FormaTeX VS Code Extension

Compile LaTeX using the FormaTeX API directly from VS Code, and optionally sync FormaTeX cloud projects straight into your editor.

Install

• Marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=formatex-io.formatex
• Extension ID: formatex-io.formatex

Features

Local compile

• Secure API key storage using VS Code Secret Storage
• Compile current .tex document, a selected .tex file, or a full project with automatic dependency packaging (\input/\include/\bibliography/\includegraphics)
• Syntax check without full compilation
• Choose a compile engine (FormaTeX: Select Compile Engine) — Auto (FormaTeX's smart engine detection), pdflatex, xelatex, lualatex, or latexmk
• Compiled PDF opens automatically beside your source as a live-updating preview
• Save output PDFs to .formatex/output
• Show compile logs and diagnostics

Cloud projects

• Projects panel in the Activity Bar — browse, open, and manage your FormaTeX cloud projects
• Open a project as a virtual workspace (formatex://) with edits synced automatically, or download it to a local folder
• Conflict detection: if a file changes on the server while you're editing it locally, you're prompted to overwrite or reload rather than silently losing either version
• Add as Cloud Project: right-click any local .tex file to turn it into a new FormaTeX cloud project. The extension detects the project root and file set automatically by following the file's \input/\include/\bibliography/\includegraphics references — so picking a .tex nested inside a larger repo only uploads that subfolder, not your whole codebase
• Rename/delete cloud files, compile a cloud project, open it in the browser, copy its ID

Commands

• FormaTeX: Set API Key
• FormaTeX: Clear API Key
• FormaTeX: Compile Current Document
• FormaTeX: Compile Selected File
• FormaTeX: Compile Project
• FormaTeX: Check Syntax
• FormaTeX: Select Compile Engine
• FormaTeX: Add as Cloud Project
• FormaTeX: Open Last PDF
• FormaTeX: Show Compile Output
• FormaTeX: Show Usage
• FormaTeX: Show Project Actions
• FormaTeX: Open Project / Open Project Locally / Open Project in Browser
• FormaTeX: Compile Cloud Project
• FormaTeX: Refresh Project Files
• FormaTeX: Copy Project ID
• FormaTeX: Open File / Rename File / Delete File

Quick Start

1. Install the extension from Marketplace.
2. Run FormaTeX: Set API Key from the command palette.
3. Open a .tex file in VS Code, right-click, and choose:
   • FormaTeX: Compile Current Document
   • FormaTeX: Compile Selected File
   • FormaTeX: Compile Project
   • FormaTeX: Add as Cloud Project — to turn a local file/folder into a synced FormaTeX cloud project

Compiled PDFs open automatically beside your editor and are also saved in .formatex/output.

To work with existing cloud projects, open the FormaTeX panel in the Activity Bar.

Screenshots