LaTeX support for the IntelliJ Platform by JetBrains.
No idea where to start? Have a look at the installation instructions.
Create the most beautiful LaTeX documents with the user friendliness of the IntelliJ platform. This plugin adds the tools to make creating LaTeX documents a breeze. We are currently doing our best to develop the plugin. Feel free to share your ideas and contributions with us. Please bear in mind that this is just a side project for us.
- Multiple 'compile' (run) configurations.
- Supported compilers:
pdfLaTeX
- Seperate auxiliary files from output (only supported for
MiKTeX
). - Dynamically detect what runtime configuration to use based on the active file.
- Support for
PDF
andDVI
output.
- Autocompletion form a predefined list of commands.
- Commands defined in the project will also be added to the autocompletion list.
- Autocompletion of defined labels (using
\label
). - Autocompletion for file names.
- Brace matching for
{}
,[]
,\[\]
and$$
. - Automatically inserts other half of
{}
,[]
,\[\]
and$$
. - Most math commands get replaced by their unicode representation using folding.
- Gutter icon to navigate to included files.
- Gutter icon to automatically compile the active file.
- Comment out lines.
- Code folding for environments.
- Go to declaration of labels.
- Toggle star in commands.
- Automatically includes packages for registered commands (in TeXiFy, e.g.
ulem
for\sout
)
Braces, Brackets, Optional parameters, Commands, Commands in inline math mode, Commands in display math mode, Comments, Inline math, Display math, and Stars.
- Shows sectioning, inclusions, labels and command definitions.
- Items can be sorted.
- Filters to add/remove items from view.
- Section numbering behind section items that takes
\setcounter
and\addtocounter
into account. - Included files also show their item tree in the overview.
- Updates automatically during editing.
Most inspections come with quick fixes.
- Integration with the default IntelliJ spell checker.
- Already defined commands
- Discouraged use of
\def
and\let
- Duplicate labels
- Label conventions (
sec:
,fig:
etc.) - Breaking TeXiFy IDEA functionality
- Missing document environment
- Missing
\documentclass
- Missing imports
- Missing labels on
\section
,\subsection
and\chapter
- Non-breaking spaces before references
- Non-escaped common math operators
- Redundant escapes when unicode is enabled
- Start sentences on a new line
- Discouraged TeX styling primitive usage
- Too large sections: move to another file
- Unresolved references
- Unsupported Unicode characters
- Use of
\over
discouraged
- Offical support for SumatraPDF on Windows
- Supports forward and backward search (Windows only)
- Create new
.tex
,.sty
and.cls
files from the new file menu. - Some insertion actions from the LaTeX menu for styling and sections.
- Word- and character counting tool
- Available file templates for
.tex
,.sty
and.cls
files. - Many fancy icons with the look and feel of the IntelliJ platform.
- Clone or download the project.
- Make a new project from existing sources, even if you used the option 'new project from version control'.
- Follow the instructions.
- In
TeXiFy-IDEA.iml
(in the root directory) change the module type toPLUGIN_MODULE
. - In Project Structure under Project, add a new project SDK, namely an IntelliJ Platform Plugin SDK.
- Select the (by default selected) IntelliJ directory if prompted.
- Under Project Structure - Modules - Plugin Deployment change the resources path to the correct path,
\path\to\TeXiFy-IDEA\resources
. - Add a new run configuration of type Plugin (if you cannot make a new run configuration, restart some stuff or wait a bit).
- Mark the
resources
folder as resources root by right-clicking on it and selecting Mark Directory As - Resources, otherwise it won't find the great icons. - Go to Project Structure - Libraries and hit the plus icon in the middle column. Select
Java
. Selectlib/pretty-tools-JDDE-2.1.0.jar
. - Install SumatraPDF if you want to use Go To Line in PDF/Source.
- Note: sometimes this way will not work and will generate strange errors. In that case, see below to build the plugin to use it directly in IntelliJ.
- Find out the location of your IntelliJ Sandbox by going to Project Structure - SDKs - IntelliJ IDEA ... - Sandbox Home, and copy the two
.dll
s frompath/to/TeXiFy/project/lib/
topath/to/sandbox/plugins/TeXiFy-IDEA/lib/
. - Run in debug mode, normal run may not work.
- The first time it will look like you are installing a new IntelliJ - don't worry, just click through it.
- Use the option LaTeX - SumatraPDF - Configure Inverse Search to enable the option to go directly to the right line in your source file when you double-click in the pdf.
- To make a new project but also to open existing
.tex
files, use New Project - LaTeX. - Compile a
.tex
file by clicking on the gutter icon next to\begin{document}
or create a custom run configuration using the drop-down menu.
- Use Build - Prepare Plugin Module ...
- Add the two
.dll
s fromlib/pretty-tools-JDDE-2.1.0/
to the compiled plugin by unzipping, copying the files to thelib
directory and zipping. - Add the plugin to IntelliJ using Settings - Plugins - Install plugin from disk.
- Use the option LaTeX - SumatraPDF - Configure Inverse Search to enable the option to go directly to the right line in your source file when you double-click in the pdf.
- It is probably a good idea to keep these instructions open as a reference while carrying them out.
- If you don't have the latest version yet, download and install IntelliJ IDEA, the Community edition is free.
- Download and install LaTeX for Windows or LaTeX for Mac. During installation, choose the option
Install missing packages on the fly: yes
. - If you're on Windows, download and install SumatraPDF, you will use it to view your compiled pdf files. If you know you are on a 64-bit system you can download the 64-bit build. If you have no idea, download the normal installer which is the top-most link.
- Open IntelliJ, choose
create new project
, clickempty project
and click next. Save it anywhere because we will not use this project. - If you see a window named Project Structure, just click ok.
- Go to File - Settings - Plugins, search for
texify
, clicksearch in repositories
and clickinstall
. - Restart your pc to finish the LaTeX and the plugin installations.
- Click on File - New - Project, select LaTeX in the left column and click next. Specify a name for your project, and a location. A project can contain multiple LaTeX files, so for example if you make a new document for each new homework you get, place them all in the same project.
- Double-click or click on the arrow next to your project name on the left to open the directory.
- A standard document is already made for you, you can find it in the
src
folder. This folder will contain all your LaTeX. Double-click on the.tex
file to open it. If you cannot see any directory structure (the folders on the left side), hit Project (it's written on it's side) on the left of your screen. - Type some text between the
\begin{document}
and\end{document}
lines, hit the compile icon next to the\begin{document}
line and click Run. If you see a pdf appearing, congratulations! - If you see
LaTeX error: fily a4.sty not found
then you did not restart your pc. Do it now. - The next time you can also compile using the Run button (looks like a Play button) in the top-right menu, or using
SHIFT+F10
on Windows.
- You never have to remember to save your work, IntelliJ will automatically save every letter you type.
- You don't need to close the pdf to recompile, it will automatically refresh.
- A good way to start learning LaTeX is by asking someone how to do what you want to do or by Googling "what-I-want-to-do latex".
- But some standard LaTeX commands are available in the LaTeX menu.
- Pay attention to squiggles (wavey lines) under text you typed, they indicate that something is wrong. Hovering over it gives extra information. In some cases, a ready-made fix is waiting to be applied: hit the lightbulb that appears on the left, or hit
ALT+ENTER
to view and apply it. A quick overview of useful shortcuts is below. - If your LaTeX indentation (the number of spaces that is in front of each line) looks messy, try to reformat with
CTRL+ALT+L
. - If you are searching how a particular symbol has to be written in LaTeX, the Detexify tool can probably help you. Just draw your symbol in the
draw here
box and the command will be listed on the right. - If you want a proper explanation of what LaTeX and its philosophy is about, read the Not So Short Introduction To LaTeX2e.
- Often you will be working together on one document. In that case, use git to make this go smoothly. We use git because git is awesome, but there exist other tools as well.
- But sometimes you cannot use IntelliJ, for example because you are at school. For that, we use Overleaf.
- Install git, during installation just click
next
everywhere. - Restart your computer.
- Go to Overleaf and sign up.
- Create a new project, choose a blank template. Possibly give it a useful name.
- Click
Share
and copy the link underclone with git
. - Go to IntelliJ and click File - New - Project from VCS - git
- Paste the url here, and choose the parent directory you want.
- If you are asked by IntelliJ
Do you want to add this file to git?
, just clickno
when you do not recognize the file. - You can share the Overleaf link under
Read & Edit Link
with your co-authors.
- Hit
CTRL+K
to commit changes to git. - Specify a commit message.
- Click
commit and push
by hovering over thecommit
button. - If your git username is asked, specify it.
- Click
push
.
- Hit
CTRL+T
.
- That's great! Because git and similar tools are used everywhere by programmers to collaborate, it's not just for LaTeX and doesn't work just with Overleaf.
- GitHub, the site you are now looking at, is used a lot to store code online and collaborate using the same push and pull mechanism as you used all the time, but now to GitHub instead of Overleaf. After you made a new repository, click
Clone or download
to get a git link, and then do the same steps as you did with the Overleaf link. - If you want to know more, a great git tutorial is at learngitbranching.js.org.
- Want to know even more of advanced use of git? Read the excellent Pro Git book for free.
DOUBLE SHIFT
Search for any IntelliJ command, like Reformat.ALT+ENTER
View the quick fix, if there is one. Apply the fix withenter
.CTRL+ALT+L
Reformat your LaTeX.CTRL+K
Commit and push changes.CTRL+t
Pull changes.
Any suggestions for improvements of the installation instructions, however small? Please let us know at gitter!
- Update IntelliJ (help - check for updates).
- Update your IntelliJ SDK: go to Project Structure - SDKs.
- Hit the plus in the middle column and select IntelliJ Platform Plugin SDK.
- Select your IntelliJ installation directory (e.g.
C:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA xxxx.x
). - Remove your old SDK. It is called 'IntelliJ IDEA IU-xxx' where
xxx
is anything but the highest number. - Go to Project Structure - Project and select the new SDK.