auctex: Processing Facilities
1.3.2 Creating and viewing output, debugging
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1.3.2.1 One Command for LaTeX, helpers, viewers, and printing
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If you have typed some text and want to run LaTeX (or TeX, or other
programs--see below) on it, type 'C-c C-c'. If applicable, you will be
asked whether you want to save changes, and which program you want to
invoke. In many cases, the choice that AUCTeX suggests will be just
what you want: first 'latex', then a viewer. If a 'latex' run produces
or changes input files for 'makeindex', the next suggestion will be to
run that program, and AUCTeX knows that you need to run 'latex' again
afterwards--the same holds for BibTeX.
When no processor invocation is necessary anymore, AUCTeX will
suggest to run a viewer, or you can chose to create a PostScript file
using 'dvips', or to directly print it.
Actually, there is another command which comes in handy to compile
documents: type 'C-c C-a' ('TeX-command-run-all') and AUCTeX will
compile the document for you until it is ready and then run the viewer.
This is the same as issuing repeatedly 'C-c C-c' and letting AUCTeX
guess the next command to run.
At this place, a warning needs to be given: First, although AUCTeX is
really good in detecting the standard situations when an additional
'latex' run is necessary, it cannot detect it always. Second, the
creation of PostScript files or direct printing currently only works
when your output file is a DVI file, not a PDF file.
Ah, you didn't know you can do both? That brings us to the next
topic.
1.3.2.2 Choosing an output format
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From a LaTeX file, you can produce DVI output, or a PDF file directly
via 'pdflatex'. You can switch on source specials for easier navigation
in the output file, or tell 'latex' to stop after an error (usually
'\noninteractive' is used, to allow you to detect all errors in a single
run).
These options are controlled by toggles, the keystrokes should be
easy to memorize:
'C-c C-t C-p'
This command toggles between DVI and PDF output
'C-c C-t C-i'
toggles interactive mode
'C-c C-t C-s'
toggles source specials support
'C-c C-t C-o'
toggles usage of Omega/lambda.
There is also another possibility: compile the document with 'tex'
(or 'latex') and then convert the resulting DVI file to PDF using
'dvips'-'ps2pdf' sequence. If you want to go by this route, when
'TeX-PDF-via-dvips-ps2pdf' variable is non-nil, AUCTeX will suggest you
to run the appropriate command when you type 'C-C C-c'. For details,
see 
Processor Options.
1.3.2.3 Debugging LaTeX
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When AUCTeX runs a program, it creates an output buffer in which it
displays the output of the command. If there is a syntactical error in
your file, 'latex' will not complete successfully. AUCTeX will tell you
that, and you can get to the place where the first error occured by
pressing 'C-c `' (the last character is a backtick). The view will be
split in two windows, the output will be displayed in the lower buffer,
and both buffers will be centered around the place where the error
ocurred. You can then try to fix it in the document buffer, and use the
same keystrokes to get to the next error. This procedure may be
repeated until all errors have been dealt with. By pressing 'C-c C-w'
('TeX-toggle-debug-boxes') you can toggle whether AUCTeX should notify
you of overfull and underfull boxes in addition to regular errors.
Issue 'M-x TeX-error-overview RET' to see a nicely formatted list of
all errors and warnings reported by the compiler.
If a command got stuck in a seemingly infinite loop, or you want to
stop execution for other reasons, you can use 'C-c C-k' (for "kill").
Similar to 'C-l', which centers the buffer you are in around your
current position, 'C-c C-l' centers the output buffer so that the last
lines added at the bottom become visible.
1.3.2.4 Running LaTeX on parts of your document
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If you want to check how some part of your text looks like, and do not
want to wait until the whole document has been typeset, then mark it as
a region and use 'C-c C-r'. It behaves just like 'C-c C-c', but it only
uses the document preamble and the region you marked.
If you are using '\include' or '\input' to structure your document,
try 'C-c C-b' while you are editing one of the included files. It will
run 'latex' only on the current buffer, using the preamble from the
master file.
Info Catalog
auctex: Editing Facilities
auctex: Quick Start