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latextemplates / generator-latex-template

Generates latextemplates (e.g., for thesis, workshops, conferences, IEEEtran, LNCS, ...)
https://www.npmjs.com/package/generator-latex-template
BSD Zero Clause License
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generator-latex micro-template

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LaTeX Template Generator npm version

Generates latex templates (e.g., for thesis, workshops, conferences, IEEEtran, LNCS, ...) out of "micro-templates"

Talks an papers

Background information

There are many latex templates out there. All of them make use of certain packages such as hyperref, listings, or minted. The packages have to be a) included in the .tex file somehow and b) configured. Moreover, some packages offer interfaces (such as new commands or new environments) to users. Minimal examples help to understand how a package works.

The aim of the repository is to provide for each common latex package

  1. Configuration
  2. Usage example

and a generation into templates:

  1. Support for ACM, IEEE, LNCS, KOMA-Script
  2. Support for separate documents which require --shell-escape and not.
  3. Support for integrated pdflatex and lualatex documents

Precondition for the generator

One has to install Node.js version 18 (or later) to get this generator running. For simple installation, just head to https://nodejs.org/ and follow the installation instructions.

Using the generator

One can start using the generator directly using the node execution wrapper npx:

npx -p yo -p generator-latex-template -c 'yo latex-template'

Permanent installation (and simpler command line usage)

In case one wants to have the generator installed permanently (or npx does work as expected), one can install generator-latex-template using following command:

npm install -g generator-latex-template

Then, one can invoke the generator as follows:

yo latex-template

How to update the document

⚠️ The template generator overwrites main.tex on each run. This will destroy your work. ⚠️

You can use the magic of git to prevent that:

  1. After repository initialization:

    • git commit to save your work
    • git checkout -b template - to create a branch with initial template (required for updating)
    • git checkout main switch back to your thesis

  2. Work on the main branch

  3. In case an update comes in, update the template branch

    • git checkout template - switch to the template branch
    • yo latex-template - generate new template
    • git commit - save the new template
    • git checkout main - switch to your work
    • git merge template - merge in the template changes
    • resolve conflicts ^^ (Hint: IntelliJ Community Edition has a great conflict resolving tool)

Resources

Development roadmap

In the long run, the contents of the paper.tex (and similar) files in repositories of the latextemplates organization should be generated automatically.

Development hints

Test locally

Linux

Parameters can be set using command line

Windows

Parameters can be set using command line

Useful snippets

<% if (howtotext) { -%>
<% } else { -%>
<% } -%>
<% switch (documentclass) { case "lncs": -%>
<% break; case "ieee": -%>
<% break; default: -%>
<% break; } -%>

Debugging

A launch.json configured for Windows and Visual Studio Code is included. Just press F5 and the generator should run in debug mode.

ejslint.cmd c:\git-repositories\latextemplates\generator-latex-template\generators\app\templates\main.en.tex

Releasing a new version

  1. Update CHANGELOG.md

  2. Update package.json, publish to npmjs, create GitHub release. Use release-it (do not create a release on GitHub) and github-release-from-changelog.

    • npx release-it
    • npx github-release-from-changelog

License

The code is licensed 0BSD, the snippets (both LaTeX and text) 0BSD, too. See benbalter/talks#15, for a reasoning, why CC0 cannot be used.

generators/app/templates/splncs04nat.bst is taken from tpavlic/splncs04nat and is MIT-licensed.