

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:
How to Cite

If you use Rxiv-Maker or this VS Code extension in your research, please cite our work:
BibTeX:
@article{saraiva_2025_rxivmaker,
author = {Saraiva, Bruno M. and Jacquemet, Guillaume and Henriques, Ricardo},
title = {Rxiv-Maker: an automated template engine for streamlined scientific publications},
journal = {Zenodo},
publisher = {Zenodo},
year = 2025,
month = jul,
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.15753534},
url = {https://zenodo.org/records/15753534},
eprint = {https://zenodo.org/records/15753534/files/2025__saraiva_et_al__rxiv.pdf}
}
APA Style:
Saraiva, B. M., Jacquemet, G., & Henriques, R. (2025). Rxiv-Maker: an automated template engine for streamlined scientific publications. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15753534
Contributing
We welcome contributions to both the extension and the main rxiv-maker project!
License
MIT License - see LICENSE for details. Use it, modify it, share it freely.
© 2025 Jacquemet and Henriques Labs | Rxiv-Maker
"Because science is hard enough without fighting with LaTeX."