Feature Suggestions ⇒ multiple build, user specified number of builds

[zroutik]

Dear devs,

my request for feature adding value to work with TXC compiler is as follows:

Add, please, a possibility to specify a number of builds on build request (e.g., after F7). This would allow for building the document multiple times; unless an error would occur during builds. Ideally, a one-digit {1,2,3,4} pull-down menu would be just perfect, that placed between the Output profile and Build output buttons would make sense.

Explanation on the request: When making a change in the bibliography, three consequent builds are needed to determine whether there was an error introduced in the manipulated .bib file or not. When working on a large project, the compilation takes upto a minute. Personally, during that time I tend to loose focus (1- I'm not able to catch any warning while the screen is rolling; 2- there is an error tab waiting for me after compiling, right?). When losing focus, I check on other things in other windows, but I know I have to get back to TXC and make a build again. And again.

It is questionable whether or not to continue the multi-build after an error would be introduced. Some poorly written packages might introduce an error unless producing bad output. Additionally, there is not much that an user could do about it, e.g., a you-definitely-need-this-package proprietary journal package.

I think, a brainstorming quest would be to set the number of compilations dynamically {0,1,2,3,4}.
- save the old.log
- compile
- diff old.log new.log (be aware: timestamp in the file is always changing)
- if diff is not empty, compile again unless the maximal compilation number would be exceeded
- if diff is empty, no new build.

Thank for listening and thanks for considering the request.

Regs,
Zroutik

[MartinC]

You could use Miktex's texify (instead of latex, see Miktex's documentation). It runs latex the required number of times until the bibliography is well sorted.

[zroutik]

You could use Miktex's texify (instead of latex, see Miktex's documentation). It runs latex the required number of times until the bibliography is well sorted.

Thanks for the guideline. I didn't know about this possible solution. I tried it, but I have two issues with it. First I describe the settings:

0a) I have set the build profile as described here http://www.ces.clemson.edu/linux/latex.shtml#texni cf. Ref. http://www.latex-community.org/forum/vi ... f=31&t=329
I ran a test run with no change in the sources and surprisingly, the log and the output PDF matched that from the previous pdflatex run (except some deleted newlines or empty lines)

0b) I enhanced the command-line option by

Code: Select all

-p --tex-option=-synctex=-1 --tex-option=--src --tex-option=-interaction=nonstopmode --tex-option=-max-print-line=120 "%pm"

to match that from my previous build profile. Now even the .logs are a complete match. Additionally, this settings ensures the sync between TXC and SumatraPDF reader.

And now the issues:

1) it doesn't run as expected:
- insert a new citation
- "texify"
= that runs only once for me, although a warning "There were undefined citations" appears in the .log file
- "texify"
= now it runs (correctly) three more times until the .brf appears to have no change compared to previous run.
When removing a citation it runs several times at once as expected.

2) TXC shows the summary of all warnings instead of focusing on the very last run. Maybe that is about getting used to it, that a successfully and correct build has four warnings instead of zero...

Despite the two described issue, I'm happy about the texify solution (Thanks again MartinC) and I'm about to use it now regularly -- it saves me the waiting time.

Cheers, Z