Rxiv-Maker VS Code Extension

June 1, 2026 · View on GitHub

Rxiv-Maker VS Code Extension

🔗 Companion extension for Rxiv-Maker - The automated LaTeX article generation system

A VS Code extension that brings the power of Rxiv-Maker directly into your editor. Transform scientific manuscript writing with enhanced markdown features, intelligent autocompletion, and seamless integration with the rxiv-maker workflow.

This extension provides syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, and project management tools for rxiv-markdown - the enhanced markdown syntax that bridges the gap between easy writing and professional LaTeX output.

About Rxiv-Maker

Rxiv-Maker is an automated LaTeX article generation system that transforms scientific writing from chaos to clarity. It converts Markdown manuscripts into publication-ready PDFs with reproducible figures, professional typesetting, and zero LaTeX hassle.

The platform bridges the gap between easy writing (Markdown) and beautiful output (LaTeX), featuring automated figure generation from Python/R scripts and Mermaid diagrams, seamless citation management, and integration with GitHub Actions for cloud-based PDF generation.

VS Code Extension Features

🎨 Syntax Highlighting: Custom syntax highlighting for rxiv-maker markdown files (.rxm)
🐍 Python Code Execution: Full syntax highlighting for embedded Python code blocks and expressions
📝 Blindtext Support: Intelligent support for LaTeX blindtext placeholder commands
💡 Citation Completion: IntelliSense for bibliography entries from 03_REFERENCES.bib
🔗 Cross-reference Completion: Autocompletion for @fig:, @table:, @eq:, @snote:, @svideo: references
✅ YAML Validation: Schema validation for 00_CONFIG.yml configuration files
⚡ Smart Commands: Insert Python blocks, blindtext, citations, and references with intelligent templates
🏗️ Integrated Workflow: Direct access to rxiv-maker build, validate, and clean commands
🔄 Smart Update Management: Auto-detects rxiv-maker installation method (Homebrew, pipx, uv, pip) and shows appropriate upgrade commands
📊 Status Bar Integration: Shows rxiv-maker Python package version and update availability at a glance

🎨 Syntax Highlighting Demo

VS Code Extension Syntax Highlighting

Enhanced syntax highlighting demonstrates the extension's comprehensive support for scientific writing features including Python code blocks, mathematical notation, cross-references, citations, and LaTeX injection.

See example-syntax-showcase.rxm for a comprehensive demonstration of all syntax highlighting features. This file showcases:

Text formatting: Bold, italic, subscript, superscript
Scientific notation: Chemical formulas, mathematical expressions
Cross-references: Figures, tables, equations, supplementary materials
Citations: Multiple citation formats and bibliography integration
Python code blocks: Executable code with full syntax highlighting
LaTeX injection: Direct LaTeX commands and mathematical notation
Advanced features: Blindtext, comments, document control commands

Perfect for taking screenshots and demonstrating the extension's capabilities!

Key Benefits for VS Code Users

Enhanced Productivity: Write manuscripts with intelligent autocompletion and syntax highlighting
Error Prevention: Real-time validation catches configuration errors and missing references
Seamless Integration: Access all rxiv-maker features directly from VS Code
Professional Writing: Focus on content while the extension handles formatting and references
Team Collaboration: Consistent experience across team members using VS Code

Supported Rxiv-Markdown Syntax

📋 Complete Rxiv-Markdown Feature List

Markdown Element	LaTeX Equivalent	Description
Basic Text Formatting
`bold text`	`\textbf{bold text}`	Bold formatting for emphasis
`italic text`	`\textit{italic text}`	Italic formatting for emphasis
`~subscript~`	`\textsubscript{subscript}`	Subscript formatting (H2O, CO2)
`^superscript^`	`\textsuperscript{superscript}`	Superscript formatting (E=mc^2^, x^n^)
Document Structure
`# Header 1`	`\section{Header 1}`	Top-level section heading
`## Header 2`	`\subsection{Header 2}`	Second-level section heading
`### Header 3`	`\subsubsection{Header 3}`	Third-level section heading
Lists
`- list item`	`\begin{itemize}\item...\end{itemize}`	Unordered list
`1. list item`	`\begin{enumerate}\item...\end{enumerate}`	Ordered list
Links and URLs
`[link text](url)`	`\href{url}{link text}`	Hyperlink with custom text
`https://example.com`	`\url{https://example.com}`	Bare URL
Citations
`@citation`	`\cite{citation}`	Single citation reference
`[@cite1;@cite2]`	`\cite{cite1,cite2}`	Multiple citation references
Cross-References
`@fig:label`	`\ref{fig:label}`	Figure cross-reference
`@sfig:label`	`\ref{sfig:label}`	Supplementary figure cross-reference
`@table:label`	`\ref{table:label}`	Table cross-reference
`@stable:label`	`\ref{stable:label}`	Supplementary table cross-reference
`@eq:label`	`\eqref{eq:label}`	Equation cross-reference
`@snote:label`	`\ref{snote:label}`	Supplement note cross-reference
`@svideo:label`	`\ref{svideo:label}`	Supplementary video cross-reference
Tables and Figures
Markdown table	`\begin{table}...\end{table}`	Table with automatic formatting
Image with caption	`\begin{figure}...\end{figure}`	Figure with separate caption
Document Control
`<!-- comment -->`	`% comment`	Comments (converted to LaTeX style)
`<newpage>`	`\newpage`	Manual page break control
`<clearpage>`	`\clearpage`	Page break with float clearing
Custom Commands
`{{blindtext}}`	`\blindtext`	Short placeholder text for document testing
`{{Blindtext}}`	`\Blindtext`	Paragraph placeholder text for document testing
`{{py: code}}`	Executed Python code	Multi-line Python code execution with output
`{py: expression}`	Executed expression	Inline Python expression evaluation

Installation

From Extension Marketplaces

VS Code Marketplace: Search for "Rxiv-Maker" or visit VS Code Marketplace
Open VSX Registry (for VSCodium, Code-OSS, etc.): Visit Open VSX

Manual Installation

Download the latest .vsix file from GitHub Releases and install manually

Usage

Open a workspace containing rxiv-maker files
Create or open .rxm files, 01_MAIN.md, or 02_SUPPLEMENTARY_INFO.md
Use Ctrl+Space for autocompletion of citations and references
Access commands via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)

File Recognition

The extension automatically activates when it detects:

Files with .rxm extension
01_MAIN.md (main manuscript)
02_SUPPLEMENTARY_INFO.md (supplementary information)
00_CONFIG.yml (configuration file)

Advanced Features

Figure metadata: {#fig:label width="50%" tex_position="t"}
Math expressions: $inline$ , $$block$$, $$equation$$ {#eq:label}
Scientific notation: ~subscript~, ^superscript^
Document control: <newpage>, <clearpage>

Available Commands

Access these commands through the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

Content Insertion

Rxiv-Maker: Insert Citation - Insert bibliography citation
Rxiv-Maker: Insert Figure Reference - Insert figure reference
Rxiv-Maker: Insert Table Reference - Insert table reference
Rxiv-Maker: Insert Equation Reference - Insert equation reference
Rxiv-Maker: Insert blindtext placeholder - Insert short placeholder text
Rxiv-Maker: Insert blindtext paragraph - Insert paragraph placeholder text
Rxiv-Maker: Insert Python code block - Insert {{py: code}} template with syntax highlighting
Rxiv-Maker: Insert inline Python expression - Insert {py: expression} template

Project Management

Rxiv-Maker: Add Bibliography Entry by DOI - Add new bibliography entry
Rxiv-Maker: Validate - Check project structure and files
Rxiv-Maker: Build PDF - Generate PDF from manuscript
Rxiv-Maker: Clean - Clean build artifacts
Rxiv-Maker: Install rxiv-maker framework - Automated installation with dependency checking
Rxiv-Maker: Upgrade rxiv-maker - Upgrade rxiv-maker Python package to latest version (auto-detects install method)
Rxiv-Maker: Show rxiv-maker Status - Display rxiv-maker version and installation details

Project Structure

This extension works with the standard rxiv-maker project structure:

your-manuscript/
├── 00_CONFIG.yml           # Project configuration (validated)
├── 01_MAIN.md             # Main manuscript (syntax highlighted)
├── 02_SUPPLEMENTARY_INFO.md # Supplementary information (optional)
├── 03_REFERENCES.bib      # Bibliography (autocompletion source)
├── FIGURES/               # Figure generation scripts
│   ├── fig_01.py         # Python figure script
│   ├── fig_02.R          # R figure script
│   └── fig_03.mmd        # Mermaid diagram
└── output/                # Generated PDFs and artifacts

Requirements

VS Code: Version 1.101.0 or higher
Rxiv-Maker: Install the main rxiv-maker system for full functionality
Project Files: Standard rxiv-maker project structure

For full manuscript generation capabilities, see the Rxiv-Maker documentation.

Configuration

The extension can be configured through VS Code settings (Ctrl+, or Cmd+,):

rxiv-maker.showStatusBarButton (boolean, default: true): Show PDF build button in status bar
rxiv-maker.checkForUpdates (boolean, default: true): Check for rxiv-maker Python package updates automatically
rxiv-maker.updateCheckInterval (number, default: 24): Hours between update checks

The extension automatically detects how rxiv-maker is installed (Homebrew, pipx, uv, pip, etc.) and shows the appropriate upgrade command when updates are available.

Setup Type	Best For	Requirements	Time
Website Tutorial	New users	Basic setup	5-10 min
Google Colab	No installation	Google account	2 min
GitHub Actions	Team collaboration	GitHub account	5 min
Docker Setup	Containerized	Docker installed	5 min

🚀 Essential Links

First Manuscript Tutorial - 5-minute walkthrough
User Guide - Complete documentation
VS Code Features - This extension

How to Cite

If you use Rxiv-Maker or this VS Code extension in your research, please cite our work:

BibTeX:

@misc{saraiva_2025_rxivmaker,
  title={Rxiv-Maker: an automated template engine for streamlined scientific publications},
  author={Bruno M. Saraiva and Ant\'{o}nio D. Brito and Guillaume Jaquemet and Ricardo Henriques},
  year={2025},
  eprint={2508.00836},
  archivePrefix={arXiv},
  url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00836}
}

APA Style: Saraiva, B. M., Jacquemet, G., & Henriques, R. (2025). Rxiv-Maker: an automated template engine for streamlined scientific publications. Arxiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2508.00836

Rxiv-Maker - Main automated LaTeX article generation system
Rxiv-Maker Documentation - Complete usage guide
GitHub Actions Guide - Cloud-based PDF generation

Contributing

We welcome contributions to both the extension and the main rxiv-maker project!

Extension Issues: Report here
Main Project: Contributing Guide

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details. Use it, modify it, share it freely.

Rxiv-Maker VS Code Extension

Rxiv-Maker VS Code Extension

About Rxiv-Maker

VS Code Extension Features

🎨 Syntax Highlighting Demo

Key Benefits for VS Code Users

Supported Rxiv-Markdown Syntax

Installation

From Extension Marketplaces

Manual Installation

Usage

File Recognition

Advanced Features

Available Commands

Content Insertion

Project Management

Project Structure

Requirements

Configuration

Getting Started with Rxiv-Maker

🌐 Documentation Hub

Quick Setup Options

🚀 Essential Links

How to Cite

Contributing

License