Mex

mex — write LaTeX like Markdown

mex is a minimal CLI tool to make writing LaTeX research documents easier by using a Markdown-like syntax. It generates valid .tex files that can be compiled with any LaTeX engine (Overleaf, pdflatex, etc.).

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Features

• Write sections and subsections with #, ##, ###
• Bold, italic, and inline code formatting
• Inline and block math support: $...$ and $$...$$
• Theorems, definitions, and other environments with ::: name ... :::
• Simple citations with @key (converted to \cite{key})
• Generates fully ready-to-compile LaTeX documents

Goals: Reduce LaTeX boilerplate and make writing research notes and papers faster.

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Installation

Install mex in editable mode (recommended for development):

git clone https://github.com/MithilSaiReddy/Mex
cd mex
pip install -e .

This will make the mex command available globally.

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Usage

Basic usage

mex input.mex -o output.tex

• input.mex — your Markdown-like source file
• output.tex — generated LaTeX file (default: out.tex)

Compile the output with pdflatex or Overleaf:

pdflatex output.tex

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Example .mex file

title: My Research Paper
author: Alice

# Introduction

This is **bold**, *italic*, and math $E=mc^2$.

## Theorem Example

::: theorem
Every vector space has a basis.
:::

See @smith2020 for more details.

This will generate a LaTeX document with sections, formatted text, math, the theorem environment, and citations.

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Supported Syntax

Syntax	Example	Output
Section	# Title	\section{Title}
Subsection	## Subtitle	\subsection{Subtitle}
Bold	**bold**	\textbf{bold}
Italic	*italic*	\textit{italic}
Inline code	`code`	\texttt{code}
Math block	$$ ... $$	\[ ... \]
Environment	::: theorem ... :::	\begin{theorem} ... \end{theorem}
Citation	@key	\cite{key}

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Philosophy

mex is not a replacement for LaTeX.

It is a lightweight writing layer designed to:

• Reduce cognitive load
• Remove repetitive boilerplate
• Let researchers focus on ideas, not formatting

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Contributing

• Clone the repository
• Install in editable mode (pip install -e .)
• Modify the source code
• Add tests and examples
• Submit a pull request

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Roadmap

Planned features:

1. Lists (- and numbered 1.)
2. Figures: ![caption](image.png)
3. Bibliography support (.bib integration)
4. Enhanced error messages
5. Unit tests and CI pipeline

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License

MIT License © 2025

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