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We have this latex file which we change frequently. What we usually do is:

  • go to line 51 and replace bio 101 with bio 102

  • go to line 103 and replace midterm with final

  • go to line 184 and replace summer 2016 with fall 2016

and etc. So, I was wondering, instead of doing that, is it possible to make an .exe file (possibly in c) asking:

  • Class?
  • Press M for midterm, F for final.
  • Year?
  • Semester? Press 1 for fall, 2 for spring, 3 for summer.

then creating a pdf output.

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  • 4
    You don't need an exe-file, latex can also run interactively. But I would simply put a \newcommand\class{bio 102} in the preamble, and use \class in the document. Then all changes can be done in the preamble. – Ulrike Fischer Aug 8 '16 at 11:57
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    @UlrikeFischer can you please make an answer? – touhami Aug 8 '16 at 12:03
  • I would make those details change automatically as function of the compilation date (current date) as it seems there is a logic in the above stated mods that need to be made in the source file. – alwaysask Aug 8 '16 at 12:21
  • See Importing Parameters From a Separate File for a variety of ways to do this sort of thing. – Alan Munn Aug 8 '16 at 16:08
  • See also this answer using \typein to prompt the user for input during compilation – aehrm Aug 8 '16 at 18:36
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You don't need an .exe or some external processor, latex can also run interactively.

But I would simply put a \newcommand\class{bio 102} in the preamble, and use \class in the document and so on. Then all changes can be done in the preamble.

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  • a related approach, requiring some rewriting now, is to remove the \documentclass line, place it in a separate file, add the \class (and related) definition(s), followed by an \input of the file with the text. then only the small "driver" file needs to be touched unless there's a real change to the main text. – barbara beeton Aug 8 '16 at 13:26
  • @barbarabeeton: I can think of many approaches, one can also put the data in some csv-file, or calculate it, or ... But as the question is quite vage, I don't intent to elaborate. I wouldn't have answered anyway if touhami hadn't pinged me. – Ulrike Fischer Aug 8 '16 at 13:30

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