Guide to Auto-Update PDF Using latexmk and VSCode

Introduction
Installing LaTeX
Creating PDF from a terminal utilizing latexmk
Installing LaTeX Workshop Extension to VS Code
Create your personal snippets
Testing the snippet
LaTeX Workshop error
Automatically replace PDF if you save
Conclusion
Reference

I’m an occasional LaTeX person. I exploit Typora for writing articles, studies, notes, and extra. But I don’t have full management over the structure with markdown. So I restarted utilizing LaTeX. I’d like to share what discovered. This article exhibits how to arrange LaTeX and VS Code so that it’s going to auto-update a PDF if you save a tex file.

This time I put in mactex-no-gui .

Mac:

# macOS MacTex Install
$ brew cask set up mactex-no-gui# Updating the packages
$ sudo tlmgr replace --self && sudo tlmgr replace --all

Installation was moderately quick however it took a very long time to replace.
You might have to restart the terminal and test if works:

$ latex --version
$ latexmk --version
$ platex --version

If it doesn’t work, then you definately want to add a PATH to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile:

export PATH="/Library/TeX/texbin/:$PATH"

Check it once more:

$ latex --version
pdfTeX 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.21 (TeX Live 2020)
kpathsea model 6.3.2
...
$ latexmk --version
Latexmk, John Collins, 29 September 2020. Version 4.70b
...
$ platex --version
e-pTeX 3.14159265-p3.8.3-191112-2.6 (utf8.euc) (TeX Live 2020)
kpathsea model 6.3.2
...

Linux set up:

# Arch Linux Family
sudo pacman -S texlive-most
# For Ubuntu, you may want a ppa:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jonathonf/texlive
sudo apt replace && sudo apt set up texlive-full
# Fedora
sudo dnf set up texlive-scheme-full

For Windows and different Linux OS please see this web page.

You typically have to run LaTeX greater than as soon as. latexmk helps you to keep away from this problem.
Latexmk is a Perl script which you simply have to run as soon as and it does all the pieces else for you.

This is how to use latexmk:

$ latexmk -silent textual content.tex

It will mechanically replace the PDF file if you save a tex file. We can enhance it by modifying the .latexmkrc file in your house listing.

$ contact ~/.latexmkrc

And add the next.

#!/usr/bin/env perl# LaTeX
$latex = 'latex -synctex=1 -halt-on-error -file-line-error %O %S';
$max_repeat = 5;# BibTeX
$bibtex = 'pbibtex %O %S';
$biber = 'biber --bblencoding=utf8 -u -U --output_safechars %O %S';# index
$makeindex = 'mendex %O -o %D %S';# DVI / PDF
$dvipdf = 'dvipdfmx %O -o %D %S';
$pdf_mode = 3;# preview
$pvc_view_file_via_temporary = 0;
if ($^O eq 'linux') {
$dvi_previewer = "xdg-open %S";
$pdf_previewer = "xdg-open %S";
} elsif ($^O eq 'darwin') {
$dvi_previewer = "open %S";
$pdf_previewer = "open %S";
} else {
$dvi_previewer = "start %S";
$pdf_previewer = "start %S";
}# clear up
$clean_full_ext = "%R.synctex.gz"

• We use platex and dvipdfmx to convert a tex file to PDF.
• latexmk -pv textual content.tex will show a PDF after the construct.
• latexmk -pvc textual content.tex will replace the PDF file if you save the tex file. (You want to click on the PDF file to see the replace.)
• You can cease expecting up to date information by ctrl+C.

Now let’s transfer on to VS Code. We can use VS Code for LaTeX editor.

After putting in LaTeX Workshop, you will notice the TEX icon on the finish of the left sidebar.

The LaTeX Workshop extension creates a PDF on saving and you’ll view PDF in VS Code or a browser. It has formatting, intellisense completions, syntax-highlight, snippets and shortcuts options, and extra.

You can preview PDF by clicking View LaTeX PDF.

Open the settings.json by CMD/CTRL+SHIFT+P.

In the settings.json add the followings:

{
// your different settings
// ...
// ...
// ---------- Language ----------
"[tex]": {
// Enable intellisence/fast ideas
"editor.suggest.snippetsPreventQuickSuggestions": false,
// Indentation measurement
"editor.tabSize": 2
},
"[latex]": {
// Enable intellisence/fast ideas
"editor.suggest.snippetsPreventQuickSuggestions": false,
// Indentation measurement
"editor.tabSize": 2
},
"[bibtex]": {
// Indentation measurement
"editor.tabSize": 2
},
// ---------- LaTeX Workshop ----------
//  Enable command and surroundings completion for used bundle
"latex-workshop.intellisense.package.enabled": true,
// goal file when deleting generated file
// Add "* .synctex.gz" to default worth
"latex-workshop.latex.clean.fileTypes": [
"*.aux",
"*.bbl",
"*.blg",
"*.idx",
"*.ind",
"*.lof",
"*.lot",
"*.out",
"*.toc",
"*.acn",
"*.acr",
"*.alg",
"*.glg",
"*.glo",
"*.gls",
"*.ist",
"*.fls",
"*.log",
"*.fdb_latexmk",
"*.snm",
"*.nav",
"*.dvi",
"*.synctex.gz"
],
// dump generated information to "out" listing
"latex-workshop.latex.outDir": "out",
// Build recipe
"latex-workshop.latex.recipes": [
{
"name": "latexmk",
"tools": [
"latexmk"
]
},
],
// Parts used within the construct recipe
"latex-workshop.latex.tools": [
{
"name": "latexmk",
"command": "latexmk",
"args": [
"-silent",
"-outdir=%OUTDIR%",
"%DOC%"
],
},
],
}

By default, intellisence/fast ideas is not going to be triggered within a snippet. To allow them set:

"editor.suggest.snippetsPreventQuickSuggestions": false,

LaTeX Workshop gives many snippets and shortcuts. You can add your personal snippets as nicely. Click the cog on the left backside within the VS Code toolbar and choose User Snippets.

And choose latex.json (LaTeX) from the menu.

Let’s creates a fundamental template. This is a pattern snippet you’ll be able to add:

{
"report": {
"prefix": "report",
"body": [
"documentclass[${1:a4paper,11pt}]{${2:jsarticle}}",
"",
"",
"% Math",
"usepackage{amsmath,amsfonts}",
"usepackage{bm}",
"% image",
"usepackage[dvipdfmx]{graphicx}",
"usepackage[english]{babel}",
"$3",
"",
"begin{document}",
"",
"title{$4}",
"author{$5}",
"date{${6:today}}",
"maketitle",
"",
"",
"$0",
"",
"",
"end{document}"
],
"description": "LaTeX Sample Template"
}
}

You can add a couple of snippet:

{
"report": {
"prefix": "report",
"body": [
...
"description": "LaTeX Sample Template"
},
"note": {
"prefix": "note",
"body": [
...
"description": "Note format"
},
"exam": {
"prefix": "exam",
"body": [
...
"description": "Exam format"
}
}

I found that VScode’s tabstop won’t work with Vim/vscodevim, so if you are using it you need to disable it.

When you save a tex document and if you have the following error you need to install some Perl packages.

First install the latest Perl:

# For Mac
$ perl -v
This is perl 5, version 18, subversion 2 (v5.18.2) built for darwin-thread-multi-2level
(with 2 registered patches, see perl -V for more detail)Copyright 1987-2013, Larry Wall
...
$ brew install perl

Open a new tab or restart your terminal and check the version installed:

$ perl -vThis is perl 5, version 32, subversion 0 (v5.32.0) built for darwin-thread-multi-2levelCopyright 1987-2020, Larry Wall

You have to install the following Perl packages:

$ cpancpan[1]>set up Log::Log4perl
Running set up for module 'Log::Log4perl'
...
cpan[2]>set up Log::Dispatch::File
Running set up for module 'Log::Dispatch::File'
...
cpan[3]>set up YAML::Tiny
Running set up for module 'YAML::Tiny'
...
cpan[4]>set up File::HomeDir
Running set up for module 'File::HomeDir'
...
cpan[5]>set up Unicode::GCString
Running set up for module 'Unicode::GCString'
...

You can view your PDF by clicking both View in VSCode tab or View in net browser within the LaTeX Workshop menu.

When you replace and save the tex file, it would replace the PDF file mechanically.

MacTeX is a large file, however utilizing mactex-no-gui and VS Code permits us to replace on saving a tex file.

Now you understand how to create a PDF out of your terminal utilizing the latexmk. If you favor GUI to convert LaTeX to PDF, the LaTeX Workshop is a good instrument. You can create your personal LaTeX snippet within the VSCode.

I hope you discovered this handy and hopefully this can assist your productiveness when writing LaTeX paperwork.