generator-latex-template
v0.8.0
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Generates a latex template to be used as start for writing scientific works (papers, articles, theses)
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LaTeX Template Generator
Generates latex templates (e.g., for thesis, workshops, conferences, IEEEtran, LNCS, ...) out of "micro-templates"
See the talk about the generator for an overview on the aims and the general concept.
Background information
There are many latex templates out there.
All of them make use of certain packages such as hyperref, listings, or minted.
The packages have to be a) included in the .tex
file somehow and b) configured.
Moreover, some packages offer interfaces (such as new commands or new environments) to users.
Minimal examples help to understand how a package works.
The aim of the repository is to provide for each common latex package
- Configuration
- Usage example
and a generation into templates:
- Support for ACM, IEEE, LNCS, KOMA-Script
- Support for separate documents which require
--shell-escape
and not. - Support for integrated pdflatex and lualatex documents
Talks
- Oliver Kopp - The LaTeX Template Generator - TUG 2023 - first international presentation of the generator
- Oliver Kopp - The LaTeX Template Generator - DANTE Herbsttagung 2019 - a talk on the motivation, user experience, and the contribution
Precondition for the generator
One has to install Node.js version 18 (or later) to get this generator running. For simple installation, just head to https://nodejs.org/ and follow the installation instructions.
Using the generator
One can start using the generator directly using the node execution wrapper npx:
npx -p yo -p generator-latex-template -c 'yo latex-template'
Permanent installation (and simpler command line usage)
In case one wants to have the generator installed permanently (or npx
does work as expected), one can install generator-latex-template
using following command:
npm install -g generator-latex-template
Then, one can invoke the generator as follows:
yo latex-template
How to update the document
⚠️ The template generator overwrites main.tex
on each run. This will destroy your work. ⚠️
You can use the magic of git
to prevent that:
After repository initialization:
git commit
to save your workgit checkout -b template
- to create a branch with initial template (required for updating)git checkout main
switch back to your thesis
Work on the
main
branchIn case an update comes in, update the
template
branchgit checkout template
- switch to thetemplate
branchyo latex-template
- generate new templategit commit
- save the new templategit checkout main
- switch to your workgit merge template
- merge in the template changes- resolve conflicts ^^ (Hint: IntelliJ Community Edition has a great conflict resolving tool)
Resources
- IEEE - example: paper-conference-minted.tex
- LNCS - example: paper.tex
- scientific-thesis-template - example: latexhints-english.tex
- alpenwasser/TeX
Development roadmap
- [x] Create directory structure
- [ ] Sort in examples from the scientific-thesis-template
- [ ] Have scientific-thesis-template generated completely.
- [x] Have LNCS generated completely.
- [ ] Have uni-stuttgart-dissertation-template generated automatically.
In the long run, the contents of the paper.tex
(and similar) files in repositories of the latextemplates organization should be generated automatically.
Development hints
- Templating language: https://ejs.co/
- Conditional questions: https://stackoverflow.com/a/18706640/873282.
- Types of prompts: https://github.com/SBoudrias/Inquirer.js#prompt-types
- E.g., Question
- Add a new question
- Also adapt
__tests__/app.js
- Execute tests with
npx jest
- Also adapt
- Test locally
- Create empty directory ("target directory")
- Change to the target directory
- Run
npx yo <path-to-git-repository>
- Windows:
npx yo c:\git-repositories\latextemplates\generator-latex-template
- Windows:
- Parameters can be set using command line
- Linux:
npx yo /tmp/repo --documentclass=lncs --papersize=a4 --latexcompiler=pdflatex --bibtextool=bibtex --overleaf=false --texlive=2022 --docker=false --lang=en --font=default --listings=listings --enquotes=csquotes --tweakouterquote=babel --todo=pdfcomment --examples=true --howtotext=true
- Windows:
npx yo c:\git-repositories\latextemplates\generator-latex-template --documentclass=scientific-thesis --papersize=a4 --latexcompiler=pdflatex --bibtextool=bibtex --overleaf=false --texlive=2022 --lang=en --font=default --listings=listings --enquotes=csquotes --tweakouterquote=babel --todo=pdfcomment --examples=true --howtotext=true
- Windows automatic generation of a LNCS template (with pdflatex and bibtex):
npx yo c:\git-repositories\latextemplates\generator-latex-template --documentclass=lncs ---papersize=a4 --latexcompiler=pdflatex --bibtextool=bibtex --overleaf=false --texlive=2022 --docker=false --lang=en --font=default --listings=listings --enquotes=csquotes --tweakouterquote=babel --todo=pdfcomment --examples=true --howtotext=true
- Linux:
- Run
latexmk
to build the PDF
- Update npm dependencies
npx npm-update-all
. See FreeCodeCamp for more details.npx npm-check-updates -u
. [Source]- See https://github.com/yeoman/generator/releases for changes in the generator.
- Generate
package-lock.json
only:npm i --package-lock-only
- When one encounters
Cannot find module 'yeoman-generator'
, please update the npm dependencies. That error occurred when using version4.13.0
and5.4.2
was available. - In case of the error "Error: EACCES, permission denied '/root/.config/configstore/insight-yo.json'", one needs to execute
chmod g+rwx /root /root/.config /root/.config/configstore
- Check GitHub actions
- When adding a new package:
- execute
npx
with--generatereitzig
(in a clean directory) - run
pdflatex
- run
{repository-root}/generate-texlivefile.sh
- copy
Texlivefile
to the root of the{repository-root}/generators/app/templates
- adapt
Texlivefile
as required
- execute
Useful snippets
<% if (howtotext) { -%>
<% } else { -%>
<% } -%>
<% switch (documentclass) { case "lncs": -%>
<% break; case "ieee": -%>
<% break; default: -%>
<% break; } -%>
Debugging
A launch.json
configured for Windows and Visual Studio Code is included.
Just press F5 and the generator should run in debug mode.
ejslint.cmd c:\git-repositories\latextemplates\generator-latex-template\generators\app\templates\main.en.tex
Releasing a new version
Update
CHANGELOG.md
Update
package.json
, publish to npmjs, create GitHub release. Use release-it (do not create a release on GitHub) and github-release-from-changelog.npx release-it
npx github-release-from-changelog
License
The code is licensed 0BSD, the snippets (both LaTeX and text) 0BSD, too. See benbalter/talks#15, for a reasoning, why CC0 cannot be used.
generators/app/templates/splncs04nat.bst
is taken from tpavlic/splncs04nat and is MIT-licensed.