Running make file on specific folder/file

[mk-uc]

Hi,

In the specific folder that I'm working in, I have a make file that uses pandoc to convert a markdown file to pdf, docx, and html. However when I use the build command I think it attempts to convert the whole project and thus immediately runs into an error in trying to convert the Read Me file in the root of my project. Is there a way to specify the command so that it will only run the make file in the current folder I'm in?

Thanks!

[noseglid]

Yes, you can set the current working directory in a custom atom-build file:

{
  "cmd": "make",
  "cwd": "{FILE_ACTIVE_PATH}"
}

Save this as .atom-build.json in the root folder and it will run make in whatever path the currently active file resides in. Read more about replacements

[mk-uc]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I'm getting an error though which says

you have a syntax error in your build file: /Users/[user]/github/papers/.atom-build.json: Unexpected string

I copied exactly what you put up there into the file.

[noseglid]

Can you paste the contents of your .atom-build.json?

[mk-uc]

{ "cmd": "make" "cwd": "{FILE_ACTIVE_PATH}" }

[mk-uc]

Sorry, but with the proper line breaks.

[noseglid]

There's no comma after "make".

[mk-uc]

ah of course! Thanks!
Ok one more quick problem, as I said I'm using pandoc to convert a markdown file, and I'm using xelatex as the latex engine. It runs fine when I run it through the terminal but if I run it here I get this: pandoc: xelatex not found. xelatex is needed for pdf output.
Any idea why this wouldn't work?

Thanks again for your help

[noseglid]

I'm guessing the PATH is not set correctly when you open Atom. You probably have something in your .zshrc, .bashrc or equivalent shell init scripts which adds wherever xelatex is to your PATH. You could try to close Atom and start it from a terminal where it works. If it works then, you know it's a path issue.

[mk-uc]

I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean when you say you could try to close Atom and start it from a terminal where it works.

[noseglid]

• So, quit atom completely. (Atom -> Quit).
• Go to a terminal where Make works and start atom from there.
• Run build. If it works, it is definitely a PATH issue.

[mk-uc]

You're right! That worked, would you mind telling me how to fix the PATH issue?

Thanks for all your help with this, I really do appreciate it.

[noseglid]

It's no problem. It depends on the operating system. On Unix/Linux, you can inspect the PATH variable by e.g. echo $PATH. It will be a colon : separated list of locations to search for binaries (such as xelatex).

See this issue and this issue for solutions from people with similar problems.

[mk-uc]

Ok, so I added a line in my .bash_profile which says export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/usr/texbin/xelatex"

As I understand it, that should add xelatex to the end of my path (and I think it did based on echo $PATH

Anyways, now the build works! Thanks for your help.