latex2arxiv
arXiv pre-flight validation for LaTeX projects, surfaced as VS Code diagnostics.
Stop discovering submission errors only after arXiv rejects your zip. This extension catches arXiv-specific issues — \usepackage{minted}, \today inside \date{}, .eps images, file-size limits, biblatex/biber flow, encoding traps — while you're still writing, and produces a clean, ready-to-upload zip with one command.
Features
- 🔍 Inline diagnostics for arXiv-specific issues, mapped to the exact
.tex file and line
- 📦 One-click clean —
Clean for arXiv produces a submission-ready zip
- 🪧 Status-bar summary — errors and warnings at a glance
- 💾 Validate on save (opt-in) — fast feedback loop
- 🎯 Auto-detects the main
.tex — override per project via setting
Quick start
- Install the CLI:
pip install latex2arxiv
# or, on macOS:
brew tap YuZh98/latex2arxiv && brew install latex2arxiv
- Open a LaTeX project in VS Code.
Cmd+Shift+P → latex2arxiv: Validate.- Inspect the Problems panel and the status-bar item.
What gets validated
Every check the underlying latex2arxiv CLI performs, including:
- arXiv submission rules — file-size limits,
.eps vs .pdf, hidden files, __MACOSX/ cruft, BOM markers, suspicious filename characters
- Engine quirks —
\usepackage{minted} (not available on arXiv), biblatex + biber flow, \subfile resolution, \graphicspath
- Date traps —
\today inside \date{} (renders to upload date, not submission date)
- Bibliography — missing
.bib, mismatched \bibliographystyle, biber-only commands
- Project hygiene — unused
\inputs, missing referenced files, encoding mismatches
Full check list and JSON output schema: docs/json-schema.md.
Commands
| Command |
Action |
latex2arxiv: Validate |
Runs latex2arxiv --dry-run on the workspace. Errors and warnings populate the Problems panel. |
latex2arxiv: Clean for arXiv |
Full conversion. On success, reveals the output zip in Explorer. |
Settings
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
latex2arxiv.executablePath |
string |
"latex2arxiv" |
Path to the CLI. Use an absolute path if not on PATH. |
latex2arxiv.validateOnSave |
boolean |
false |
Re-validate whenever a .tex file is saved. |
latex2arxiv.mainFile |
string |
"" |
Filename of the main .tex (e.g. main.tex). Auto-detected if empty. |
Status bar
The status-bar item summarises the most recent validation:
| State |
Meaning |
$(check) arXiv |
No issues. Submission-ready. |
$(warning) arXiv: 3W |
Warnings only. Submission allowed; review first. |
$(error) arXiv: 2E 3W |
Errors block submission. |
$(warning) arXiv: not installed |
CLI not found on PATH. |
Click the item to re-run validation.
How locations are inferred
Diagnostics map to file:line by regex-searching .tex sources for the pattern that triggered each check (e.g. \usepackage{minted}, \today inside \date{}, .eps filename in \includegraphics). Checks without a precise location (project-level size warnings, encoding warnings on directories, etc.) are routed to Output → latex2arxiv instead.
Requirements
- VS Code ≥ 1.85.0
latex2arxiv CLI (Python ≥ 3.10) on PATH. See the main repo for all install options.
Troubleshooting
"arXiv: not installed" in status bar. The CLI isn't on PATH. Two fixes:
- Install it:
pip install latex2arxiv (or brew install latex2arxiv on macOS).
- Or point the extension at the binary: settings →
latex2arxiv.executablePath → absolute path (e.g. /usr/local/bin/latex2arxiv, ~/.venv/bin/latex2arxiv).
Validate-on-save isn't firing. Enable latex2arxiv.validateOnSave in settings (off by default to avoid surprising users).
Diagnostic shows in Output panel, not Problems. Expected: the check has no precise file:line (e.g. project-level size warnings, encoding warnings on directories). The full message is in Output → latex2arxiv.
Wrong file is treated as main. Set latex2arxiv.mainFile explicitly (e.g. "main.tex"). Auto-detection picks the file with the most \input references — fine for single-paper projects, ambiguous for multi-paper repos.
Bibliography errors I don't see in the regular LaTeX build. The arXiv flow uses bibtex (legacy) by default. If your project uses biblatex + biber, the CLI validates that flow too — re-run Validate after editing your .bib.
Contributing
This extension is a thin wrapper around the latex2arxiv CLI. Bug reports, feature requests, and PRs welcome at the main repo issues.
Local dev:
git clone https://github.com/YuZh98/latex2arxiv.git
cd latex2arxiv/vscode-extension
npm install
npm run compile
# Press F5 in VS Code to launch the Extension Development Host
Links
