```
In some systems (in my case, Mac OS), it may not be possible to use CTRL+ALT+b. In that case, read this.

Siam

Notes