typsytex

typsytex is a tool that converts typst markup to an equivalent LaTeX code. It's intended for smallish text fragments and only handles syntax, no scripting or command definitions.

Typst is a document typesetting system, an attempt to create a new generation LaTeX. One of its features is a much less noisy syntax. typsytex is a tool that replaces all syntax sugar from typst-formatted documents by their LaTeX equivalents.

This is a very dumb tool, a bunch of regular expressions with some glue code. It only works for properly indented documents with no unbalanced brackets. It's very easy to write a valid typst document that will be converted to a broken LaTeX code if you try.

Showcase

Converts this:

= Section name <sec:section_label>

Here is a *very important* result:

#theorem[
  The following two objects are both zero:
  - $binom(4, 2) dot 3 - dim(ker(CC^(18) ->^("zero") CC))$;
  - $mat(1, 0; 0, 1) - mat(1, cal(F) \/ cal(F); 0, 1)$
] <thm:main_theorem>

To prove theorem~@thm:main_theorem we need the vanishing of
$ QQ times.circle ZZ \/ n ZZ = 0, $ <eq:torsion_and_divisible>
which we discussed last time. Recall the morphism
$ f: x arrow.bar 2x $
used above.

To this:

\section{Section name}
\label{sec:section_label}

Here is a \textbf{very important} result:

\begin{theorem}
  \label{thm:main_theorem}
  The following two objects are both zero:
  \begin{itemize}
  \item $\binom{4}{2} \cdot 3 - \dim(\ker(\CC^{18} \xrightarrow{\mathrm{zero}} \CC))$;
  \item $\left(\begin{matrix} 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 \end{matrix}\right) - \left(\begin{matrix} 1 & \mathcal{F} / \mathcal{F} \\ 0 & 1 \end{matrix}\right)$
  \end{itemize}
\end{theorem}

To prove theorem~\ref{thm:main_theorem} we need the vanishing of
\begin{equation}
  \label{eq:torsion_and_divisible}
  \QQ \otimes \ZZ / n \ZZ = 0,
\end{equation}
which we discussed last time. Recall the morphism
\[ f\colon x \mapsto 2x \]
used above.

Usage

Install

Locally: just download the typsytex.py file from this repository and make it executable.

Globally: run pip3 install typsytex, then use typsytex command.

Converting files

Run

typsytex typst_source.typ latex_output.tex

to convert the contents of typst_source.typ and save the LaTeX code to latex_output.tex file. Run without arguments to read from stdin and output to stdout.

For more details, run typsytex -h.

Supported features

• Markdown-style formatting: the *bold* and _italic_ text is replaced with \textbf and \textit. Also deals with = Section and == Subsection, handles labeled (sub)sections.
• Lists: typst-style lists (- first item (line break) - second item (line break)) are converted to \begin{itemize} etc. Only works for correctly indented lists. Also works for the automatically numbered lists (the ones where items start with +, not markdown-style with numbers).
• Environments: converts fragments like

#theorem[
  Contents
] <thm:main_theorem>

to LaTeX-style

\begin{theorem}
  \label{thm:main_theorem}
  Contents
\end{theorem}

Only works for correctly indented multiline environments. Environments with arguments, like #theorem(argument)[...] are kind of supported, but not automatically, you'll need to modify typsytex source code to handle them properly.

• References: replaces @thm:main_theorem with \ref{thm:main_theorem}. If a bibliography file is specified in the text or as a command-line argument, switches to \cite when necessary.
• Comments: converts // comment into % comment. (Beware: typst code in the commented lines will mostly be translated to LaTeX anyway.)
• Math mode: display equations: convert $ equation $ into \[ equation \]. Handles display equations with labels, detects whether alignment operators are used and converts them accordingly.
• Math mode: braces for sup/sub: converts typst-style x^(n+1) into x^{n+1} expected by LaTeX.
• Math mode: quoted to mathrm: converts x + "something" + y into x + \mathrm{something} + y.
• Math mode: command translation: converts functions calling from typst math mode to their LaTeX equivalents: Psi + binom(3, 2) in union.big U_i is transformed into \Psi + \binom{3}{2} \in \bigcup U_i. Unknown commands are translated by adding backslashes. Other custom translations can be specified using --math-commands-list command line argument.
• Math mode: magic symbols to commands: detects the use of things like ->, >> and converts them to \to, \gg, respectively. Converts ->^(a) into \xrightarrow{a}.

Unsupported features

The following features are NOT supported:

• anything involving scripting, definition of new commands, etc.
• the math mode slash transforming into \frac (too difficult to determine the numerator and denumerator properly)
• typst-conforming subscript precedence order: f_a(1) in Typst is equivalent to f_(a(1)) instead of f_(a)(1) even when a is not a command accepting arguments, unlike LaTeX.