Typetex

A native LaTeX editor for macOS and iPadOS — written entirely in Swift, with an on-device rendering pipeline built on CoreText and CoreGraphics. No TeX binary, no server, no internet connection required.

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Features

On-Device LaTeX Rendering

• Native Swift typesetter — parses LaTeX source into an AST (TexBlock / TexInline) and typesets it into pages using CoreText and CoreGraphics.
• Knuth–Plass optimal line breaking — a full implementation of the classic DP algorithm for high-quality paragraph layout, matching traditional TeX output.
• Math layout engine — supports inline ($...$) and display ($$...$$) math with fractions, radicals, sub/superscripts, operators, and auto-sized delimiters. Renders via CoreGraphics without any JavaScript or web views.
• Multi-column layouts — accurate two-column geometry (e.g., ACM sigconf-style documents) with proper gutter, margins, and page flow.
• Live preview — the typeset preview updates automatically as you type.

Full Compilation via Tectonic (macOS)

• Ships with a TectonicFFI static library — a Rust-compiled build of the Tectonic TeX engine exposed via a C FFI.
• Produces pixel-perfect PDF output from any .tex source, with access to a bundled TeX package archive.
• App Store distributable: no external binaries or TeX distributions required.

VS Code–Style Editor

• Syntax highlighting for LaTeX commands, environments, math, and comments.
• Debounced incremental highlighting (120 ms after last keystroke).
• Line-number gutter with current-line highlight.
• Auto-close for {, [, (, and $.
• ⌘/ comment toggle, Tab/⇧Tab indent/dedent.
• NSTextFinder-based find/replace, jump-to-line.
• Snippet insertion.
• Multiple themes (default, dark, light, …).
• Configurable font family and size.

Workspace & Document Management

• Open any folder as a workspace; all .tex, .bib, .cls, .sty, and related files are scanned and shown in the sidebar.
• SwiftData-backed persistence for documents and workspaces.
• Sidebar tabs: Documents, Outline (sections/chapters), TODOs (% TODO: comments), and Compile Messages (errors/warnings).
• Cascading delete: removing a workspace removes its SwiftData mirrors; files on disk are left untouched.

Templates

Built-in starter templates:

• Standard Article
• ACM CHI sigconf two-column paper
• More coming soon

ACM CHI Test Bench

A built-in comparison view that compiles a sample CHI paper through the full native pipeline, letting you visually diff output against Overleaf or a reference PDF.

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Architecture

LaTeXParser         →  LaTeXRenderer (SwiftUI)
     ↓                       ↓
  TexBlock AST         Lightweight preview
     ↓
TeXTypesetter (CoreText / CoreGraphics)
     ↓
TypesetDocument  →  TeXPageView (SwiftUI canvas)
     ↓
  PDF export (planned)

Key files:

File	Purpose
LaTeXParser.swift	Tokenises LaTeX and produces TexBlock / TexInline AST
LaTeXRenderer.swift	SwiftUI views for quick in-app preview
TeXTypesetter.swift	CoreText-based typesetter: AST → pages + frames
KnuthPlassBreaker.swift	Knuth–Plass DP line-breaking algorithm
MathParser.swift	Recursive-descent math expression parser
MathRenderer.swift	CoreGraphics math layout and drawing engine
TeXPageCanvasView.swift	SwiftUI canvas that draws a TypesetPage
TeXTypes.swift	Shared geometry, font config, counter types
LaTeXEditorView.swift	macOS NSTextView-based editor with syntax highlighting
EditorViewModel.swift	Observable VM: parse state, compile state, preferences
LaTeXProject.swift	SwiftData models: LaTeXWorkspace, LaTeXDocument

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Requirements

Platform	Minimum
macOS	14 Sonoma
iPadOS	17

• Xcode 15+
• Swift 5.9+

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Getting Started

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/jonasgunklach/Typetex.git
   cd Typetex

2. Open Typetex.xcodeproj in Xcode.
3. Select the Typetex scheme and your target device (Mac or iPad simulator).
4. Build and run (⌘R).

Note: The TectonicFFI.xcframework headers and module map are included. The compiled static library (libtectonic_ffi.a, ~200 MB) is excluded from git. To enable full Tectonic compilation, build the library from tectonic-typesetting/tectonic and drop it into TectonicFFI.xcframework/macos-arm64/. The native on-device renderer works without it.

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Roadmap

• Full PDF export from the native typesetter
• BibTeX / citation auto-complete
• iOS (iPhone) support
• iCloud Drive workspace sync
• Spell-check and grammar hints

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License

MIT — see LICENSE for details.