LaTeX I/O | Aspose.TeX for .NET
LaTeX file
If we have a TeX file that have the following structure, then we will call this file a LaTeX file:
1\documentclass{<a document class>}
2% Preamble
3...
4\begin{document}
5% Document body
6...
7\end{document}where <a document class> is a name of a
document class which is an input TeX file that defines the appearence of the output document’s pages and macros that are most suitable for a certain type of document.
To be honest, you can insert primitive control sequences before \documentclass{}, like \nonstopmode, etc. But each LaTeX macro checks whether it is located in a proper part of a file.
There are a few thing worth noting about TeX input and output in the context of working with LaTeX files.
LaTeX output file
A typical LaTeX job creates an auxiliary output file with the
job name as its name and extension .aux. This file usually contains reference data that the engine collects along the job run, if you, say, set labels for math formulas (equations) and then refer to them somewhere in the text. In case you don’t use anything of this kind, this file contains only the \relax control sequence (which is one of the TeX primitives). So don’t be surprised.
Although \openout, \write and \closeout primitives are not forbidden, packages are the most suitable place for them. Therefore you should better use them in your own custom packages if you’re developing them.
Other parts of the output are arbitrary, also follow the general TeX output concept and depend on what exactly your TeX file (program) is supposed to do, what packages (see below) you are using, etc.
LaTeX input file
The aforementioned .aux file is a mandatory part of input in LaTeX at the same time. Algorithmically, LaTeX can’t accomplish those reference-related tasks within a single run, so the same job needs to be run twice — the first time to collect data, the second time to use those data. Many LaTeX-based software systems run LaTeX jobs twice automatically. Spoiler: There is an option in Aspose.TeX API that lets us control this behavior.
Another mandatory part is a document class. The document class file, in turn, may implicitly depend on other files, which are thus included in the LaTeX input as well.
If you want to use features beyond the scope of the basic LaTeX and its document classes but supported by a certain TeX engine implementation, then you typically use a package, which you must notify the engine about in the preamble. A LaTeX package is a file, or a group of files assembled under one name, that provides such features. To notify the engine, you need to use the \usepackage command with the package name and omittable options, if the package defines any.
For example,
1\usepackage[a6paper,landscape]{geometry}Although \input, \openin, \read and \closein primitives are not forbidden, packages are the most suitable place for them. Therefore you should better use them in your own custom packages if you’re developing them.
Other parts of the input are arbitrary, also follow the general TeX input concept and depend on what exactly your TeX file (program) is supposed to do, what packages you are using, etc.