Input and compilation/Text editors/TeXnicCenter

NOTE: This page is outdated and needs to be updated

Adapting TeXnicCenter for processing ConTeXt documents

You can build and view a ConTeXt document in TeXnicCenter as follows:

• Follow the instructions for installing ConTeXt under Windows.
• Make sure that ruby and perl are in your PATH (Start menu -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Environment Variables; then edit PATH). In my system (root = C:\ConTeXt) the first items are: C:\ConTeXt\usr\local\context\ruby\bin; C:\ConTeXt\usr\local\context\ruby\lib; C:\ConTeXt\usr\local\context\perl\bin; C:\ConTeXt\usr\local\context\perl\lib
• Start TeXnicCenter. From the menu select: Build -> Define Output Profiles.
• Add a Profile with the name ConTeXt.
• Check "Run (La)TeX in this profile".
• Under "Path to the (La)TeX compiler" enter:

C:\ConTeXt\usr\local\context\tex\setuptex.bat & C:\ConTeXt\usr\local\context\tex\texmf-mswin\bin\texmfstart

If you have another root, then change C:\ConTeXt accordingly.

• Under "Command line arguments to pass to the compiler" enter:

texexec.rb, the parameters and "%bm" for the file to be compiled.

In my case this line reads as follows:

texexec.rb --bat --nonstop --pdf --interface=nl --color "%bm" 

Now your ConTeXt file should compile after selecting "Build -> Build" from the menu or pressing Ctrl+F7 or clicking on the corresponding toolbar icon.

With Adobe Acrobat Reader

• For installing Acrobat Reader as your viewer again select: Build -> Define Output Profiles.
• Select the tab "Viewer".
• Under "Path of Executable" you enter the path to the program AcroRd32.exe
• Under "View project's output" select: "DDE command".
• The Command should be: [DocOpen("%bm.pdf")][FileOpen("%bm.pdf")]
• Server is "acroview" and Topic: "control"
• Same choices for "Forward Search" and "Close document before running (La)TeX", except for the Command which in the latter case should be: [DocClose("%bm.pdf")]

With SumatraPDF

With SumatraPDF you get forward and inverse search capabilities. To enable them, you have to adjust the texexec arguments accordingly and add the "--synctex=-1" option:

texexec.rb --batch --nonstop --pdf --interface=en --color "%bm" --synctex=-1

• In the Viewer tab enter in the field for the executable path

"C:\Program Files\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.exe" -reuse-instance 
 -inverse-search "\"C:\Program Files\TeXnicCenter\TEXCNTR.EXE\" /ddecmd \"[goto('%f', '%l')]\""

• Under 'View Project's output':

select DDE-command
Command: [Open("%bm.pdf",0,1,1)]
Server: SUMATRA
Topic: control

• Under 'Forward search':

Select option 'DDE command'
Command: [ForwardSearch("%bm.pdf","%Wc",%l,0,0,0)]
Server: SUMATRA
Topic: control

• Under 'Close document before running (La)TeX':

Select 'Do not close'

Cleaning up

Automatically deleting unnecessary auxiliary files after compilation is realised as follows:

• Select: Build -> Define Output Profiles.
• Select the tab "Postprocessor".
• Create a new item "cleanup" by clicking on the first icon after the text "Postprocessors to run after the (La)TeX-compiler".
• In the edit line after "Executable" enter:
  

C:\ConTeXt\usr\local\context\tex\setuptex.bat & C:\ConTeXt\usr\local\context\tex\texmf-mswin\bin\texmfstart.exe

And in the edit line after "Arguments" enter:

texutil.rb --purgeall.

If you have another root, then change C:\ConTeXt accordingly.