[Tex/LaTex] Cross-referencing across folders

cross-referencingxr

I have multiple documents which require cross-referencing from one another (I am the author of all of them). Each document lies in a separate folder.

As an example, everything lives in a directory named "main-folder". Within this directory, I have two directories: "folder-1" and "folder-2". Within each directory (folder-1 and folder-2) lives a TeX document, say file-1.tex is in folder-1 and file-2.tex is in folder-2.

I am using the xr package, and when two TeX documents needing cross-referencing are within the same directory (say, both in folder-1), I enter the following two lines in the preamble of file-1.tex:

\usepackage{xr}
\externaldocument[someprefix-]{file-2}

and this allows me to cross-reference labels from file-2.tex in file-1.tex via the usual \label and \ref commands, using someprefix- to distinguish between the labels in file-1.tex and those in file-2.tex.

I am wondering what the syntax should be if file-2.tex is in folder-2 instead of folder-1. I have already tried:

\externaldocument[someprefix-]{../file-2}
\externaldocument[someprefix-]{~/...insert-relevant-directory-here.../folder-2/file-2}

but nothing works. What am I doing wrong?

Best Answer

This should work:

\externaldocument[someprefix-]{../folder-2/file-2}

Notice: Do not include the .tex extension.

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Cross-referencing in multiple chapters

You can add a conditional in the reference number which checks if the chapter number of the referenced label is identical to the current chapter number and then suppress the chapter number in the output.

Here a way to do it. I used ntheorem and loaded cleveref because you said you are using it. It might need some minor adjustments to work in your document, but you get the idea.

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage{ntheorem}
\usepackage{cleveref}

% From your post I assume you have settings like this:
\renewcommand*\thechapter{\Roman{chapter}}
\newtheorem{mytheo}{MyTheo}[chapter]

% Redefine the format of the theorem number:
\renewcommand*\themytheo{%
   \protect\maybechapter{\arabic{chapter}}\arabic{section}.\arabic{mytheo}%
}

% May print the chapter number
\newcommand*\maybechapter[1]{%
   % Tests if current chapter is equal to the chapter number of label)
   \ifnum\value{chapter}=0#1\relax
     % Print nothing if so
   \else
     % Set 'chapter' locally (=> no \setcounter) to the label chapter and
     % print it in the usual format followed by a dot
     {\value{chapter}=#1\relax\thechapter.}%
   \fi
}

% Test document:
\begin{document}
\chapter{One}
Here \ref{theo:11}  % prints "1.1"
and there \ref{theo:21}. % print "II.1.1"

\section{S1}
\begin{mytheo}
    Theo1-1\label{theo:11}
\end{mytheo}

\section{S2}
\begin{mytheo}
    Theo1-2\label{theo:12}
\end{mytheo}

\chapter{Two}
There \ref{theo:11}  % prints "I.1.1"
and here \ref{theo:21}. % print "1.1"

\section{S1}
\begin{mytheo}
    Theo2-1\label{theo:21}
\end{mytheo}

\end{document}

[Tex/LaTex] Lyx cross-referencing between branches

Let our LyX document be called mypaper.lyx. Under “Document > Settings...” we add two branches: “fulltext” and “shorttext” both with filename suffix set to “Yes”. (As mentioned, “branches” are used in LyX to manage several different variants of one document.)

When only the branch “fulltext” is activated we call this the full version of the document; when only the branch “shorttext” is activated we call this the short version of the document.
The branch “fulltext” shall contain all the details, e.g., a float table (with the label “tab:1”). Such details are placed inside a “branch box”, which is created by “Insert > Branch > 1. fulltext”. Furthermore, the branch “shorttext” will only contain a cross-reference “Table [Ref: tab:1]” to that table in the long version.

So far we got the following LyX document with two branches:

mypaper.lyx containing branch boxes

How to generate the short version mypaper-shorttext.pdf and the full version mypaper-fulltext.pdf?

First, we activate the “fulltext” branch only and compile the full version (as PDF), to which we want to refer in the short version. The file name of the output will be mypaper-fulltext.pdf as you may see in the PDF viewer.
Then, we add two lines to the LaTeX Preamble of mypaper.lyx.
```
\usepackage{xr}
\externaldocument{mypaper-fulltext}
```
where mypaper-fulltext is the filename without extension of the just created output.
Finally, we activate the “shorttext” branch only and compile the short version.

The outputs are:

fulltext and shorttext PDF

Warnings

Before compiling the short version we have to make sure that the full version is updated (that is, the full version was compiled) otherwise the references may not work correctly!
After every new start of LyX one has to compile the full version again. Only after that the short version can be created.
Changing only a label in an activated branch does not trigger LyX such that one can recompile the document. A little change of text is necessary for triggering.

Background – how does this work in LyX?

For compiling a document, LyX exports a document to a LaTeX file in a temporary directory and runs the program “pdflatex” (or similar) to create the output. Luckily LyX uses the same temporary directory when compiling the short version and the full version. Hence, the files mypaper-shorttext.tex, mypaper-shorttext.aux, mypaper-fulltext.tex, mypaper-fulltext.aux are in the same directory. By using \externaldocument{mypaper-fulltext} LaTeX will find the necessary files like mypaper-fulltext.aux. After a new start of LyX, the temporary directory is empty again. Hence, the full version needs to be compile first to create the files mypaper-fulltext.tex, mypaper-fulltext.aux.

Extensibility: If the “shorttext” branch contains labels that are referred by the long version then we need to add \externaldocument{mypaper-shorttext} to the LaTeX Preamble, too, and keep the short version compiled (updated), too. More complex scenarios with several branches are possible.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Cross-referencing in multiple chapters

[Tex/LaTex] Lyx cross-referencing between branches

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