What this paper wants to talk about is not only the simple configuration of $\LaTeX$in vscode. After two years’ accumulation of writing $\LaTeX$, I found that “proficient in $\LaTeX$” is not only able to memorize some common codes, but more importantly, to make good use of various related software, plug-ins and websites, so as to make my writing and typesetting more efficient. However, tools are not the more the better, if a tool can achieve a variety of functions, it is actually redundant to install an additional software, I always think that in the case of similar functions to choose a plug-in is better than the use of the website, the next is to download an additional software. What I want to talk about below are some tools for making writing $\LaTeX$more efficient.

vscode Link to heading

Configure $\LaTeX$ Link to heading

On how to download vscode, $\LaTeX$distribution, no more details, Zhihu or csdn can find the corresponding tutorial. Here’s how to configure $\LaTeX$.

$\LaTeX$There’s nothing wrong with it Link to heading

Before configuration, you must determine whether $\LaTeX$has been successfully downloaded, by opening its own lightweight editor TexWork to see if running a simple tex file succeeds.

Install the corresponding plug-in on vscode Link to heading

You only need to install the LaTeX Workshop plug-in, and other relevant plug-ins are optional (the test only needs this plug-in to run successfully), or you can install it later when you have time.

Fill in the configuration file Link to heading

Search for ‘Open User settings’ at the top of vscode, select the first one that pops up here, and open the’ Settings.json ‘file. ! alt text If you have configured other languages with vscode before, then you should also actively or passively change this file (that is, automatically add content to the file in the background of the selection), please keep your previous content without deleting, plus the following code, if your vscode is a new download, then you can rest assured to delete everything in this file. Put directly into the code below, save, exit. (The last piece of python code does not need to be copied; it is from when I wrote python.)

{
"latex-workshop.latex.tools": [
{
"name": "xelatex",
"command": "xelatex",
"args": [
"-synctex=1",
"-interaction=nonstopmode",
"-file-line-error",
"%DOC%"
]
},
{
"name": "pdflatex",
"command": "pdflatex",
"args": [
"-synctex=1",
"-interaction=nonstopmode",
"-file-line-error",
"%DOC%"
]
},

{
"name": "bibtex",
"command": "bibtex",
"args": [
"%DOCFILE%"
]
}
],
"latex-workshop.latex.recipes": [
{
"name": "xelatex",
"tools": [
"xelatex"
]
},
{
"name": "pdflatex",
"tools": [
"pdflatex"
]

},
{
"name": "xe->bib->xe->xe",
"tools": [
"xelatex",
"bibtex",
"xelatex",
"xelatex"
]
},
{
"name": "pdflatex -> bibtex -> pdflatex*2",
"tools": [
"pdflatex",
"bibtex",
"pdflatex",
"pdflatex"
]
}
],
// The following is what I have left behind when I configured python, so I will not delete it
// // // // // // // // // // // //
"python.defaultInterpreterPath": "E:\\newdownloadapp\\anaconda\\python.exe",
// // // // // // // // // // // // // //
}
` ` `
Some details about this configuration file are described in the "Personalization Change Configuration" (## Personalization Change configuration) section, but please follow the guide sequence and successfully compile before making personalization adjustments
### Compile articles with two-way retrieval
### Compile article and view
At this time, please open a tex file that can be correctly compiled, click the green button in the upper right corner to start compiling, at this time, the lower left corner will turn around, and when it becomes √, the compilation is successful, press the button in the upper right corner (or its shortcut key ctrl+Alt+V)(see the figure) to view the pdf, other contents please see the figure.
! [alt text](pdf.png)
If there is an error, click on the error prompt and see the detailed report (this is friendlier than TeXwork).
### Reverse search
- In the tex section 'ctrl+Alt+J' is a forward search
- In the pdf section 'ctrl+ right mouse click anywhere in pdf' is reverse search

At this point, this part is over.
## Personalize the change configuration
Before doing so, please ensure that vscode writing $\LaTeX$has been successfully implemented,
### Shortcut key adjustment
- Lower left part of the setting, select 'keyboard shortcut', you can set,
- What I'm most concerned about here is the shortcut key for compiling $\LaTeX$. So search for 'LaTeX Workshop: build a LaTeX project (latex-workshop.build)' and set whatever you want (because the default is crtl+alt+... This composite piece, not very convenient, I changed it to ctrl+... The form of),
- Pay attention to the shortcut key conflict when adjusting, you can set some uncommon command shortcut keys to conflict, so as to give the common shortcut keys more choices.

### Adjust the compile order
The so-called compile order, that is, the compilation method preferred by vscode after pressing the green triangle (or the shortcut key you just set), determines the position of each part of the configuration JSON, such as my configuration file is the configuration of xelatex on the pdflatex configuration. This also means that the green triangle is bound to the xe$\LaTeX$compiler. I mostly write Chinese documents these days, so I choose this way. Of course, I can also choose TEX on the left and manually click on other compilation methods
! [alt text](sidebar.jpg).
By the way, the symbol snippet without this sidebar is quite friendly for $\LaTeX$beginners, you can click on the use of Greek letters, mathematical symbols, and gradually get a more familiar feeling of $\LaTeX$(I also came to this way).


## Plugin
As mentioned earlier, I think plug-ins are the best, so let's introduce the plug-ins and functions that vscode comes with.
### pdf browser
Ha ha ha, in fact, positive and negative search and pdf browsing itself is a very useful function of the plug-in, there is no need to download any additional pdf browser (some vscode configuration $\LaTeX$tutorial said to download, in fact, there is no need!)
### Sidebar
It has just been mentioned, including mathematical symbols and tikz, which are very helpful for beginners to learn grammar, and as for tikz, the author generally does not use this (I will introduce the website later).
### Formula preview
In fact, it is a real-time formula preview without compilation, which is suitable for users who have considerable proficiency in $\LaTeX$syntax, but are not strong in the imagination of grammar (I am also), and can view the final form of the formula in real time, so as to facilitate modification and debugging.

The method of use is to search '>LaTex Workshop: Open the Math preview panel' at the top, open it, and it can be used as follows
! [alt text](Formula panel.png)


### AI
- That's a pretty powerful feature! It is new in 2025, that is, the combination of coplit and vscode, so that code can be intelligently completed (not just autofill in the sense of search).
- Used in $\LaTeX$, that is, it is equivalent to an ai assistant for writing articles, which can save a lot of repetitive labor such as typing matrices, writing theorems, and speaking formulaic words. Of course, before there is no ai embedding, the code can be optimized for the webpage version of ai, but it is certainly not as convenient as coplit.
- To use Copilot, download the GitHub plugin

## Website
### Painting (tikz)
[https://tikzmaker.com/editor] (https://tikzmaker.com/editor), the site can solve most of the circuit drawing and flow chart drawing,
! [alt text](tikz.png)
### Table making
[https://www.latex-tables.com/](https://www.latex-tables.com/), you can import a local table or rub it directly
- This table has the advantage of being able to identify merged cells, etc.
- The disadvantage is that the online operation is not convenient, so it is recommended to do it in excel before importing.
Of course, there are other websites, such as [https://www.tablesgenerator.com/] (https://www.tablesgenerator.com/)
### Formula edit
In fact, for the skilled use of vscode plug-in is completely enough, but here is still recommended for beginners online visual hand rub formula site
- https://www.latexlive.com/##


## Software
### Excel2latex Form Converter
#### Configuration
- can be downloaded in [official website] (https://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/support/excel2latex/) Excel2latex this plugin (`. The xla ` files), method of use is to double-click to open the download content, all the way to confirm, And if you look at any excel file, you should see add-ons, click, and the two buttons inside are conversion buttons,
- It is possible to double-click the conversion button again and say "macro disabled" because the location of the 'Excel2latex.xla' file is not trusted. The solution is to open Excel's "Trust center Settings" and add the path where 'Excel2latex.xla' is located in the trusted location. [alt text](trust.png)
#### use
The following does not apply to the case of merging cells, but works well for single-cell cases and is suitable for batch data tables to $\LaTeX$.
! [alt text](excel2latex.png)