retex for Python

Compile LaTeX documents from Python, to PDF, SVG, ODT, ODP, HTML and Markdown, with retex, a TeX engine written in Rust whose output is pixel-identical to LuaLaTeX's. retex runs in the Python process: no TeX program is started.

import retex

tex = retex.Retex()
doc = tex(r"""
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Hello, \LaTeX{} from Python! $e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0$
\end{document}
""")

pdf = doc.to_pdf()        # bytes
svg = doc.to_svg()        # str: every page, stacked
odt = doc.to_odt()        # bytes
html = doc.to_html()      # str: one file, fonts and pictures in it
md = doc.to_markdown()    # str
doc.save("hello.pdf")     # or .svg, .odt, .odp, .html, .md

A build runs every pass the document needs, BibTeX, biber and makeindex included. What it reported is in doc.diagnostics, doc.errors and doc.warnings; a build that writes no output raises retex.RetexError, whose diagnostics and log say why. In Jupyter, a document shows as its pages.

Options, all keyword arguments of Retex:

Retex.compile_file(path) compiles a .tex file, its directory being the working directory.

retex needs a TeX Live installation (2025 or 2026) for the LaTeX packages and fonts. Builds release the GIL; they run one at a time in a process, and change the current directory while they run.

Build the wheel with maturin: maturin build --release in this directory; cargo xtask python builds it and runs tests/. For PyPI, a manylinux wheel: maturin build --release --zig --compatibility manylinux_2_28 (with zig on PATH).