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I am looking for a LaTeX editor on Windows that can

  1. Automatically change the PDF view to the current place of edit, possibly after a keyboard shortcut and can preferably highlight the section being edited;
  2. automatically install missing packages from CTAN;
  3. locate the LaTeX code corresponding to a PDF section;
  4. contains a quick build option that compiles fast.

Does such an editor exist or am I asking for too much?

Werner
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Argyll
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    Almost every editor can do this. For example, winedt with sumatrapdf does it well. –  Oct 31 '15 at 05:13
  • Automatic package installation is a feature of MiKTeX, a TeX system, and is independent of the editor you use. – Joseph Wright Oct 31 '15 at 05:57
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    @erreka please have a closer look to the linked question: for each editor you will find: Platforms:, for example for TeXnicCenter: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10. The reader get a very good overview for all, not only windows based, editors for (La)TeX ... – Mensch Oct 31 '15 at 06:22
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    The only editor that I know can follow the source in the pdf is TeXWorks, which comes with MikTeX (which can install packages on the fly, Windows) and with TeXLive (which doesn't install packages automatically, Linux). TeXWorks -> menu Window -> Option "Auto-follow focus". BTW, automatic install of packages is overrated, just install everything. – alfC Oct 31 '15 at 06:25
  • @alfC: Do you know if there is a option to compile quickly with TeXWorks? TeXWorks is my go-to, but only at the end of creating each document. TeXWorks can automatically compile the doc with pdftex followed by bibtex, which is necessary for citation to work. But it's really slow. – Argyll Nov 01 '15 at 07:24
  • Do you mean that it is slower than with other methods? Which one? For compilation it shouldn't run bibtex if the database was not changed. I am not saying it is not slow, but in that case you should consider partial compilation using \include and \includeonly chapter by chapter. – alfC Nov 01 '15 at 17:39
  • Yah, compare to quickbuild in TeXmaker, pdfTeX in TeXworks is much slower – Argyll Nov 03 '15 at 05:07
  • @alfC: For longer reports, I do use include. But for usual documents, where quickbuild in TeXmaker compiles within a second, the options in TeXworks requires a much more significant wait – Argyll Nov 03 '15 at 05:22
  • I don't know why TeXMaker "quick build" would be faster than TeXworks "Typeset". Maybe because it runs only once and skips bibtex? Try to see what is the quick build actual command and add it to TeXworks Typeseting configuration (in preferences). (a reference: http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/147817/what-is-the-default-command-for-quick-build-in-texmaker) – alfC Nov 03 '15 at 16:53
  • I think skipping bibtex is all it does. And then I think it has a refresh bibliography option that runs pdflex+bibtex+pdftex. Still I find the pdflatex only option in TeXworks slower – Argyll Nov 05 '15 at 02:56

3 Answers3

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miktex with Texniccenter and sumatrapdf would be my choice; tough nowadays I prefer w32tex with notepad2 instead. Install the first combo in that order, iirc.

By the way: the ability to install packages on the fly belongs to the miktex distro, which already has the Texworks editor and dvi/pdf previewers preinstalled; so if you stick to miktex+Texworks you should be fine.

jarnosc
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TexMaker or TexStudio are my recommendation. TexStudio is a bifurcation of TexMaker with more options. Just Compile the Pdf, right click on it and the cursor goes in editor exactly to the word you clicked on the pdf. You can easily compile just pressing a keyboard bottom. They also have a lot of installed packages, but not all.

user279806
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  • TexStudio does 1 but doesnt do 4. Though it's already an improvement from what I am using. Thank you! – Argyll Nov 03 '15 at 08:58
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Texmaker is pretty good. It has the ability to show you the page of the pdf that you're located in in the code so where you just edited most likely. It can locate latex code to the corresponding pdf section and has a quick build feature that compiles quick. Also has a load of other features.

It does not automatically install missing packages though. Can't win them all I suppose.

tangosierra
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  • Texmaker actually does install automatically if you install MikTeX first. (Except those that install with a make file which only works on unix systems.) But it can't follow where edit conveniently. Do you know if there is a keyboard short-cut that can trigger the view pdf function? – Argyll Nov 01 '15 at 07:26