In a previous post I showed how one can set up Atom to use for writing LaTeX, and discussed a number of benefits of using an editor such as Atom over the one that is by default available.This article discusses how to set up Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code.This post is less detailed on why you might want to make use of this functionality, and so if some of the terms are not familiar, you should look at the Atom guide for more details.
Installation
There are a wealth of options to download VSCode on the download page.On Windows and Mac it is a simple download and install.For Linux, there is the option of either a .deb/.rpm file, or downloading through Snap.It’s also available on Arch based systems through pacman.
LaTeX Workshop 默认的编译工具是 latexmk，大家根据需要修改所需的工具和命令，我不需要用到 latexmk，因此我把其修改为中文环境常用的 xelatex，大家根据需要自行修改。（感谢 @huan Yu ，将 tools 中的%DOC%. Visual Studio Code. This is my first video on youtube with voice recording. LaTeX live on Visual Studio Code link for MikTeXfor MacTeXhttps://www.
Markdown and Visual Studio Code. Working with Markdown files in Visual Studio Code is simple, straightforward, and fun. Besides VS Code's basic editing, there are a number of Markdown specific features that will help you be more productive. Markdown extensions. In addition to the functionality VS Code provides out of the box, you can install an. Working with Jupyter Notebooks in Visual Studio Code. Jupyter (formerly IPython Notebook) is an open-source project that lets you easily combine Markdown text and executable Python source code on one canvas called a notebook.Visual Studio Code supports working with Jupyter Notebooks natively, as well as through Python code files.This topic covers the native support available for Jupyter.
Once installed you are presented with the following screen. Whilst it works for writing text out of the box, you will want to install some extensions to cusomtise it for your own tastes.These can be found in the extensions tab, where the red box is on the screenshot.Alternatively press C-shift-x.
Where to find the Marketplace. It is Microsoft, after all.
The extensions are part of the reason that VSCode is so popular for use in software development: there is a huge community that use it and make extensions for it.You can search for extensions after clicking on the tab.
Recommended Packages
LaTeX Workshop
In contrast to Atom, you don’t need to add any language support for LaTeX in VSCode, so this is the only extension that you really need.VSCode is oriented at being more than a text editor, and towards an Integrated Development Environment for programming. LaTeX Workhop very much follows in that regard, providing a lot of tools that you would need whilst writing.Like latex-tools for Atom, it gives the option to compile the document from within the editor and has bibliography integration.Not many commands are available by keybindings by default (though you can define your own keybindings):
C-alt-b: compile the document.C-alt-j: sync to pdf from cursor.
However, you can open a tab on the left of the screen by clicking the TeX icon which provides much more:
Click the TeX logo on the left of the screen for a lot of useful tools.
Among these are options, for instance:
- build with luatex.
- select which viewer to view the pdf in (either a tab within VSCode, an external pdf viewer or within a web browser).
- search for citations.
Citation support is not quite as seamless as with Atom.By default, when you type cite{} in Atom, the bibliography immediately opens.In VSCode, this sort of happens in the sense that the Intellisense tab shows a list of citation keys that narrows down as you type, but you can’t search information about the citation itself.You can do this, but you need to select Open citation browser under the Miscellaneous tab on the left.This works, but is less seamless than in Atom, and you can only search by author name, which is not ideal.
This is kind of annoying.
One quite useful option is the Snippet Panel, which when clicked will open a tab on the right with symbols, which when selected will add in the relevant LaTeX code at your cursor in the document.It’s mostly maths symbols, but also Greek letters and some latin symbols.
Click on the symbol you want and the code goes in.
How To Use Visual Studio Code
One downside is that it’s not immediately obvious how to use XeLaTeX to compile, but luatex works just as well for me.
Insert Unicode
Vscode Latex Workshop Xelatex
This is more for writing linguistics papers.As I’ve written about before, it is better to write directly in unicode for non-Latin and phonetic symbols rather than using, e.g. tipa.I’ve nothing inherently against tipa, it works totally well for the output, but I find it difficult to read in the source, and you can’t reuse that example outside of LaTeX.
The problem with writing in unicode is that you need to know the right code, and there is a lot.Insert Unicode is a wonderful extension that allows you to search for characters by name or by code, and then select them to insert.If you already the code, you don’t need this, but if you know which symbol to look for, it will save you the time to look it up online.What is so nice about this extension, and here it has the edge over the equivalent in Atom, is that you can save your frequently used symbols in whatever way you like.
To save whichever you want, press C-shift-P to bring up the command pallette, and search for Insert Unicode: Manage Favourites, and you can use the GUI.Alternatively you can edit the settings.json file with your desired structure.
Snippets
Unlike latex-tools for Atom, Latex Workshop does not define a large amount of snippets, which means that you will end up making your own.VSCode stores snippets in json format.As is common, the important elements for each snippet are the prefix, the body and the description.Cursor positions are designated numerically after $, with $1 denoting the first position, $2 the second after pressing tabetc.The scope of the snippet is handled automatically in VSCode, unlike in Atom, as each format has its own .json file.Thus, your LaTeX snippets will be stored in the latex.json file.
To make a new snippet:
- press
C-shift-pand search for Preferences: Configure User Snippets. - Select latex.json from the next menu.
- Write the snippet between the outer
{}braces.
Below is an example for inserting small caps.
Be sure to make sure the commas are at the end of the lines.
Customising
There is a huge amount that you can do with Visual Studio Code to set it up according to your own favourites.Top theme lists are not hard to find online, and can usually be added through the VSCode Marketplace.Once installed, switching themes is very easy, open the command pallette and search for Preferences: Color Theme and you can preview them before selecting.1Unlike with Atom, the UI and the text window are treated as one.
Ultimately, it’s an editor for everything
VSCode is a brilliant piece of software and using it for LaTeX is just a small part of what you can do with it.Like Atom, it too is built on Electron, so it’s not exactly a lightweight program suitable for older computers, but an admirable amount of work has gone in to optimise it and reduce memory usage, so you shouldn’t have any problems on most computers.Furthermore, it’s got some key functionality that Atom lacks.When I write in LaTeX, I have to admit that I don’t tend to use the build options that the editor allows for.That is, I wouldn’t build it using the options given above in LaTeX Workshop.There’s no problem with it, I just prefer to compile from the terminal and use the editor for just snippet and bibliography integration.It’s a personal choice, and it works for me.VSCode is nice in this regard in that it includes a terminal within the editor, just press C-shift-`, so you can write, and then compile without leaving the window.
Run in the terminal without leaving the program.
Another draw towards using VSCode is that I use it for writing .html files, and it is nice to have the option to write LaTeX in the same program.VSCode is really great for writing pretty much any format in, so if you find that you sometimes use LaTeX, sometimes Markdown, sometimes .html, sometimes Python etc etc, and you want to use the same program for all, then this is a great choice.
Or press
C-k C-t. ↩
Recommended for you
In this blog, I will instruct you on how to install and writing LaTex documents on Windows with ease.
- 1. Requirement
- 4. Collaboration
1.1 List of software
First thing first, you would need to download and install a series of software.
Choose the correct version with your windows (x86/x64)
- MikTex (easier to install and use)
For me, MikTex is kinda difficult to download. The server close connection every 30-45 secs. If this happened to you, use a download manager. For example: Free Download Manager
1.2 Installing MikTex
Accept all default option, and wait for the installation completed.
Start > MikTex Console > Updates > Check for updates
In case of difficult in download packages, you can change ‘Install from’ option with a http repository
Install latexmk package
If you are opening Visual Studio Code while installing MikTex and Perl ActiveState, please CLOSE Visual Studio Code and open it again.
Open Extension > search for Latex > Install LaTeX Workshop
It is recommended to create a folder for each LaTeX document (to store images, charts, data file, etc).
Open that folder with Visual Studio Code, create a new file ended with .tex
Open that .tex file, then you can start playing with your LaTeX
To preview the rendered PDF, you can click on small icon on the top-right corner
Okay okay, it’s cool, but why do I need to write LaTeX offline, using Visual Studio Code, instead of the awesome Overleaf?
The answer is the price. For collaboration, overleaf offer 80 USD/year for 6 students (the price is higher if you don’t have student account).
With visual studio code, it’s free, and super fast too.
4.1 VSCode Live Share
Live Share is an amazing feature offered by Microsoft. It’s not even share files, it’s also share folders and projects.
To begin with, install VS Live Share extension
4.2 Start Collaboration
After installation complete, a new feature appeared in VSCode
Click on that Live Share feature, then Start collaboration session...
It will open a new website that require you login with either Microsoft Account (outlook, hotmail, live) or GitHub Account.
For this tutorial, I will use my github account
After authorized, Live Share will start working. You can paste the generated link for other users
4.3 Join a shared collaboration session
If you are not the one who sharing, but the one who join, it’s even easier.
Open Live Share feature > Join collaboration session > Paste the link you have to the box appeared then press Enter
If successful, it should be like this
4.4 Live Share Maximum collaborators
The short answer: 5
For more information on when/how you can increase this number can be found here: https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/live-share/releases/tag/0.3.788