Re: Help: execute scripts form emacs

[Jon Solberg]

On 2009-10-13, Maurizio Vitale 
<mav@cuma.i-did-not-set--mail-host-address--so-tickle-me> wrote:
>>>>>> "wdysun" == wdysun  <grammophonia@gmail.com> writes:
>
>    wdysun> Hello dears,
>
>    wdysun> suppose I have a script in /bin, let us assume it is called
>    wdysun> mytex. Suppose I am editing a file called filename.tex.
>
>    wdysun> If I run the following command from the console:
>
>    wdysun> $ mytex filename
>
>    wdysun> this will do several things (tex the filename with several
>    wdysun> options, then convert the dvi to pdf and it deletes all aux
>    wdysun> files I don't need).
>
>    wdysun> There is a way to launch the script from emacs or even to
>    wdysun> build a function so that I can run the command just with M -
>    wdysun> something?
>
> You can do two things:
>
>     - in a buffer local variable set the compile command to mytex
>       filename and then use M-x compile
>
>     - but if your script is only for running latex as much as needed,
>       then bibtex, then latex again (and maybe switch between the dvi
>       and pdf path), do yourself a favour and use AUCTeX 
>       (http://www.gnu.org/software/auctex/). You won't look back.

Agreed. 

AUCTeX (and RefTeX for that matter) are indeed very useful tools for
compiling *TeX files and I wouldn't want to be without them. 

However, sometimes using a command line script can be quite convenient
(especially if you have many source files or need to create different
types of output on the fly). A couple of years back when I wrote my
thesis I used the following Makefile to be able to easier comqpile
versions for print, review and keeping my directories clean. This
enabled me to create a final pdf with "make final" remove temporary
files from my working directory with "make clear" et c.

Nothing mind blowing I admit, but the general idea should be easy to
use for similar jobs. I'll post it here and hopes it can help the OP:

THESIS_FILES=thesis.tex introduction.tex summary.tex appendix.tex
REFERENCES=biblio.bib LATEX=latex

all:  thesis

# You are supposed to make a readers digest of your thesis before your
# presentation:

condensate:
        latex condensate
        dvips -Pcmz -Pamz -o condensate.ps condensate
        rm -f condensate.pdf
#       pdfmake -4 condensate.ps
        ps2pdf condensate.ps
final:  thesis references postscript pdf

clear:
        rm -f *.aux *.dvi *.lot *.bbl *.lof *.ps *.toc *.blg *.log
        *.ilg
        rm -f *.thm *.tmp *.info *.idx
        rm -f *~

thesis: $(THESIS_FILES)
        $(LATEX) thesis

references: $(REFERENCES)
            bibtex thesis
            $(LATEX) thesis
            $(LATEX) thesis

postscript: thesis
            dvips -Pcmz -Pamz thesis -o thesis.ps

booklet: postscript
         rm -f thesis-booklet.ps
         ./booklet thesis.ps thesis-booklet.ps

pdf: thesis
     rm -f thesis.pdf
#    pdfmake -4 thesis.ps
     ps2pdf thesis.ps
     gv thesis.pdf
# Put your index settings in thesis.ist
index: thesis
       makeindex -s thesis.ist thesis.idx
       $(LATEX) thesis.tex

-- 
Jon Solberg (remove "nospam." from email address).