PyLaTeX 0.5

A Python library for creating LaTeX files

PyLaTeX is a Python library for creating LaTeX files. The goal of this library is being an easy, but extensible interface between Python and LaTeX.

Features

The library contains some basic features I have had the need for so far. Currently those are:

• Document generation and compilation

• Section, table, math and package classes

• A matrix class that can compile NumPy ndarrays and matrices to LaTeX

• An escape function

• Bold and italic functions

• Every class has a dump method, which writes the output to a filepointer

Everything else you want you can still add to the document by adding LaTeX formatted strings instead of classes or regular strings.

Dependencies

• Python 3.x or Python 2.7

• pdflatex (only if you want to compile the tex file)

• NumPy (only if you want to convert it’s matrixes)

• ordered-set

Installation

pip install pylatex

Example

import numpy as np

from pylatex import Document, Section, Subsection, Table, Math, TikZ, Axis,         Plot
from pylatex.numpy import Matrix
from pylatex.utils import italic

doc = Document()
section = Section('Yaay the first section, it can even be ' + italic('italic'))

section.append('Some regular text')

math = Subsection('Math that is incorrect', data=[Math(data=['2*3', '=', 9])])

section.append(math)
table = Table('rc|cl')
table.add_hline()
table.add_row((1, 2, 3, 4))
table.add_hline(1, 2)
table.add_empty_row()
table.add_row((4, 5, 6, 7))

table = Subsection('Table of something', data=[table])

section.append(table)

a = np.array([[100, 10, 20]]).T
M = np.matrix([[2, 3, 4],
               [0, 0, 1],
               [0, 0, 2]])

math = Math(data=[Matrix(M), Matrix(a), '=', Matrix(M*a)])
equation = Subsection('Matrix equation', data=[math])

section.append(equation)

tikz = TikZ()

axis = Axis(options='height=6cm, width=6cm, grid=major')

plot1 = Plot(name='model', func='-x^5 - 242')
coordinates = [
    (-4.77778, 2027.60977),
    (-3.55556, 347.84069),
    (-2.33333, 22.58953),
    (-1.11111, -493.50066),
    (0.11111, 46.66082),
    (1.33333, -205.56286),
    (2.55556, -341.40638),
    (3.77778, -1169.24780),
    (5.00000, -3269.56775),
]

plot2 = Plot(name='estimate', coordinates=coordinates)

axis.append(plot1)
axis.append(plot2)

tikz.append(axis)

plot_section = Subsection('Random graph', data=[tikz])

section.append(plot_section)

doc.append(section)

doc.generate_pdf()

This code will generate this:

Future development

I will keep adding functionality I need to this library, an interface for graphics and math will probably be added in a future version.

If you add a feature yourself, or fix a bug, please send a pull request.

You can submit issues, but it will not be my priority to fix them. My job and education are a bit higher on the priority list.

Support

This library is being developed in and for Python 3. Because of a conversion script the current version also works in Python 2.7. For futere versions, no such promise will be made. Uncompatible Python 3 features will not be headed to keep supporting Python 2.7.

The platform this library is developed for is Linux. I have no intention to write fixes or test for platform specific bugs. Pull requests that fix those are always welcome though.

Copyright and License

Copyright 2014 Jelte Fennema, under the MIT license.