uploadassist 0.0.1.dev1

A tool to package LaTeX sources for journal submission, forked from arxiv-collector. Adds LuaTeX/XeLaTeX support and a flatten option.

UploadAssist is a modern fork of arxiv-collector, designed to help researchers and authors package their LaTeX sources for submission to journals and repositories. This project builds on the original arxiv-collector, adding support for contemporary workflows and requirements.

About This Fork

UploadAssist began as a fork of the abandoned arxiv-collector tool. While the original focused on preparing submissions for arXiv, UploadAssist expands its capabilities to support a wider range of journal and repository requirements.

Key improvements over arxiv-collector:

• LuaTeX and XeLaTeX support: Works seamlessly with projects that use LuaTeX or XeLaTeX, in addition to standard pdfLaTeX.
• Flatten by default: UploadAssist now flattens your project structure by default, placing all files in a single directory and updating all referenced paths—essential for journals that require flat submissions. Use --noflatten to preserve the original directory structure.
• Retains and improves all original features, including comment stripping and dependency tracking.

If you are looking for the original package, see arxiv-collector on GitHub.

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Features

• Automatic packaging: Collects all files needed for your LaTeX project, including images, bibliographies, and custom packages.
• Comment stripping: Removes potentially embarrassing comments from .tex files (disable with --no-strip-comments).
• Smart dependency tracking: Only includes files actually used in your project.
• LuaTeX/XeLaTeX support: Handles modern TeX engines and their dependencies.
• Flattening: By default, all files (including those referenced via \input, \include, and \includegraphics) are placed in a single directory, and all LaTeX source paths are updated accordingly. Use --noflatten to disable this behavior.
• System package inclusion: Optionally includes system packages or directories you specify.

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Installation

UploadAssist is a stand-alone Python script with no dependencies. You can:

• Download uploadassist.py directly.
• (Coming soon) Install via PyPI: pip install uploadassist

Works with any reasonable version of Python 3.

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Usage

From your project's main directory, run:

uploadassist

Or specify your main .tex file if needed:

uploadassist main.tex

For help and options:

uploadassist --help

By default, UploadAssist flattens your project for journal submission. To preserve the original directory structure, use:

uploadassist --noflatten

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Requirements

• A working installation of latexmk on your PATH.
  • If latexmk is not on your PATH, use --latexmk ./path/to/latexmk.
  • Note: latexmk version 4.63b has broken dependency tracking. Please use a newer version.

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Caveats

• Unusual project layouts may require manual adjustment; always check your output before submission.
• All referenced files (including those in subdirectories) are collected and placed at the top level when flattening, and all LaTeX source paths are rewritten to match.
• Absolute paths in commands like \includegraphics{/home/me/image.png} may not be handled as expected. Prefer relative paths or use --include-packages to specify additional directories.
• If you encounter issues, please open an issue and include a copy of your problematic project if possible.

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Using on Overleaf

You can configure Overleaf to run UploadAssist on each compilation, ensuring your project is always ready for submission. The process is similar to the original arxiv-collector—see their documentation for details.

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UploadAssist is not affiliated with arXiv or any journal. This project is maintained independently and welcomes contributions.

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