How to preview LaTeX in Emacs?

Question

I want a similar layout as in SO, I use it currently as my editor but I would like to find such tool under my fingers. I am more vi-prone so having hard time to get preview-latex working with emacs. I don't know whether it is the right tool but I want to see things shortly after typing some long latex equations without compiling cycle. How can I preview LaTeX?

Ps. I am using obsd and ubuntu.

Answer 1

The most common package to preview text in Emacs is Preview TeX, a package now build into AUCTeX

http://gnu.org/software/auctex

It works with both latex and pdflatex. Within a LaTeX buffer, just type C-c C-p C-b, or within the menu do Preview->for buffer.

A simpler, but less effective alternative is to use the X-Symbol package:

http://x-symbol.sourceforge.net/

This one only shows special symbols (such as math operators or greek letters), but not much more than that. This package also does not seem to be developed anymore.

Answer 2

Sorry, I don't know what SO is, but have you ever heard of latexmk? It re-runs pdftex or whatever every time you save your *.tex-file. Instead of preview I do:

1. Open Emacs, C-x C-f => new file, type some skeleton of the LaTeX-file including \end{document}, save it (C-x C-s), compile it the first time (C-c C-c RET) and open it in the viewer (again C-c C-c RET).
2. I open a command window (if you use Linux, you know what I mean, if you use windows, its cmd.exe), navigate into the folder containing my LaTeX-file and type latexmk -pvc -pdf filename.tex Then latexmk compiles my document and repeats that each time I save a new version inside Emacs.

If you employ a pdf-viewer which is able to reload the pdf from harddisk every time it changes (okular, evince, sumatra for windows . . .), you are very close to an instant preview.

Alexander

Answer 3

Another option is LaTeX Preview Pane. It supports side by side editing and previews of your LaTeX document. It also supports error highlighting in your buffer, similar to flymake.

Emacs Wiki Page: http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/LaTeXPreviewPane

Answer 4

I wrote some elisp to simplify compiling and viewing a latex file using pdflatex:

(defun reload-pdf ()
  (interactive
  (let* ((fname buffer-file-name)
        (fname-no-ext (substring fname 0 -4))
        (pdf-file (concat fname-no-ext ".pdf"))
        (cmd (format "pdflatex %s" fname)))
    (delete-other-windows)
    (split-window-horizontally)
    (split-window-vertically)
    (shell-command cmd)
    (other-window 2)
    (find-file pdf-file)
    (balance-windows))))

(global-set-key "\C-x\p" 'reload-pdf)

Now, instead of (C-c C-c RET) twice, you just need to type (C-x p RET), after you save the file.

Hope this helps!