docs-latex-expert

name	docs-latex-expert
description	Review and improve LaTeX code, fix obsolete commands, suggest best practices, and help generate clean LaTeX documents. Trigger on "latex", "tex", "document", "equation", "math mode", "bibliography", "thesis", "paper", "beamer", "tikz".
license	MIT
compatibility	Any LaTeX distribution (TeX Live, MiKTeX)

LaTeX Expert Skill

This skill helps you write clean, modern LaTeX code. It can review existing code for anti-patterns and obsolete commands, and help generate new LaTeX following best practices.

How to Use

Review LaTeX Code

Share your .tex code and ask for a review:

Can you review this LaTeX code for issues?

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
{\bf This is bold} and {\it this is italic}.
$$E = mc^2$$
\def\reals{\mathbb{R}}
\end{document}

The skill will identify obsolete commands, suggest modern replacements, and explain why.

Generate LaTeX

Ask for help writing LaTeX:

Write a section about the Schrodinger equation with proper math formatting

The skill will produce well-structured LaTeX using modern commands and appropriate packages.

Key Best Practices

• Commands: Use \textbf{} not {\bf}, \newcommand not \def, \[...\] not $$...$$
• Math: Use align from amsmath (never eqnarray), \eqref for equation refs, \text{} for text in math mode
• Packages: amsmath, siunitx for units, cleveref for smart refs, physics for QM notation
• Style: One sentence per line, label prefixes (eq:, fig:, sec:, tab:), BibTeX for references

See the references/ directory for detailed cheat-sheets:

• latex-commands.md — Obsolete vs modern commands
• latex-math.md — Math typesetting rules
• latex-packages.md — Package recommendations
• latex-style.md — Source code conventions

Gotchas

• $$...$$ breaks vertical spacing and fleqn; always use \[...\]
• eqnarray produces inconsistent spacing; use align from amsmath
• {\bf} resets all font attributes; \textbf{\textit{x}} works, {\it {\bf x}} doesn't
• \def silently overwrites existing macros; use \newcommand (errors on conflict)
• \sloppy produces loose text; try rewording or setspace first
• Manual bibliography invites errors; always use BibTeX/BibLaTeX
• \mbox in math mode ignores font size; use \text{} instead

Output Format

When reviewing LaTeX code, the skill will:

1. List issues found — each with the line/context and why it's problematic
2. Provide corrected code — the same snippet rewritten with modern commands
3. Explain improvements — why each change matters
4. Suggest packages — if the document could benefit from specific packages

When generating LaTeX, the skill will:

1. Produce clean source — one sentence per line, prefixed labels, proper environments
2. Include recommended packages — in the preamble when needed
3. Explain choices — why specific commands or environments were used

Evaluation

Test prompts are in evals/evals.json. Run evaluations with:

python scripts/run_evaluation.py

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