LaTeX and TextPad

TextPad is a widely used text editor at campus, and we want to be able to edit LaTeX source in TextPad. For TextPad to recognize the LaTeX-syntax it needs to know where it can find the syntax-file. It also needs a TeX-compiler to be able to display the dvi-file. In this guide we will use MiKTeX as a basis because it is easy to use. You can download it here.

Colored syntax

By activating colored syntax, TextPad will display the code in different colors which makes it easier for the user to separate text from coding.

• Open TextPad
• Close all open documents
• Choose Configure -> Preferences...
• Choose Document Classes on the left-hand side

• Write LaTeX in the bottom-right corner
• Choose Apply
• Expand Document Classes by clicking on the +-sign on the left-hand side
• Highlight LaTeX
• Write *.tex in the middle column

• Expand LaTeX by clicking on the +-sign on the left-hand side
• Choose Syntax, check Enable syntax highlighting and open LaTeX.syn from the list and press Apply

Adding tools

• Open the window Preferences... like you did earlier
• Highlight Tools in the bottom-left corner
• Choose Add and DOS Command to the far right
• Write LaTeX and press Apply (like the picture below)
• Repeat with the command DVIView, pdflatex, dvips and BiBTeX

The commands will not work as they are now, so we need to tweak them.

• Expand Tools by clicking on the +-sign on the left-hand side and press LaTeX
• Enter the command latex $File in the Parameters-field and press Apply

• Repeat the procedure for dvips with the parameter dvips $BaseName.dvi
• Repeat the procedure for DVIView with the parameter yap $BaseName.dvi
• Repeat the procedure for pdflatex with the parameter pdflatex $File
• Repeat the procedure for BiBTeX with the parameter bibtex $BaseName
• Choose OK and you are done!

Java-tools

If JDK/SDK was installed prior to the installation of TextPad, the tools should already be there. If not, you have to add them yourself. This is how:

• Highlight Tools in the bottom-left side
• Choose Add og Java SDK Commands on the far right
• Press Apply