ColabTex

ColabTex is a VS Code extension pack for LaTeX workflows, bundling essential tooling so users can start writing and compiling LaTeX projects quickly.

What it includes

• LaTeX Workshop (James-Yu.latex-workshop) via extensionPack and extensionDependencies.

Commands

• colabtex.helloWorld
• colabtex.runSetupCheck
• colabtex.setOpenAIApiKey
• colabtex.clearOpenAIApiKey
• colabtex.previewProposedChanges
• colabtex.applyProposedChanges
• colabtex.discardProposedChanges
• colabtex.buildLatexOptional

Development

• npm install
• npm run compile
• F5 (Run Extension)

Note: In the Extension Development Host, VS Code may not auto-install extension packs. Validate pack behavior with a VSIX or via Marketplace install.

Smoke tests (manual)

1. Ask the chat to create intro.tex and link it from main.tex.
2. Run ColabTex: Preview Proposed Changes and verify the diff.
3. Run ColabTex: Apply Proposed Changes or ColabTex: Discard Proposed Changes.
4. Select a paragraph and ask the chat to improve it; verify the diff only touches the selection.
5. (Optional) Run ColabTex: Build LaTeX (optional) and inspect the Output channel/log.

Routing (chat vs edit)

The chat routes messages to either:

• Chat mode: conceptual questions, no file changes.
• Edit mode: deterministic triggers (file mention, edit verbs, LaTeX patterns, or selection + improve verbs).

Examples:

• "Escribí Agustín en \author{Your Name Here} en CV.tex" -> edit mode.
• "en ese archivo escribí una plantilla básica para CV académico" -> edit mode.
• "mejorá este párrafo" (with selection) -> edit mode.
• "qué es un .aux" -> chat mode.

Sticky target behavior

When an edit request is followed by another edit-like instruction without a file path, ColabTex keeps a sticky target (last edited file) for a short time. This ensures follow-up commands apply to the same document.

License

MIT