implement multifile latex editing (master document)

[jasongrout]

Working in a multi-file latex project, such as a book where each chapter is a separate tex file, is cumbersome in SMC:

• Reverse search will not open the correct file (e.g., clicking on a chapter will not open that chapter's file)
• It's hard to quickly navigate between files. You either have to open all of them at once (which is a tedious process of clicking on each one) and deal with lots of tabs, or click back and forth to the files tab each time you want to open a new file. In ShareLatex and JupyterLab, there is a file browser in a sidebar that lets you easily switch the current file.

I just tried to help a user switch from ShareLatex to Sage Cloud to edit a Latex book. They switched back after a day or two. I sat down with them to see what was lacking in the Cloud, and these things are what they explained.

[williamstein]

We simply haven't even started to implement multi-file latex editing yet. I've changed the title to more clearly indicate this.

[jasongrout]

Yep, no problem. Just wanted to keep track of it in an issue.

[williamstein]

See also #86 which was about some technical thing I've never heard of.

[crockeea]

This is a pain point for my team as well. Issue #86 describes how most desktop TeX editors handle the problem, while Overleaf simply has a UI feature for it.

Using the subfiles package is annoying because I have to modify existing projects that I'm importing into CoCalc.

[williamstein]

I recently did some work here which , when done right, will make it easy to implement this feature for latex. I.e., this is close.

[williamstein]

Work in progress here -- #4209

[williamstein]

[williamstein]

Heh, it's implemented now. Will be live soon...

[williamstein]

Multfile LaTeX editing is now live. You'll have to restart your project (if it is running) before this works.

The user interface is initially (and with a single file) identical to how it was before, except with some bug fixes. The difference is that if you explicitly \input other files, then build, then there is a new menu on the top of a text editor that lets you select from any of the subfiles. Also, if you double click on the pdf on some latex generated by a subfile, then that file is automatically opened. Also things like errors/warnings have links that, when clicked, may open a subfile. And forward search from subfiles works as it should. Saving a subfile, saves all files and kicks off a build. If you switch a frame to be a terminal and use the open command you can also open any file (not necessarily one listed in the dropdown).

[crockeea]

Very excited to try this out! Is it in the docker image yet?