0

My TeXstudio file is huge. When I make changes on one page/segment only (or the like), I'd like to recompile it quickly. How?

Criteria:

I don't want to split the file into multiple files. Moreover, I'd prefer to have the whole file in the pdf. Therefore, "Preview" or \includeonly or the like is not the solution. A fortiori, as Preview seems to produce errors unless you apply it to very small segments.

(However, I present those two solutions as "answers" below and explain there how you could use them, although they don't fulfill these criteria. Based on the comments, memoize or something else might work better. Maybe somebody could work that out to a solution I could accept?)

However, I'd be fine with slight "bugs", such as the changes not affecting the other files even if they should (e.g., a changing theorem number on the one segment need not be updated elsewhere or vice versa). (After all, I can make a full compile when I'm ready with these small, quick edits and compiles.)

Moreover, I'd be fine with me having to add some macros here and there, unless I have to do that every time I compile.

Additional question: is there a decent way TeXstudio could be improved to make this easy (by its developers)?

It seems that very many people have roughly the same problem, so you can present several competing solutions.

Improve this question
20
  • 1
    Preview: Select part of the code. Right-click and select "Preview ...". You'll see a preview of its compiled version in the code window (instead of the pdf window), but often this fails ("Process exited with error(s)") and this seems to work for small pieces only. tex.stackexchange.com/questions/444752/… Commented Sep 17, 2025 at 10:21
  • 1
    If you think neither Preview nor splitting into sub-files is a solution, there isn't another solution but: TeX itself Always needs complete documents. So the only other guess would bei to use a package like comment to virtual split your document in parts to be used and parts to bei ignored. But this also breaks cross references and will never generate a complete document but only a partial one. Commented Sep 17, 2025 at 10:31
  • 1
    AFAIK LaTeX does not support partial compilations and assembling from those. So there is little an IDE can do. The best route you can take in my view is using subfiles and compile them individually during developing content, and the whole document close to the finish line. // Find an example e.g. here: tex.stackexchange.com/a/688740/245790 Commented Sep 17, 2025 at 10:33
  • 3
    If you would split the document into multiple .tex files, you could use the subfiles package to compile only the current one, use xr-hyper to get labels/pagenumbers from the main document and then use pdfpages to include all the previous and following pages from your main document into the subdocument. This way you would end up with a complete pdf. Commented Sep 17, 2025 at 11:01
  • 3
    in a pdf all objects are referened by byte offsets within the file which makes incremental compilation (with any system, not just latex) practically impossible. Commented Sep 17, 2025 at 13:09

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
0

By using the subfiles structure you can easily compile each subfile alone.

By using includeonly, instead (or in addition), you can select which files are included in the document, thus, e.g., compiling just one subfile.

Both have the same disadvantages:

  • You only see the compiled part of the document (keep a pdf-copy of the latest fully compiled version and see it for the other parts).
  • To search[-replace] all subfiles at once, you have to, e.g., use these TeXstudio features.
  • cross-references etc. do not work.
  • If you need to upload multiple files to Overleaf, see that link.
Improve this answer
-1
  1. Select part of the code.
  2. Right-click and select Preview ....

(Similarly, right-click & Clear Inline Preview to remove it.)

You'll see a preview of the compiled version of that selected part in the code window (instead of the pdf window).

However, often this fails ("Process exited with error(s)") and this seems to work for small pieces only.

Therefore, this seems reasonable only in some special cases. More details: How can I only compile and show a part of an document in TeXStudio

More partial solutions in the comments below.

Improve this answer
2
  • memoize looks like a better solution than this or the other answer by me (except in some cases). See the comments to the question for details. Would somebody write an answer based on it? Preferably, also list its pros and cons. Moreover, I'd prefer others to edit my two answers or write their own ones on the same subject, because I am not an expert on these two solutions, either. These are not at all as clear and simple for users to apply as they could. Likely, my links are not the best possible ones, either. Commented Sep 18, 2025 at 10:14
  • Add \end{document} right after the part you are interested in. \newcommand{\hide}[1]{} Then \hide{ ...} around a huge slow part of the text. Both are imperfect but fairly quick solutions and do not require splitting the file into multiple files. Commented Sep 19, 2025 at 14:59

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.