PyLaTeX

1.4.2 · active · verified Thu Apr 16

PyLaTeX is a Python library designed to simplify the creation of LaTeX files and snippets. It allows users to programmatically build LaTeX documents, from simple text to complex structures with figures, tables, and custom commands. The current version is 1.4.2, and it follows an infrequent but active release cadence.

Common errors

```
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'pdflatex'
```
cause PyLaTeX's `generate_pdf` method could not find the `pdflatex` executable.

fix This indicates that a LaTeX distribution (like TeX Live or MiKTeX) is not installed on your system or its executables are not in your system's PATH.
```
LaTeX Error: Missing \begin{document}
```
cause This error often occurs when invalid or incomplete LaTeX is generated, sometimes due to incorrect use of `NoEscape` or attempting to compile a malformed `.tex` file.

fix Ensure all raw LaTeX inserted using `NoEscape` is syntactically correct and self-contained. Also, double-check that your `Document` object is properly initialized and populated before calling `generate_tex` or `generate_pdf`.
```
AttributeError: module 'pylatex' has no attribute 'Document'
```
cause You are likely trying to access `pylatex.Document` directly or using an outdated import statement like `from pylatex.document import Document`.

fix For PyLaTeX v1.0.0 and later, the `Document` class (and most other core components) is directly available under the `pylatex` namespace. Use `from pylatex import Document`.

Warnings

breaking Starting with PyLaTeX v1.0.0, all text added to documents is escaped by default. This change helps prevent LaTeX injection vulnerabilities but requires explicit action for raw LaTeX.
Fix: To insert unescaped LaTeX code, wrap the string with `NoEscape()` from `pylatex.utils` or `pylatex`. Example: `doc.append(NoEscape('\\textbf{raw text}'))`.
breaking In v1.0.0, many core classes were moved directly into the top-level `pylatex` namespace, leading to import path changes.
Fix: Update your imports from `from pylatex.document import Document` to `from pylatex import Document` and similarly for other core components.
gotcha Generating PDF files requires a local LaTeX distribution (e.g., TeX Live, MiKTeX) to be installed on your system and available in your PATH.
Fix: Install a LaTeX distribution relevant to your operating system. For example, `sudo apt-get install texlive-full` on Ubuntu or download TeX Live/MiKTeX for other platforms.
gotcha The `generate_pdf` method uses `pdflatex` by default. If you need to use `xelatex` or `lualatex`, you must specify the compiler.
Fix: Pass the `compiler` argument to `generate_pdf`: `doc.generate_pdf('filename', compiler='xelatex')`.

Install

pip install pylatex Basic installation
pip install pylatex[matplotlib] With Matplotlib support
pip install pylatex[highlighting] With Pygments for syntax highlighting

Imports

Document
wrong:
```
from pylatex.document import Document
```
correct:
```
from pylatex import Document
```
Pre-v1.0 imports moved core classes directly into the `pylatex` namespace.
Section
```
from pylatex import Section
```
Command
```
from pylatex import Command
```
Package
```
from pylatex import Package
```
NoEscape
```
from pylatex import NoEscape
```
Crucial for inserting raw LaTeX code without automatic escaping after v1.0.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates creating a basic LaTeX document with sections, custom commands, and inserting raw LaTeX using `NoEscape`. It shows how to generate both a `.tex` file and attempts to generate a `.pdf` file, highlighting the prerequisite of a local LaTeX distribution for PDF generation.

from pylatex import Document, Section, Command, NoEscape
from pylatex.utils import italic, NoEscape

geom_options = ['a4paper', 'total={15cm,20cm}']
doc = Document(geometry_options=geom_options)

with doc.create(Section('Introduction')):
    doc.append('Some text.')
    doc.append(Command('textbf', 'Bold text'))

with doc.create(Section('Raw LaTeX Example')):
    doc.append('Here is some raw LaTeX, use NoEscape:')
    doc.append(NoEscape('\\begin{itemize}\n\\item First item\n\\item Second item\\end{itemize}'))

# To generate a .tex file
doc.generate_tex('full_document')

# To generate a .pdf file (requires a local LaTeX distribution like TeX Live or MiKTeX)
try:
    doc.generate_pdf('full_document', clean_tex=False)
    print("PDF generated successfully if LaTeX distribution is installed.")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Could not generate PDF (is LaTeX installed?): {e}")

print("TeX file 'full_document.tex' created.")

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