[OS X TeX] [TeXShop] input file and master doc compilation

[Martin Costabel]

Alain Schremmer wrote:
> 
> On Feb 3, 2010, at 8:18 PM, Herbert Schulz wrote:
> 
[]
>> How does TeXshop ``know'' that \jobname refers to the chapter root 
>> file if you simply open the chapter file and try to typeset? Don't you 
>> have to open the chapter-control file separately and typeset that?
> 
> No.
> 
> Because the contents file and the control file both have the same 
> number, say 2.
> 
> Then, when typesetting Chapters-contents/2, the line
> 
> %!TEX root = ../Chapters-controls/\jobname.tex
> 
> calls
> 
> ../Chapters-controls/2.tex

What Herb thinks (as I did) is that this %!TEX line is executed by 
TeXShop, which normally does not interpret TeX macros. Thus TeXShop 
should be looking for a file with the literal file name 
"Chapters-controls/\jobname.tex", which does not exist.

In reality, by some miracle the \jobname macro *is* interpreted 
correctly by TeXShop. This is different from setting the project root 
via the "File" menu, which creates a *.texshop file containing the file 
name. There you cannot use \jobname.

>  which is the root file which contains
> 
> \include{../Chapters-contents/\jobname}
> 
> namely Chapters-contents/2

This one is clear, the "\include" line is executed by latex, which knows 
about TeX macros.

> that is the original file.
> 
> I do think that it is a bit perverse but it really works beautifully.

-- 
Martin