How can I get the actual relative path using \import and \subimport?

Question

I have structured my PDFLaTeX document in folders. Inside them there are .tex files, .PDF figure files. And all works using \import and \subimport commands from the Import package:

Main/
 |-- main.tex
 |-- work.svg
 |-- Chapter1/  
      |-- body.tex
      |-- notwork.svg
      |-- figure.PDF
      |-- figure.SVG

So in main.tex:

...
\import{Chapter1/}{body.tex} %% OK
...

In body.tex:

...
\includegraphics{figure.PDF} %% OK (so relative path is working)
...

Now, I'd like to use SVG figures and InkScape and automate the process as explained in:

https://ctan.org/tex-archive/info/svg-inkscape/InkscapePDFLaTeX.pdf

It uses \pdffilemoddate command in \executeiffilenewer called by \includesvg.

If I change in body.tex:

...
\includesvg{figure}
...

then \executeiffilenewer macro doesn't invoke InkScape because \pdffilemoddate can't find the file (if figure.SVG and figure.PDF are located in Main folder it works so it's a problem with the file path).

How can I handle this?

I think I need to access the actual path constructed by \import to modify \executeiffilenewer, but I don't know how.

Working Example

You need 2 aditional SVG files (work.SVG and notwork.SVG located as in the tree above)

File Main.TeX

\documentclass[10pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{import}
\usepackage[pdftex]{graphicx}
\newcommand{\executeiffilenewer}[3]{
  \ifnum\pdfstrcmp
    {\pdffilemoddate{#1}}
    {\pdffilemoddate{#2}}
    >0
    {\immediate\write18{#3}}
  \fi%
}
\newcommand{\includesvg}[1]{
  \executeiffilenewer{#1.svg}{#1.pdf}
    {inkscape -z -D --file=#1.svg --export-pdf=#1.pdf --export-latex --export-area-drawing}
  \import{}{#1.pdf_tex}
}
%% This is a not working try
\newcommand{\includepathsvg}[2]{
  \executeiffilenewer{#1#2.svg}{#1#2.pdf}
    {inkscape -z -D --file=#2.svg --export-pdf=#2.pdf --export-latex --export-area-drawing}
  \import{#1}{#2.pdf_tex}
}
\begin{document}
%% Delete all PDF figure files in Main and Chapter1 folder and uncomment some lines to test:
%SVG: \includesvg{work}
%SVG: \includesvg{Chapter1/notwork} %% InkScape invoked but notwork.pdf_tex can't find notwork.pdf because unknown relative path
%SVG: \includepathsvg{Chapter1/}{notwork} %% InkScape not invoked becaude \pdffilemoddate can't find notwork.svg
File Body.tex:
\import{Chapter1/}{body.TeX}
\end{document}

File Body.TeX in Chapter1 folder:

%% Delete all PDF figure files in Main and Chapter1 folder and uncomment some lines to test:
%SVG: \includesvg{Chapter1/notwork} %% WORKS but I have to include the relative path 
%SVG: \includesvg{notwork} %% InkScape not invoked becaude \pdffilemoddate can't find notwork.svg
%SVG: \includepathsvg{Chapter1/}{notwork} %% Problem with path: Chapter1/notwork.svg when invoking InkScape

Please add a minimal working example (MWE) that illustrates your problem: working from snippets is a bit of a challenge. — Joseph Wright, May 04 '11 at 12:07
I have found the macro \input@path in file Import.STY. I can view the relative path using: \makeatletter \input@path \makeatother but I can't use it into \pdffilemoddate to work. — Fernando Nadal, May 05 '11 at 12:44

Fernando Nadal · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-05T18:36:30.377

4

Ok, I have solved my problem. Here are the changes to do in the example:

\makeatletter
  \def\relativepath{\import@path}
\makeatother

\newcommand{\includesvg}[1]{%
  \executeiffilenewer{\relativepath#1.svg}{\relativepath#1.pdf}%
     {inkscape -z -D --file=\relativepath#1.svg --export-pdf=\relativepath#1.pdf --export-latex --export-area-drawing}%
  \subimport{}{#1.pdf_tex}
}

edited May 05 '11 at 18:36

answered May 05 '11 at 16:33

Fernando Nadal

1,543

How can I get the actual relative path using \import and \subimport?

Working Example

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