Using \import correctly

Question

I've got a main-file which includes the preamble. I then use \import to put together all chapters of my final document. When saving the main-file in another directory than the chapter-files I get the message:

! LaTeX Error: File `GDP.tex' not found.

Isn't the idea of \import to import files from different directories? Is there maybe something wrong with my code?

...    
\begin{document}

\maketitle
\tableofcontents

\import{/Users/john/Documents/Uni/Studienarbeit/Latex/Kapitel/GDP}{Methodology}
\import{/Users/john/Documents/Uni/Studienarbeit/Latex/Kapitel/GDP}{GDP}

\end{document}

I think you might be looking for \input{/Users/john/Documents/Uni/Studienarbeit/Latex/Kapitel/GDP/Methodology}. That is, \input rather than \import. — Werner, Feb 14 '12 at 00:56
What package are you using that provides an \import command? Usually files are included with \include (or sometimes \input). — Alan Munn, Feb 14 '12 at 00:58
Is Methodology.tex found? Is both files placed in /Users/john/Documents/Uni/Studienarbeit/Latex/Kapitel/GDP? If you are not using \input(or like) in the files, then you should just use \include in your main file. — hpekristiansen, Feb 14 '12 at 01:01
@Werner: When it is in the main file, \include is preferred over \input. — hpekristiansen, Feb 14 '12 at 01:02
I will try it with \include.
@Alan Munn: I used \usepackage{import}. — John, Feb 14 '12 at 01:41
@Hans-PeterE.Kristiansen: That's a bit categorical. I prefer \input, unless I actually need \include's additional baggage and \clearpages. — Brent.Longborough, Feb 14 '12 at 08:12
@Brent.Longborough: Yes - I should probably have written "I prefer ...". But I also believe that \include suits the purpose best here. — hpekristiansen, Feb 14 '12 at 21:00
Absolute paths within source files are best avoided. They are bad form, since if you move your thesis to a new folder, it will no longer compile. — dionyziz, Jan 08 '20 at 13:33

score 64 · Answer 1 · edited Dec 03 '19 at 11:09

64

I know of three ways to put one .tex file into an other:

1. \include{⟨filename⟩}
2. \input{⟨filename⟩}
3. \import{⟨path⟩}{⟨filename⟩}

\include is only used in the main document, and is the preferred way in large documents. You can not use \include in documents that has themselves been included with \include. \include will always start on a new page. With \includeonly{⟨filename1⟩,⟨filename2⟩,...} you can tell the main document to only include some documents, for testing purpose. E.g. if you are working on chapter7.tex in your huge book, and want to see the compiled result, without compiling everything, then just place \includeonly{chapter7} in the preamble of your main document. ⟨filename⟩ needs to be a .tex file. Type either just the name of the file, a relative path, or a full path, but do not use the .tex extension.
\input is used in subdocuments, to input e.g. figures. It can also be used directly in the main document for smaller documents. Works exactly as if the contend of the file was written at the point of \input. Here ⟨filename⟩ can have any extension, but if none is written, then .tex is chosen.
\import needs the \usepackage{import}, and is only used, when the imported files needs the path to e.g. \input other files. - see the import manual. Here ⟨path⟩ needs to end with a "/".

edited Dec 03 '19 at 11:09

Denis Bitouzé

9,652
4
27
85

answered Feb 14 '12 at 01:26

hpekristiansen

37,006

I tried it with \include but since the argument cannot be a path the include-approach does not fit to my problem. But thank you for the detailed information! :) – John Feb 14 '12 at 01:46
3

@John: ⟨filename⟩ can be both a filename(name), a relative path(dir/name) or a full path(/dir/name) – hpekristiansen Feb 14 '12 at 01:52
Okay, I did not know that, sorry. I'll keep that in mind but for the moment \import works. Thanks. :) – John Feb 14 '12 at 01:55
2

@John: You are welcome - plz up-vote. One approach is if it is working, don't touch it, but I like Do it right from the start better. – hpekristiansen Feb 14 '12 at 02:21
Great summary of the various approaches. Thanks! Upvoted. – SSilk Apr 17 '13 at 20:01
What if I want to include code in the main document but without a new page e.g. the code for a figure? According to the explanation here, (1) won't do what I want (don't want new page), (2) is out (not a subdocument), and (3) sounds possible but unnecessary (don't need those features). In this kind of case, isn't (2) preferred? It works fine in main documents. I use it to include code for figures which I use in multiple documents and don't want to maintain multiple identical versions of. \include is wrong in that case and \import just adds unnecessary complexity. Am I missing something? – cfr Feb 15 '14 at 03:23
@cfr: I have made some edits. \input is indeed the correct solution. – hpekristiansen Feb 15 '14 at 13:45
How do I import an external .bib file into my project? – Shailen May 12 '14 at 13:33
@shailenTJ: I think that it is unrelated to this answer. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX/Bibliography_Management – hpekristiansen May 12 '14 at 15:49

Alan Munn · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-28T17:32:24.873

When using the import package (which provides the \import command), you must ensure that the path argument includes the trailing slash /. So you need to do:

\import{/Users/john/Documents/Uni/Studienarbeit/Latex/Kapitel/GDP/}{GDP}

Note the / at the end of the path.

Update 2020 As of v6.2 (part of TL 2020) the trailing slash is no longer required.

As others have noted in the comments, it's usually better to use the \include command for this kind of thing, although the import package does have some interesting capabilities for relative names within the included documents. See Keep chapter number of chapters inserted with \include for an example.

Because of this confusion, import.sty was updated to work when the trailing "/" is omitted. — Donald Arseneau, Nov 28 '20 at 09:26

score 5 · Answer 3 · edited May 16 '15 at 14:01

5

Note that using relative paths is in general better if you want to compile later on a different system or from a different path:

\import{Kapitel/GDP/}{GDP}

instead of

\import{/Users/john/Documents/Uni/Studienarbeit/Latex/Kapitel/GDP/}{GDP}

edited May 16 '15 at 14:01

Maarten Dhondt

5,860

answered May 16 '15 at 13:39

BananaIsland

51

2

Hi and welcome, nice user name :-) – Johannes_B May 16 '15 at 14:02
To use a relative path as you say, one should use \subimport instead of \import. Use of \import with absolute paths will works sometimes but start to fail if the imported files also use import. – carandraug Aug 28 '16 at 16:42

Someone · Answer 4 · 2020-11-28T01:55:55.357

1

You need to put this in your preamble(or second package): \usepackage{import}. Then you can import as many files as you like.

Here's the full document template:

\documentclass[…]{…}
…
\usepackage{import}
…
\begin{document}
…
\import{path}{file.ext}
…
\end{document}

path can be of the form ./folder1/…/, /folder1/…/, or an absolute path.

edited Nov 28 '20 at 01:55

answered Mar 12 '20 at 17:00

Someone

539

3

Please, can you explain with the details your solution with a screenshot? – Sebastiano Mar 12 '20 at 17:18
I'm not sure how to take a screenshot. – Someone Mar 13 '20 at 15:49
Here's more code: ...\usepackage{import}...\begin{document}...\import{...}{...}...\end{document} – Someone Mar 13 '20 at 15:56
Also, use relative positioning. – Someone Mar 13 '20 at 15:58
A ... means it doesn't matter what goes there, as long as it's correct. – Someone Mar 13 '20 at 16:04
My suggestion and to have a general MWE with specific details on your solution. My it not a critique. – Sebastiano Mar 13 '20 at 17:08
What does that mean? – Someone Mar 13 '20 at 17:23
The code actually looks more like this: ...\usepackage{import}...\begin{document}...\import{...}{...}...\end{document} – Someone Mar 13 '20 at 17:27
Using the { } icon-button when you write a question or an answer. – Sebastiano Mar 13 '20 at 17:27
I know how to automatically do it. However, for some time, I didn't know it also worked for comments. Also, I don't have a button for code in the comment area. – Someone Mar 13 '20 at 17:36

Using \import correctly

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