Basic Makefile for LaTeX Using Precompiled Preamble

Question

First, I realise that there are a lot of questions on this topic on TeX.SE. I have read through a lot of these, but have not been able to work out how to set up my current configuration. I am very unfamiliar with the majority of the terms used and this is causing issues when I try to translate it from the set-up of the other questions to mine. In particular, one that looked promising said that it does not work with \input, which I use.

My set-up is (I feel) pretty simple. I have the following project.

main.tex
preamble_main.tex
preamble_aux.tex

I compile main.tex with the following command:

pdflatex.exe -synctex=1 -interaction=nonstopmode "main".tex.

main.tex contains \input{premable_main.tex} and preamble_main.tex contains \input{preamble_aux.tex}. I pre-compile the passive preamble with the following command:

pdflatex -ini -jobname="main" "&pdflatex" mylatexformat.ltx main.tex.

This creates a file called main.fmt. This means that main.tex starts as follows:

%&main
\documentclass{CLASS}
\input{preamble_main.tex}
\endofdump
...

If I change preamble_main.tex (or preamble_aux.tex which is \input into preamble_main.tex), then this has no effect on the compilation of main.tex unless I recompile the preamble.

I would like to have a make-type file which does the following.

1. Check dates on main.fmt (.fmt, not .tex or .pdf), preamble_main.tex and preamble_aux.tex.
2. If either preambles have been changed more recently than the .fmt, then run pdflatex -ini -jobname="main" "&pdflatex" mylatexformat.ltx main.tex.
3. (Whether or not the previous "if" held,) run pdflatex.exe -synctex=1 -interaction=nonstopmode "main".tex.

It certainly seems that make files or latexmk are suited for this type of question. However, they seem to handle slightly different things.

Advice---or solutions!---would be most appreciated.

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I'm not worried about setting up the bibliography stuff. I can easily handle this myself. Maybe in the future I try to improve it to handle that, but for now I just want the basics. Walk before you can run!

Answer 1

Caveat emptor

Given that you are familiar with latexmk and make, I am not sure if suggesting another route is actually a sensible suggestion. In fact, suggesting another tool for this scenario is almost like throwing you in front of a moving bus (driven by a wacky duck). :)

In my defense, I blame one of the the developers (who shall remain anonymous) for instigating me to write this answer. :)

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This sounds like one of those specific scenarios in which a tool named arara might help. I am one of the developers involved in this tool and definitely biased towards it. Note that arara and latexmk are not exactly comparable, as each one works on different sides of the compilation/automation spectrum.

Let's tackle it with some conditionals inside your main.tex:

% This directive tackles your format rebuild

% arara: pdflatex: { options: ['-ini', '-jobname=main',
% arara: --> '&pdflatex', 'mylatexformat.ltx' ] } if
% arara: --> a = changed(toFile('preamble_main.tex'));
% arara: --> b = changed(toFile('preamble_aux.tex'));
% arara: -->  a || b

% Now, a proper compilation

% arara: pdflatex: { synctex: yes,
% arara: --> interaction: nonstopmode }

...

There we go! :)