VS Code Integration with latex_it

latex_it integrates with Visual Studio Code in two ways:

Native VS Code Tasks (zero extensions required).
LaTeX Workshop Extension (the full IDE LaTeX setup).

Instant Automated Setup (`l --vscode-init`)

Run the following command inside your LaTeX project root:

l --vscode-init

latex_it automatically creates or updates the .vscode/ configuration files:

.vscode/tasks.json: Sets up Build LaTeX (latex_it) with l --compile as the default build task (Ctrl+Shift+B / Cmd+Shift+B) and matches error/warning/alert/note messages into the Problems panel.
.vscode/settings.json: Configures LaTeX Workshop tools, recipes, and sets outDir: "%DIR%/junk" so diagnostics and previewers synchronize cleanly.
Non-destructive & Idempotent: If .vscode/tasks.json or .vscode/settings.json already exist, your other tasks and settings are preserved.

Workflow 1: Native VS Code Tasks (Zero Extensions)

You can build documents using VS Code’s standard task runner without installing any LaTeX extension.

Create .vscode/tasks.json in your project root:

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Build LaTeX (latex_it)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "l",
      "args": ["--compile"],
      "group": {
        "kind": "build",
        "isDefault": true
      },
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "silent",
        "panel": "shared"
      },
      "problemMatcher": {
        "owner": "latex",
        "fileLocation": ["relative", "${workspaceFolder}"],
        "pattern": {
          "regexp": "^([^:]+):(\\d+)(?::(\\d+))?:\\s+(error|warning|alert|note):\\s+(.*)$",
          "file": 1,
          "line": 2,
          "column": 3,
          "severity": 4,
          "message": 5
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Key Shortcuts:

Ctrl+Shift+B (or Cmd+Shift+B on macOS): Trigger compilation.
Ctrl+Shift+M (or Cmd+Shift+M): Open the Problems panel.
F8 / Shift+F8: Jump directly to the next or previous problem in the editor.

Workflow 2: LaTeX Workshop Extension

If you use the popular LaTeX Workshop extension, configure latex_it as a custom compiler tool and recipe in .vscode/settings.json (or your global User Settings):

{
  "latex-workshop.latex.tools": [
    {
      "name": "latex_it",
      "command": "l",
      "args": ["--vscode-lw", "%DOC%"],
      "env": {}
    }
  ],
  "latex-workshop.latex.recipes": [
    {
      "name": "latex_it",
      "tools": ["latex_it"]
    }
  ],
  "latex-workshop.latex.recipe.default": "latex_it",
  "latex-workshop.latex.outDir": "%DIR%/junk",
  "latex-workshop.latex.autoClean.run": "never"
}

Why set `outDir` to `junk`?

latex_it isolates temporary build artifacts (.log, .aux, .fls) in junk/. Telling LaTeX Workshop that "latex-workshop.latex.outDir": "%DIR%/junk" ensures its internal log parser can find junk/<doc>.log and correctly populate VS Code’s diagnostic view.

SyncTeX (Forward & Reverse Search)

latex_it compiles documents with -synctex=1 by default and automatically exports <doc>.synctex.gz (and <doc>.pdf) to the project root directory, while also preserving copies in junk/.

In LaTeX Workshop (Internal Viewer):

Forward Search (editor $\rightarrow$ PDF): Ctrl+Alt+J (macOS: Cmd+Option+J) jumps to the corresponding line in the PDF viewer.
Reverse Search (PDF $\rightarrow$ editor): Ctrl+Click (macOS: Cmd+Click) anywhere in the PDF jumps back to the exact source line in VS Code.

In External Viewers:

Because the .pdf and .synctex.gz files live side-by-side in your project root, external PDF viewers with SyncTeX support work out of the box:

Linux: Zathura, Evince, Okular
macOS: Skim
Windows: SumatraPDF