---
title: LaTeX Compiler
emoji: 📄
colorFrom: purple
colorTo: indigo
sdk: docker
pinned: false
license: mit
app_port: 7860
---

# LaTeX Compiler Web App

A full-featured LaTeX compiler web application that converts LaTeX documents to PDF using pdflatex. Built with Flask backend and vanilla JavaScript frontend, deployable on Hugging Face Spaces using Docker.

## Features

- 🚀 **Web Interface**: Upload `.tex` files or paste LaTeX code directly
- 📄 **PDF Generation**: Compile LaTeX to PDF using pdflatex
- 🔌 **REST API**: JSON and file upload endpoints
- 🎨 **Modern UI**: Responsive design with Tailwind CSS
- 🐳 **Docker Ready**: Easy deployment with Docker
- 🤗 **Hugging Face Compatible**: Ready for Hugging Face Spaces

## Project Structure

```
latex-compiler/
├── app.py          # Flask backend server
├── index.html      # Frontend interface
├── Dockerfile      # Docker configuration
└── README.md       # This file (with HF config)
```

## Hugging Face Spaces Deployment

### Quick Deploy

1. **Create a new Space:**
   - Go to [Hugging Face Spaces](https://huggingface.co/spaces)
   - Click "Create new Space"
   - Choose **Docker** as the SDK
   - Name your space (e.g., `latex-compiler`)

2. **Upload files:**
   Upload all four files to your Space:
   - `README.md` (this file - **must include YAML frontmatter**)
   - `Dockerfile`
   - `app.py`
   - `index.html`

3. **Configuration:**
   The YAML frontmatter at the top of this README configures your Space:
   ```yaml
   ---
   title: LaTeX Compiler          # Your app name
   emoji: 📄                       # Icon for your Space
   colorFrom: purple               # Gradient start color
   colorTo: indigo                 # Gradient end color
   sdk: docker                     # REQUIRED: Use Docker SDK
   pinned: false                   # Pin to your profile
   license: mit                    # License type
   app_port: 7860                  # REQUIRED: Port your app runs on
   ---
   ```

4. **Wait for build:**
   - Hugging Face will automatically build your Docker image
   - This takes **10-15 minutes** due to texlive-full installation
   - Watch the build logs in the "Logs" tab
   - Once complete, your app will be live!

5. **Access your Space:**
   - Your app will be available at: `https://huggingface.co/spaces/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_SPACE_NAME`

### Important Notes for Hugging Face

- ✅ **Port 7860 is REQUIRED** - Hugging Face Spaces expects this port
- ✅ **Docker SDK is REQUIRED** - Must be specified in YAML frontmatter
- ✅ **README.md must have YAML frontmatter** - Configuration at the top of this file
- ⚠️ Build time is long (~10-15 min) due to texlive-full package size
- ⚠️ First compile may be slower as LaTeX initializes fonts

## Local Development

### Prerequisites

- Docker installed on your system
- OR Python 3.8+ and texlive-full for non-Docker setup

### Run with Docker (Recommended)

1. **Build the Docker image:**
   ```bash
   docker build -t latex-compiler .
   ```

2. **Run the container:**
   ```bash
   docker run -p 7860:7860 latex-compiler
   ```

3. **Access the application:**
   Open your browser and navigate to `http://localhost:7860`

### Run without Docker (Local Development)

1. **Install dependencies:**
   ```bash
   # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install python3 python3-pip texlive-full latexmk
   
   # macOS
   brew install python texlive
   
   # Install Python packages
   pip3 install flask flask-cors
   ```

2. **Run the application:**
   ```bash
   python3 app.py
   ```

3. **Access the application:**
   Open your browser and navigate to `http://localhost:7860`

## API Documentation

### Endpoints

#### `POST /compile`

Compile LaTeX code to PDF.

**Request Method 1: JSON**
```bash
curl -X POST http://localhost:7860/compile \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"code": "\\documentclass{article}\\begin{document}Hello World\\end{document}"}' \
  --output output.pdf
```

**Request Method 2: File Upload**
```bash
curl -X POST http://localhost:7860/compile \
  -F "file=@document.tex" \
  --output output.pdf
```

**Success Response:**
- Status: `200 OK`
- Content-Type: `application/pdf`
- Body: PDF binary data

**Error Response:**
- Status: `400 Bad Request`
- Content-Type: `application/json`
```json
{
  "error": "Compilation failed",
  "log": "LaTeX error log details..."
}
```

#### `GET /`

Serves the web frontend interface.

#### `GET /docs`

Displays comprehensive API documentation.

## Usage Examples

### Python Example

```python
import requests

latex_code = r"""
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

\title{My Document}
\author{John Doe}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
This is a sample document.

\end{document}
"""

response = requests.post(
    'http://localhost:7860/compile',
    json={'code': latex_code}
)

if response.status_code == 200:
    with open('output.pdf', 'wb') as f:
        f.write(response.content)
    print("PDF created successfully!")
else:
    print("Error:", response.json())
```

### JavaScript Example

```javascript
const latexCode = `
\\documentclass{article}
\\begin{document}
Hello from JavaScript!
\\end{document}
`;

fetch('http://localhost:7860/compile', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({ code: latexCode })
})
.then(response => response.blob())
.then(blob => {
    const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
    const a = document.createElement('a');
    a.href = url;
    a.download = 'output.pdf';
    a.click();
});
```

### File Upload Example

```python
import requests

with open('document.tex', 'rb') as f:
    files = {'file': f}
    response = requests.post(
        'http://localhost:7860/compile',
        files=files
    )

if response.status_code == 200:
    with open('output.pdf', 'wb') as f:
        f.write(response.content)
```

### Using on Hugging Face Spaces

```python
import requests

# Replace with your actual Space URL
SPACE_URL = "https://YOUR_USERNAME-latex-compiler.hf.space"

latex_code = r"""
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Hello from Hugging Face!
\end{document}
"""

response = requests.post(
    f'{SPACE_URL}/compile',
    json={'code': latex_code}
)

if response.status_code == 200:
    with open('output.pdf', 'wb') as f:
        f.write(response.content)
```

## Features & Limitations

### Supported

✅ Standard LaTeX packages (texlive-full includes 99% of packages)  
✅ Mathematical equations and symbols  
✅ Tables, figures, and images (embedded)  
✅ Bibliography and citations  
✅ Custom document classes  
✅ Multiple compilation passes (handled automatically)

### Limitations

⚠️ Compilation timeout: 30 seconds  
⚠️ Recommended file size: < 10MB  
⚠️ Only pdflatex engine (XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX not included)  
⚠️ No support for external file dependencies (images must be embedded or base64)

## Troubleshooting

### Common Errors

**"Compilation failed"**
- Check your LaTeX syntax
- View the error log in the web interface
- Ensure all required packages are declared

**"Compilation timeout"**
- Your document is too complex
- Try simplifying or splitting into smaller documents

**"No file selected"**
- Ensure you've selected a `.tex` file before clicking compile

### Docker Build Issues

**Build fails due to texlive-full size:**
```bash
# Increase Docker memory limit in Docker Desktop settings
# Recommended: 4GB+ RAM, 10GB+ disk space
```

**Port 7860 already in use:**
```bash
# Use a different port locally
docker run -p 8080:7860 latex-compiler
# Then access at http://localhost:8080
```

### Hugging Face Spaces Issues

**Space stuck in "Building" state:**
- Check the build logs for errors
- Ensure Dockerfile is correct
- Verify all files are uploaded
- texlive-full installation takes 10-15 minutes (this is normal)

**Space shows "Application Error":**
- Check that `app_port: 7860` is in README.md frontmatter
- Verify Flask app runs on host `0.0.0.0` and port `7860`
- Review Space logs for Python errors

**"Connection refused" errors:**
- Ensure `EXPOSE 7860` is in Dockerfile
- Verify `app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=7860)` in app.py

## Technical Stack

- **Backend**: Flask 3.x (Python)
- **Frontend**: Vanilla JavaScript + Tailwind CSS
- **LaTeX Engine**: pdflatex (TeX Live 2022)
- **Containerization**: Docker (Ubuntu 22.04 base)
- **Deployment**: Hugging Face Spaces (Docker SDK)

## Environment Variables (Optional)

You can customize the app with environment variables:

```bash
# In Hugging Face Spaces, add these in Settings > Variables
FLASK_ENV=production
MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH=10485760  # 10MB limit
```

## License

MIT License - feel free to use and modify!

## Contributing

Contributions welcome! Areas for improvement:
- Add XeLaTeX/LuaLaTeX support
- Implement file caching for faster recompilation
- Add syntax highlighting in code editor
- Support for multi-file LaTeX projects
- Real-time preview with live updates
- Integration with Overleaf-style collaborative editing

## Support

- **Hugging Face Discussions**: Use the Community tab on your Space
- **Issues**: Report bugs via GitHub or Space discussions
- **Documentation**: Visit `/docs` endpoint for API reference
- **Examples**: Check the Usage Examples section above

## Acknowledgments

- Built for the LaTeX community
- Powered by TeX Live and Flask
- Hosted on Hugging Face Spaces

---

**Need help?** Visit the `/docs` endpoint or check Hugging Face Spaces documentation at https://huggingface.co/docs/hub/spaces-overview