Frequently loaded packages: Differences between pdfLaTeX and XeLaTeX

Question

Until now, I have been compiling my LaTeX documents with pdfLaTeX. My standard document preamble includes the "usual suspects" for non-English speakers (inputenc, fontenc, babel) and a bunch of other packages. Assuming I were to convert to XeLaTeX, what modifications of my preamble are advisable? I'm aware that the expansion=true option of the microtype package is not (yet) available for XeLaTeX, and that fontspec is sort of a default package for OpenType fonts. What other packages (and package options) should be removed and, vice versa, incorporated when switching from pdfLaTeX to XeLaTeX?

Related question -- the same for LuaLaTeX: Frequently loaded packages: Differences between pdfLaTeX and LuaLaTeX — doncherry, Sep 22 '12 at 19:37

score 142 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

142

Don't load inputenc or fontenc manually; use UTF-8 input and the fontspec package instead
Don't load the textcomp package; if you want macros to enter varios symbols, load the xunicode package (EDIT BY LOCKSTEP: According to Ulrike Fischer, "[i]n a current system you don't need to load xunicode at all, fontspec will do it at the correct place")
Use polyglossia instead of babel
For OpenType math support, use unicode-math instead of amsfonts/amssymb etc. (but amsmath can/should still be used).
The xltxtra package isn't necessary any more

Everything in this list is probably valid for LuaLaTeX, too, with the exception of xunicode, which requires XeTeX.

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

Community

1

answered Sep 11 '10 at 21:13

Philipp

17,641

I've noticed the xltxtra package - is this essential or only "nice to have"? – lockstep Sep 11 '10 at 21:26
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@lockstep: nowadays (TL2010) xltxtra isn't really necessary at all; all of its essential components have been incorporated into fontspec. – Will Robertson Sep 12 '10 at 03:24
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What about the textcomp package - is this redundant/wrong when using XeLaTeX? – lockstep Sep 13 '10 at 19:54
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The textcomp package provides access to symbols from the TS1 encoding. In XeLaTeX, these can be directly entered or accessed via the macros from the xunicode package. So I'd say that textcomp is wrong and should be left out or replaced by xunicode. – Philipp Sep 14 '10 at 08:08
I've always found fontenc to be useful. – Marcin Oct 10 '10 at 16:34
fontenc can be used for Type1 fonts in old font encoding. In fact fontspec itself loads fontenc and set EU1 as default encoding. It's OK to use more font encodings like T1, LY1, etc. – Leo Liu Aug 12 '11 at 16:04
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amssymb and other math font packages can still be used. In fact, usually we still use Type1 fonts without unicode-math, e.g. Latin Modern by default. And font packages like euler, txfonts, cmbright, mathdesign ... are still very useful when using XeTeX. There are only very few OpenType math fonts, AFAIK only 4 are free: LM, Asana, XITS, Euler. – Leo Liu Aug 12 '11 at 16:14
@Leo: I've made the suggestions a bit more detailed. – Philipp Aug 12 '11 at 18:19
What is the replacement for babel/polyglossia when using LuaLaTeX? – JLDiaz May 02 '12 at 09:49
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@JLDiaz : the latest versions of polyglossia (1.3.x May 2013) are compatible with LuaLaTeX. They are included in TexLive 2013 (currently under test). – ogerard Jun 17 '13 at 08:39

matth · Answer 2 · 2014-02-16T13:17:48.133

Trying to implement all the answers and comments given in this thread using the ifxetex package, I ended up with the following code for my preamble. It allows to switch forth and back anytime between pdflatex and xelatex as compiler. Note: When switching the compiler, one should delete the .aux files.

\documentclass[
    a4paper,
    ngerman
]{scrbook}

\usepackage{amsmath}

\usepackage{ifxetex}
\ifxetex
    % XeLaTeX
    \usepackage{polyglossia}
    \setmainlanguage[spelling=new,babelshorthands=true]{german}
    \usepackage{fontspec}
    \usepackage[]{unicode-math}
    \setmainfont{XITS}
    \setmathfont{XITS Math}
\else
    % default: pdfLaTeX
    \usepackage{babel}
    \usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
    %\usepackage{lmodern}
    \usepackage[adobe-utopia]{mathdesign}
    \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
    \usepackage[babel=true]{microtype}
\fi

% some more packages like csquotes, biblatex, hyperref

\begin{document}
...
\end{document}

I had to load the amsmath package before the XeLaTeX setmathfont command to avoid the error \dddot already defined. With MiKTeX 2.9 one has to manually install the XITS fonts using the MiKTeX package manager.

Since polyglossia-1.2 you need to set the language explicitly with \setmainlanguage instead of relying on the class/package-option. — bodo, Feb 16 '14 at 13:14
@canaaerus Thanks, now setting the main ployglossia language explicitly. — matth, Feb 16 '14 at 13:18

score 34 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 10 '10 at 20:56

34

Apart from the packages you mentioned, the only difference that I have is that I don’t load the inputenc package and don’t set a font encoding.

Furthermore, you should remove any explicit driver names if you have given them in options to packages (e.g. hyperref or xcolor). These driver names are wrong at worst and redundant at best, since the packages do find the correct driver automatically when loaded within xelatex.

answered Sep 10 '10 at 20:56

Konrad Rudolph

39,394
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Thanks for reminding me that package options may also have to be modified - I've edited my question accordingly. Regarding driver name options, my understanding is that they are "bad practice" in both pfdLateX and XeLaTeX. – lockstep Sep 10 '10 at 21:01
2

@lockstep: yes, they are. But I distinctly remember that a few years ago I needed them to get things to work. Not sure if that was my own incompetence or if the packages have gotten better at recognizing the processor. – Konrad Rudolph Sep 11 '10 at 08:13
11

Driver options are required if and only if you want to post-process a DVI file with something other than dvips (e.g., dvipdfmx). – Philipp Sep 11 '10 at 21:15

Frequently loaded packages: Differences between pdfLaTeX and XeLaTeX

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