pretextbook 0.7.0

A package for authoring and building PreTeXt documents.

PreTeXt-CLI

A package for authoring and building PreTeXt documents.

• GitHub: https://github.com/PreTeXtBook/pretext-cli/

Documentation and examples for authors/publishers

This README is written for the PreTeXt developer community. Documentation for PreTeXt authors and publishers is available at:

• https://pretextbook.org/documentation.html

Authors and publishers may also find the examples catalog useful as well:

• https://pretextbook.org/examples.html

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Installation

Installing Python

PreTeXt-CLI requires the Python version specified in .python-version.

To check your version, type this into your terminal or command prompt:

python -V

If your version is 2.x, try this instead (and if so, either replace all future references to python in these instructions with python3).

python3 -V

If you don't have a compatible Python available, try one of these:

• https://www.python.org/downloads/
  • Windows warning: Be sure to select the option adding Python to your Path.
• https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv#installation (Mac/Linux)
• https://github.com/pyenv-win/pyenv-win#installation (Windows)

Installing PreTeXt-CLI

Once you've confirmed that you're using a valid version of Python, just run (replacing python with python3 if necessary):

python -m pip install --user pretextbook

(It's also possible you may get an error like error: invalid command 'bdist_wheel' — good news, you can ignore it!)

After installation, try to run:

pretext --help

If that works, great! Otherwise, it likely means that Python packages aren't available on your “PATH”. In that case, replace all pretext commands with python -m pretext instead:

python -m pretext --help

Either way, you're now ready to use the CLI, the --help option will explain how to use all the different subcommands like pretext new and pretext build.

Upgrading PreTeXt-CLI

If you have an existing installation and you want to upgrade to a more recent version, you can run:

python -m pip install --upgrade pretextbook

Custom XSL

Custom XSL is not encouraged for most authors, but (for example) developers working bleeding-edge XSL from core PreTeXt may want to call XSL different from that which is shipped with a fixed version of the CLI. This may be accomplished by adding an <xsl/> element to your target with a relative (to project.ptx) or absolute path to the desired XSL. (Note: this XSL must only import other XSL files in the same directory or within subdirectories.)

For example:

<target name="html">
  <format>html</format>
  <source>source/main.ptx</source>
  <publication>publication/publication.ptx</publication>
  <output-dir>output/html</output-dir>
  <xsl>../pretext/xsl/pretext-html.xsl</xsl>
</target>

If your custom XSL file needs to import the XSL shipped with the CLI (e.g. pretext-common.xsl), then use the @pretext-href attribute in your custom XSL's <xsl:import/> as follows:

<xsl:import pretext-href="pretext-common.xsl"/>

The CLI will treat this as follows:

<xsl:import href="/path/to/cli/xsl/on/your/disk/pretext-common.xsl"/>

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Development

Note. The remainder of this documentation is intended only for those interested in contributing to the developement of this project. Anyone who simply wishes to use the PreTeXt-CLI can stop reading here.

From the "Clone or Download" button on GitHub, copy the REPO_URL into the below command to clone the project.

git clone [REPO_URL]
cd pretext-cli

Using a valid Python installation

Developers and contributors are highly encouraged to install the exact version of Python that is specified in .python-version. All instructions assume that the Python on your path (e.g. the result of python -V) matches this version.

Using pyenv (Mac/Linux)

The pyenv tool for Linux automates the process of running the correct version of Python when working on this project (even if you have other versions of Python installed on your system). Then pyenv-virtualenv sets up an appropriate virtual environment for development.

• https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv#installation
• https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv-virtualenv#installation

Run the following, replacing PYTHON_VERSION with the version in setup.py.

pyenv install PYTHON_VERSION
pyenv virtualenv PYTHON_VERSION pretext-cli

The virtual environment for this project can be activated automatically in directories with a .python-version file with the contents pretext-cli by following instructions at https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv-virtualenv#activate-virtualenv. Or use pyenv activate pretext-cli and pyenv deactivate to do this manually.

Now to install the in-development package into the virtual environment.

pyenv virtualenvs # should show `* pretext-cli` (note the `*`)
python -V # should show version from setup.py
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install -e .[dev] # run from root of repo

FIXME: currently all pretext commands must be run with python -m pretext with this setup.

Steps on Windows

In windows, you can either use the bash shell and follow the directions above, or try pyenv-win. In the latter case, make sure to follow all the installation instructions, including the Finish the installation. Then proceed to follow the directions above to install the version of python in .python-version. Finally, you may then need to manually add that version of python to your path.

Updating dependencies

To add dependencies for the package, edit setup.py. then run

python -m pip install --upgrade -e .[dev] # run from root of repo

Syncing untracked updates

Updates to certain files tracked to the repository will need to be rebuilt by each user when pulled from GitHub.

The file pretext/static/CORE_COMMIT tracks the upstream commit of core PreTeXt XSL/Python code we're developing against (from PreTeXtBook/pretext). To grab these updates from upstream, run:

python scripts/update_core.py

If you instead want to point to a local copy of PreTeXtBook/pretext, try this instead to set up symlinks:

python scripts/symlink_core.py path/to/pretext

Updates to templates/ must be zipped and moved into pretext/static/templates. This is done automatically by running:

python scripts/zip_templates.py

Packaging

See https://packaging.python.org/tutorials/packaging-projects/. Inside a virtual environment:

python scripts/build_release.py

Versioning

See VERSIONING.md.

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About

PreTeXt-CLI Lead Developers

• Steven Clontz
• Oscar Levin

About PreTeXt

The development of PreTeXt's core is led by Rob Beezer.