Rxiv-Maker VS Code Extension

🔗 Companion extension for Rxiv-Maker - The automated LaTeX article generation system

A VS Code extension that brings the power of Rxiv-Maker directly into your editor. Transform scientific manuscript writing with enhanced markdown features, intelligent autocompletion, and seamless integration with the rxiv-maker workflow.

This extension provides syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, and project management tools for rxiv-markdown - the enhanced markdown syntax that bridges the gap between easy writing and professional LaTeX output.

About Rxiv-Maker

Rxiv-Maker is an automated LaTeX article generation system that transforms scientific writing from chaos to clarity. It converts Markdown manuscripts into publication-ready PDFs with reproducible figures, professional typesetting, and zero LaTeX hassle.

The platform bridges the gap between easy writing (Markdown) and beautiful output (LaTeX), featuring automated figure generation from Python/R scripts and Mermaid diagrams, seamless citation management, and integration with GitHub Actions for cloud-based PDF generation.

VS Code Extension Features

🎨 Syntax Highlighting: Custom syntax highlighting for rxiv-maker markdown files (.rxm)
💡 Citation Completion: IntelliSense for bibliography entries from 03_REFERENCES.bib
🔗 Cross-reference Completion: Autocompletion for @fig:, @table:, @eq:, @snote: references
✅ YAML Validation: Schema validation for 00_CONFIG.yml configuration files
⚡ Project Commands: Insert citations, figure references, and validate project structure
🏗️ Integrated Workflow: Direct access to rxiv-maker build, validate, and clean commands

Key Benefits for VS Code Users

Enhanced Productivity: Write manuscripts with intelligent autocompletion and syntax highlighting
Error Prevention: Real-time validation catches configuration errors and missing references
Seamless Integration: Access all rxiv-maker features directly from VS Code
Professional Writing: Focus on content while the extension handles formatting and references
Team Collaboration: Consistent experience across team members using VS Code

Supported Rxiv-Markdown Syntax

📋 Complete Rxiv-Markdown Feature List

Markdown Element	LaTeX Equivalent	Description
Basic Text Formatting
`bold text`	`\textbf{bold text}`	Bold formatting for emphasis
`italic text`	`\textit{italic text}`	Italic formatting for emphasis
`~subscript~`	`\textsubscript{subscript}`	Subscript formatting (H~2~O, CO~2~)
`^superscript^`	`\textsuperscript{superscript}`	Superscript formatting (E=mc^2^, x^n^)
Document Structure
`# Header 1`	`\section{Header 1}`	Top-level section heading
`## Header 2`	`\subsection{Header 2}`	Second-level section heading
`### Header 3`	`\subsubsection{Header 3}`	Third-level section heading
Lists
`- list item`	`\begin{itemize}\item...\end{itemize}`	Unordered list
`1. list item`	`\begin{enumerate}\item...\end{enumerate}`	Ordered list
Links and URLs
`[link text](https://github.com/HenriquesLab/vscode-rxiv-maker/blob/HEAD/url)`	`\href{url}{link text}`	Hyperlink with custom text
`https://example.com`	`\url{https://example.com}`	Bare URL
Citations
`@citation`	`\cite{citation}`	Single citation reference
`[@cite1;@cite2]`	`\cite{cite1,cite2}`	Multiple citation references
Cross-References
`@fig:label`	`\ref{fig:label}`	Figure cross-reference
`@sfig:label`	`\ref{sfig:label}`	Supplementary figure cross-reference
`@table:label`	`\ref{table:label}`	Table cross-reference
`@stable:label`	`\ref{stable:label}`	Supplementary table cross-reference
`@eq:label`	`\eqref{eq:label}`	Equation cross-reference
`@snote:label`	`\ref{snote:label}`	Supplement note cross-reference
Tables and Figures
Markdown table	`\begin{table}...\end{table}`	Table with automatic formatting
Image with caption	`\begin{figure}...\end{figure}`	Figure with separate caption
Document Control
`<!-- comment -->`	`% comment`	Comments (converted to LaTeX style)
`<newpage>`	`\newpage`	Manual page break control
`<clearpage>`	`\clearpage`	Page break with float clearing

Installation

Install from VS Code Marketplace: Search for "Rxiv-Maker"
Or install from VSIX: Download the latest release and install manually

Usage

Open a workspace containing rxiv-maker files
Create or open .rxm files, 01_MAIN.md, or 02_SUPPLEMENTARY_INFO.md
Use Ctrl+Space for autocompletion of citations and references
Access commands via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)

File Recognition

The extension automatically activates when it detects:

Files with .rxm extension
01_MAIN.md (main manuscript)
02_SUPPLEMENTARY_INFO.md (supplementary information)
00_CONFIG.yml (configuration file)

Advanced Features

Figure metadata: {#fig:label width="50%" tex_position="t"}
Math expressions: $inline$ , $$block$$, $$equation$$ {#eq:label}
Scientific notation: ~subscript~, ^superscript^
Document control: <newpage>, <clearpage>

Available Commands

Access these commands through the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

Rxiv-Maker: Insert Citation - Insert bibliography citation
Rxiv-Maker: Insert Figure Reference - Insert figure reference
Rxiv-Maker: Add Bibliography Entry by DOI - Add new bibliography entry
Rxiv-Maker: Validate - Check project structure and files
Rxiv-Maker: Build PDF - Generate PDF from manuscript
Rxiv-Maker: Clean - Clean build artifacts

Project Structure

This extension works with the standard rxiv-maker project structure:

your-manuscript/
├── 00_CONFIG.yml           # Project configuration (validated)
├── 01_MAIN.md             # Main manuscript (syntax highlighted)
├── 02_SUPPLEMENTARY_INFO.md # Supplementary information (optional)
├── 03_REFERENCES.bib      # Bibliography (autocompletion source)
├── FIGURES/               # Figure generation scripts
│   ├── fig_01.py         # Python figure script
│   ├── fig_02.R          # R figure script
│   └── fig_03.mmd        # Mermaid diagram
└── output/                # Generated PDFs and artifacts

Requirements

VS Code: Version 1.101.0 or higher
Rxiv-Maker: Install the main rxiv-maker system for full functionality
Project Files: Standard rxiv-maker project structure

For full manuscript generation capabilities, see the Rxiv-Maker documentation.

Getting Started with Rxiv-Maker

New to Rxiv-Maker? Choose your preferred setup:

Setup Type	Best For	Requirements	Time
Google Colab	Beginners	Google account	2 min
GitHub Actions	Team collaboration	GitHub account	5 min
Local Install	Full control	Python 3.11+, LaTeX	10-30 min

How to Cite

If you use Rxiv-Maker or this VS Code extension in your research, please cite our work:

BibTeX:

@misc{saraiva2025rxivmakerautomatedtemplateengine,
      title={Rxiv-Maker: An Automated Template Engine for Streamlined Scientific Publications}, 
      author={Bruno M. Saraiva and Guillaume Jaquemet and Ricardo Henriques},
      year={2025},
      eprint={2508.00836},
      archivePrefix={arXiv},
      primaryClass={cs.DL},
      url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00836}, 
}

APA Style: Saraiva, B. M., Jacquemet, G., & Henriques, R. (2025). Rxiv-Maker: an automated template engine for streamlined scientific publications. Arxiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2508.00836

Rxiv-Maker - Main automated LaTeX article generation system
Rxiv-Maker Documentation - Complete usage guide
GitHub Actions Guide - Cloud-based PDF generation

Contributing

We welcome contributions to both the extension and the main rxiv-maker project!

Extension Issues: Report here
Main Project: Contributing Guide

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details. Use it, modify it, share it freely.

Rxiv-Maker

HenriquesLab