[OS X TeX] Configuring TeXShop to use XeLaTeX instead of pdfLaTeX

[Herbert Schulz]

> On Jul 7, 2020, at 4:23 PM, Murray Eisenberg <murrayeisenberg at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> What exactly is the difference between
> 
> % !TEX program = xelatexmk
> 
> and
> 
> % !TEX TS-program = xelatexmk
> 
> (and similarly for other engines)?
> 
> In the TeXShop Help > Comment Lines and Hidden Preferences I see reference only to the first of those.
> 

Howdy,

When TeXShop added these directives it used

% !TEX TS-program = xelatexmk

where TS=TeXShop. However other programs, e.g., TeXworks, used

% !TEX program = xelatexmk

since they weren't TeXShop. Then the second form was added to TeXShop so files could be edited and typeset in those programs without change. PS: TeXworks also accepts the TS- version since it was meant to be simple, like TeXShop, but cross-platform; e.g., Command Completion in TeXworks is based on the initial version in TeXShop. PS: There are so many missing features in the macOS version of TeXworks that I can't possibly recommend it; e.g., you can't Print!

Finally, I always use the non-TS- version.

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest dot com)