pLyX System

The pLyX system is a scripting system for LyX. Or rather, LyX has a built-in scripting system, but it seems to have been created by accident, few know of it, and it has certainly received no development to make its use convenient for the user. The pLyX system is an attempt to create a workable interface for this system out of the tools that LyX provides -- modules, custom insets, toolbar buttons -- and also to provide some initial scripts.

Docs

• Installation
  • Windows
  • Mac OS X
  • Linux
  • Setup LyX
• Using pLyX
  • Add module
  • Invoke script
  • Run script
  • Revert changes

Installation

Windows

• Get package:
  • download zipped version of this package here.
  • unzip the archive to a convenient location (for example My Documents)
  • Open unzipped folder to top level (should contain file requirements.txt).
• Python:
  • Download and run the Python 2.7 installer (either the "Windows x86 MSI Installer" or "Windows x86-64 MSI installer").
  • Open the Windows Start menu.
  • Search for "Edit the system environment variables", and then click it.
  • Click Environment Variables.
  • Select PATH in the System variables section.
  • Click Edit.
  • Add ;C:\Python27;C:\Python27\Scripts to the end of the list (the paths are separated by semicolons). For example: C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32;C:\Python27;C:\Python27\Scripts.
  • Verify that it worked by opening your command prompt and entering python. You should see the >>> prompt.
  • Install pip by opening command prompt and entering easy_install pip.
  • Installed required packages for Python by running pip install -r requirements.txt.
• Copy files:
  • copy contents of doc folder to C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\LyX2.1\doc
  • copy contents of layouts folder to C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\LyX2.1\layouts
  • copy contents of images folder to C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\LyX2.1\images
  • copy contents of scripts folder to C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\LyX2.1\scripts
  • copy contents of ui folder to C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\LyX2.1\ui
• You ready to setup LyX.

Mac OS X

• Get package:
  • download zipped version of this package here.
  • unzip the archive to a convenient location (for example Documents).
  • Open unzipped folder to top level (should contain file requirements.txt).
• Python:
  • Check that you have Python installed by running python in terminal. Normally Mac OS X comes with Python preinstalled.
  • Check that you have pip installed by running in terminal pip freeze. If not install with sudo easy_install pip.
  • Installed required packages for Python by running sudo pip install -r requirements.txt.
• Copy files:
  • copy contents of doc folder to /Applications/LyX.app/Contents/Resources/doc
  • copy contents of layouts folder to /Applications/LyX.app/Contents/Resources/layouts
  • copy contents of images folder to /Applications/LyX.app/Contents/Resources/images
  • copy contents of scripts folder to /Applications/LyX.app/Contents/Resources/scripts
  • copy contents of ui folder to /Applications/LyX.app/Contents/Resources/ui
• You ready to setup LyX.

Linux

• Get package:
  • download zipped version of this package here.
  • unzip the archive to a convenient location (for example Documents).
  • Launch terminal and go to the root of the unzipped folder (should contain file requirements.txt).
• Python
  • Check that you have Python installed by running python in terminal. Normally Linux comes with Python preinstalled.
  • Check that you have pip installed by running in terminal pip freeze. If not install with sudo apt-get install python-pip.
  • Installed required packages for Python by running sudo pip install -r requirements.txt.
• Copy files:
  • copy contents of doc folder to /home/<UserName>/.lyx/doc
  • copy contents of layouts folder to /home/<UserName>/.lyx/layouts
  • copy contents of images folder to /home/<UserName>/.lyx/images
  • copy contents of scripts folder to /home/<UserName>/.lyx/scripts
  • copy contents of ui folder to /home/<UserName>/.lyx/ui
• You ready to setup LyX.

Setup LyX

This step you will have to do once to configure LyX properly.

• open LyX.
• define File format for pLyX in Tools (LyX on Mac) -> Preferences -> File Handling -> File Formats:
  • click New button and enter pLyX in the Format box;
  • set the Document format check box;
  • enter plyx in the Short Name box;
  • enter lyx in the Extension box;
  • under Viewer choose Custom and enter LyX in the box on the right;
  • Click Apply.

• define File format for qLyX in Tools (LyX on Mac) -> Preferences -> File Handling -> File Formats:
  • click New button and enter qLyX in the Format box;
  • enter qlyx in the Short Name box;
  • enter lyx in the Extension box;
  • None of the other check boxes or slots should be filled;
  • Click Apply.

• define converter from LyX to pLyX in Tools (LyX on Mac) -> Preferences -> File Handling -> Converters:
  • by scrolling in the list From format select LyX;
  • by scrolling in the list To format select pLyX;
  • enter in Converter box:
    • for Windows: python "C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\LyX2.1\scripts\pLyX.py" $$i $$o;
    • for Mac OS X: python /Applications/LyX.app/Contents/Resources/scripts/pLyX.py $$i $$o;
    • for Linux: python /home/<UserName>/.lyx/scripts/pLyX.py $$i $$o;
  • click Add and Apply.

• define converter from LyX to qLyX in Tools (LyX on Mac) -> Preferences -> File Handling -> Converters:

  • by scrolling in the list From format select LyX;
  • by scrolling in the list To format select qLyX;
  • enter in Converter box:
    • for Windows: python "C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\LyX2.1\scripts\qLyX.py" $$r $$f $$o;
    • for Mac OS X: python /Applications/LyX.app/Contents/Resources/scripts/qLyX.py $$r $$f $$o;
    • for Linux: python /home/<UserName>/.lyx/scripts/qLyX.py $$r $$f $$o;
  • click Add and Apply.

• Choose in menu Tools -> Reconfigure

Using pLyX

Add module

In each file you are working with add module pLyX in Document -> Settings -> Modules:

• choose pLyX in list Available and click Add;
• click Apply;
• verify that in the menu Insert -> Custom Insets you have new insets starting with . (i.e. .Run script(s)[]).

Invoke script

This is an example of invoking the script that updates citations according to excel file provided:

• insert custom inset .Run script(s)[];
• inside .Run scripts[] insert custom inset .update citations with additional flags if needed;
• return down to next line;
• insert custom inset .update citations;
• right after .update citations (not inside it) insert custom inset .[argument]
• specify absolute path of excel file with old and new key information (on Windows, path should be with slash rather than backslash, for example: C:/Users/reevek/Documents/ED/NewBibtexKeys.xls, if copied directly from file explorer it path will contain \ and be wrong) (For external drives through Mac, the address may look like: /Volumes/Untitled/Dropbox (Daniel Chen)/Lyx_Conversion/bib/ReplacementBibtexKeyNotes_02July2014.xls);

• run script.

Run script

In the following it is assumed that in toolbar you have following buttons

Several buttons needs to be pressed for script(s) to run:

• First press button Save. This will backup your current document;
• Press to run the script(s) over the document;
• Press to load document back into LyX.

Revert changes

In the following it is assumed that in toolbar you have following buttons

You can't undo changes made by pLyX with regular undo command. To revert changes do the following steps:

• Press to load document from backup;
• Press to load document back into LyX.