emacslatexhookauto-compile

emacs function after asynchonous command


I currently use emacs for making and editing LaTeX documents. When compiling, I use an external program to compile into pdf. Right now, with the following code in my .emacs file, emacs will start compiling the document into a pdf whenever I save the file.

(defun auto-compile-latex ()
  (save-window-excursion
    (async-shell-command (format "cd %s; scons -u" default-directory))))
(add-hook 'LaTeX-mode-hook '(lambda ()
     (add-hook 'after-save-hook 'auto-compile-latex nil 'make-it-local)))

I prefer this over M-x compile, because I am more in the habit of saving, and it launches in the background, allowing me to continue working. However, I do not get a prominent notification when the compilation process finishes.

Ideally, I would want to run the following function whenever a compilation process finishes.

(defun latex-compilation-status (exit-code)
  (if (/= exit-code 0)
      (setq mode-name (propertize mode-name 'face 'font-lock-warning-face))
    (setq mode-name (propertize mode-name 'face 'mode-line-highlight))))

That way, I can have the color in the mode line automatically change depending on whether the compilation was successful or not. However, looking through the emacs documentation, I have not found any mention of a hook that gets run after async-shell-command completes. I know that there is the message in the minibuffer stating the exit status of the subprocess, but if I am typing at the time, it is often hard to notice.

Alternatively, I could wait for the shell command to complete, then change the color immediately. However, this then makes the entirety of emacs freeze while compiling, which is not desired.

How would I go about having this indication applied at the end of the compilation, without having emacs freeze during the process?


Solution

  • Here is another option using set-process-sentinel based upon a prior helpful answer by Francesco. Please do be careful, however, about using a let binding to define a start-process (which [in my lay opinion] is a definite "no no") because that would cause the process to begin immediately before its time. [FYI: Nicolas has gotten me out of quite a few jams in the past, so please be sure to take a good hard look at his solution also.]

    Emacs: if latexmk finishes okay, then show pdf, else display errors

    You would just add your function to the last part of the function dealing with success -- i.e., (when (= 0 (process-exit-status p)) . . .:

    (defun latexmk ()
      ".latexmkrc contains the following entries (WITHOUT the four backslashes):
      $pdflatex = 'pdflatex -file-line-error -synctex=1 %O %S && (cp \"%D\" \"%R.pdf\")';
      $pdf_mode = 1;
      $out_dir = '/tmp';"
    (interactive)
      (setq tex-file buffer-file-name)
      (setq pdf-file (concat "/tmp/" (car (split-string
        (file-name-nondirectory buffer-file-name) "\\.")) ".pdf"))
      (setq line (format "%d" (line-number-at-pos)))
      (setq skim "/Applications/Skim.app/Contents/SharedSupport/displayline")
      (setq tex-output (concat "*" (file-name-nondirectory buffer-file-name) "*") )
      (setq latexmk "/usr/local/texlive/2012/texmf-dist/scripts/latexmk/latexmk.pl")
      (setq latexmkrc "/Users/HOME/.0.data/.0.emacs/.latexmkrc")
      (if (buffer-modified-p)
        (save-buffer))
      (delete-other-windows)
      (set-window-buffer (split-window-horizontally) (get-buffer-create tex-output))
      (with-current-buffer tex-output (erase-buffer))
      (set-process-sentinel 
        (start-process "compile" tex-output latexmk "-r" latexmkrc tex-file)
        (lambda (p e) (when (= 0 (process-exit-status p))
          (start-process "displayline" nil skim "-b" line pdf-file tex-file)
          (switch-to-buffer (get-file-buffer tex-file))
          (if (get-buffer-process (get-buffer tex-output))
            (process-kill-without-query (get-buffer-process (get-buffer tex-output))))
          (kill-buffer tex-output)
          (delete-other-windows)))))