Re: [patch] Add two new header args to LaTeX block

[Juan Manuel Macías]

Ihor Radchenko writes:

>> In any case, if the org-create-formula-image method is going to stay, I
>> think it is fine as it is (except for extending the allowed file formats
>> to more extensions, and not only .png). I also believe that the :process
>> argument is sufficient for the user to control the value of
>> org-latex-pdf-process or org-preview-latex-default-process, as
>> appropriate.
>
> My concern about your patch is that it creates even more divergence
> between different branches of code in `org-babel-execute:latex'.
> With the new proposed features only available to some code branches,
> `org-babel-execute:latex' will just become more messy and harder to
> maintain.
>
> I'd prefer to refactor `org-babel-execute:latex' first, before adding
> new header arguments.

org-create-formula-image inserts LaTeX code:

...
    (with-temp-file texfile
      (insert latex-header)
      (insert "\n\\begin{document}\n"
              "\\definecolor{fg}{rgb}{" fg "}%\n"
              (if bg
                  (concat "\\definecolor{bg}{rgb}{" bg "}%\n"
                          "\n\\pagecolor{bg}%\n")
                "")
              "\n{\\color{fg}\n"
              string
              "\n}\n"
              "\n\\end{document}\n"))
...

that, /in principle/, would make it incompatible with the :standalone
argument (in my patch), which allows writing all LaTeX code from scratch
in the block content.

Anyway, it is true that org-babel-execute:latex has grown in a somewhat
irregular way. For example, I don't quite understand why the simple
output to PDF and the conversion to an image with :imagemagick live in
the same conditional:

(or (string= "pdf" extension) imagemagick)

I would propose three main branches in this function:

- A PDF branch, using org-format-latex-header with its valid options,
  and other sub-branches with conversion from the PDF, for example, the
  use of :imagemagick. Or you could even think of any possible
  conversion process using a hypothetical :pdf-postprocess

- A branch for orf-create-formula-image

- a third branch to export to html, with org-babel-latex-htlatex.

Having three clearly differentiated branches would make the code easier
to maintain.

--
Juan Manuel Macías -- Composición tipográfica, tratamiento de datos, diseño 
editorial y ortotipografía