Compile LaTeX

Overview

This skill compiles LaTeX documents correctly with the right engine and bibliography system, handles multi-pass compilation, and parses errors to suggest fixes. It ships with a wrapper script (scripts/compile.sh) that detects everything automatically and can be invoked directly.

When to Use

• Compiling any .tex file
• "The paper won't compile"
• LaTeX error messages appearing in output
• Generating the final PDF for submission
• CI or automated builds of a paper
• Verifying that cross-references and citations resolve correctly

Mandatory Steps

1. Detect the engine from the preamble. Look for \usepackage{fontspec}. If present, use xelatex. Otherwise use pdflatex. The wrapper script does this automatically.

2. Detect the bibliography system. \usepackage{biblatex} in the preamble implies biber. \bibliography{...} at the end of the document implies bibtex. Neither implies no bibliography pass.

3. Prefer latexmk if available. It handles multi-pass logic automatically and is more robust than running passes manually.

4. If latexmk is unavailable, run the manual sequence: engine → bib (if applicable) → engine → engine.

5. On error, parse the log file (<base>.log). Extract lines starting with !, report the line number and file, and suggest a likely fix from the error table below.

6. Verify the PDF was produced after successful compilation and that it is non-empty.

Using the Wrapper Script

Invoke the compile script directly: