Won't build project with .tex.pl script

[Josh Holland]

Hi all,

I'm using the Latex Makefile to build a piece of A level coursework. If
it worked, it would be brilliant; I could make really good use of the
script and Gnuplot features.

However, it won't build the project. I'm not a Latex guru, I know enough
to get the job done, but not a great deal about its internals.

Essentially, I have a data file which I would like to reproduce in a
Latex table, and also use as a data input file for Gnuplot. I therefore
wrote a Perl script (attached) to munge it into the right form. However,
I'm getting an error when building; output is attached below.

$ make
NOTE: You may ignore warnings about the following files:

diffeqs.d
leaf-tab.d

Makefile:1900: diffeqs.d: No such file or directory
Makefile:1900: leaf-tab.d: No such file or directory
= leaf-tab.tex.pl --> leaf-tab.tex =
= leaf-tab.tex --> leaf-tab.d leaf-tab.dvi (1) =
sed: can't read leaf-tab.aux: No such file or directory
sed: can't read leaf-tab.aux: No such file or directory
Missing argument. Try `kpsewhich --help' for more information.
= diffeqs.tex --> diffeqs.d diffeqs.dvi (1) =
Missing argument. Try `kpsewhich --help' for more information.
= leaf-tab.tex --> leaf-tab.d leaf-tab.dvi (1) =
sed: can't read leaf-tab.aux: No such file or directory
sed: can't read leaf-tab.aux: No such file or directory
Missing argument. Try `kpsewhich --help' for more information.

! Misplaced make: *** [diffeqs.dvi] Error 1

This error message really doesn't mean anything to me, so I can't do a
lot about it. I have also attached the diffeqs.log file (where
diffeqs.tex is the main file) and the leaf-tab.log file (where
leaf-tab.tex.pl is the script).

I'm using version 2.1.43 of the Makefile. I'll gladly provide any other
info you need.

Thanks in advance
--
Josh Holland <j...@joshh.co.uk>
http://www.joshh.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/jshholland
http://identi.ca/jshholland

[Chris Monson]

Aha.  I figured it out.

Unfortunately, this is sort of tough to work around.

1) There is a bug in the makefile: http://code.google.com/p/latex-makefile/issues/detail?id=73

2) You are probably typing "make" without any parameters, and it is therefore trying to build .pdf files from all of your .tex files, including those that are meant to be includes to the main file.  Since those don't have a \documentclass in them, they aren't real latex files and don't generate .aux files.  To fix this, rename leaf-tab.tex.pl to leaf-tab._include_.tex.pl and reference it accordingly in your main .tex file.

2a) Alternatively, you can create a Makefile.ini and specify the files that you do not want built automatically thus:

  includes.tex.pl := leaf-tab.tex.pl

You can specify multiple such files by separating them with spaces.  I personally favor the ._include_. filenames because the use of the files is obvious from ls output, but that could just be me.

3) There is a bug in the makefile: see http://code.google.com/p/latex-makefile/issues/detail?id=73.  Basically, I need to improve the error message so that you can tell what is going on.

[Chris Monson]

Both of these issues are fixed in http://code.google.com/p/latex-makefile/source/detail?r=6ce262285475.

Also, one more comment below:

On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 8:59 AM, Chris Monson <shi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Aha.  I figured it out.

Unfortunately, this is sort of tough to work around.

1) There is a bug in the makefile: http://code.google.com/p/latex-makefile/issues/detail?id=73

2) You are probably typing "make" without any parameters, and it is therefore trying to build .pdf files from all of your .tex files, including those that are meant to be includes to the main file.  Since those don't have a \documentclass in them, they aren't real latex files and don't generate .aux files.  To fix this, rename leaf-tab.tex.pl to leaf-tab._include_.tex.pl and reference it accordingly in your main .tex file.

2a) Alternatively, you can create a Makefile.ini and specify the files that you do not want built automatically thus:

  includes.tex.pl := leaf-tab.tex.pl

You can specify multiple such files by separating them with spaces.  I personally favor the ._include_. filenames because the use of the files is obvious from ls output, but that could just be me.

2b) Finally, you can just get used to typing

  make project

Where project.tex is your main .tex file.  Then it will only build that and not try to build all of your include files.

In short, there are several ways to deal with include files with this makefile.  Hopefully one of them suits your fancy.