As most Java developers using Eclipse IDE, I prefer to use it for everything. All right, I’m not using Eclipse to control my media player, but I’m using it for publishing.
Since my project work, I’m a TeX user and not a MS Word user. Even if I’m pretty good in using old MS Office, I’m completely lost with MS Office 2007. Beside of this fact, I like the way how you create documents using LaTex because it is similar to coding – you write you source code and compile the output.
Publishing in LaTeX under Windows is possible using MikTeX. In addition you need an editor. Under Linux, one would use vi or emacs. For Windows several alternatives are possible: WinEDT that is good, but a commercial product or TexnicCenter which is a good freeware editor. The problem with both of them is: they only support editing and not other activities around the publishing. Especially, activity that is of utmost importance for me is versioning of the artifacts. Version control systems are excellent integrated in Eclipse, and with help of Texlipse you get the entire environment needed for LaTeX publishing.
One feature, I missed all the time using Texlipse was spell checking. It was supported by Texlipse since 2005, but I got it not configured. Today, after my professor told me once again to use a spellchecker, I promised to set up the Aspell inside of Texlipse. With some help from Gedankenstrom and reading the aspell help I got it. Here is a short description (I assume that Texlipse is successfully installed).
- Download Aspell.
- Install Aspell (to any! directory) and dictionaries.
- Open Preferences->Texlipse->Spell Checker
- Enter the Aspell command (a complete path to aspell.exe)
- Correct Aspell arguments to -a -t –lang=%language
- Open Preferences->Texlipse->Spell Checker->Environment
- Create a new environment variable with key: prefix and value:
path-to-your-aspell-directory, using / insted of \. - Press Ctrl + Shift + 6 for spell checking
Technorati tags: eclipse, texlipse, publishing, aspell, latex
