Matthew Swift <[log in to unmask]> writes: >> Are there any reasons for LaTeX having multiple AUX >> files? > >They are only necessary in an \includeonly scenario. Some system >state (counters only at this point) from the UNincluded files is >stored in the aux files. Otherwise they would be overwritten. Could one not, instead of using \includeonly, have a feature that turns off the typeset output, which is supposed to be much faster (but I do not know if it really is). Then one could use a single aux file, and the files one does not want to print, one turns off the typeset output, instead of using \includeonly. Otherwise, I am not sure it is necessary having all references getting right when working with many files, and doing a subfile compilation. In the scenario I am playing around with one has a main file, indicated by a command \project{main}, which tells subfile compilations which files to look in to get such information of bibliography references, preamble and format info. The files that contain body text then will look like \project{main} % ... Text body and can be compiled without any altering. -- The \project command keeps track of it. The idea is that after a new file has been added to the project, main.tex is compiled first once in order to create the file main.aux, after which the subfile compilations can use the \project{main} command to look into this aux file. One can also have several "submain" files. For example, if only file2.tex and file5.tex should be compiled out of a larger set, one would prepare a file \project{main} \input file2.tex \input file5.tex So it is possible to work with several subfile constellations. (This idea cannot be done without altering the LaTeX format source file.) -- I should also note that if one uses only one aux file, then the file where the labels are should perhaps be written to the aux file, that is instead of writing \newlabel{eq-Qprop}{{1.2}{3}} one should write \newlabel{eq-Qprop}{{1.2}{3}{intro.tex}} if the label is in the file "intro.tex". -- Speaking about the contents of the aux files, I think one should be able to write style info to these labels: This shows up, for example, if you want to distinguish between equation numbering "(1.2)" and section numbering "1.2" (without parenthesizes): The labels should then be \newlabel{eq-Qprop}{{(1.2)}{3}} \newlabel{seq-intro-prop}{{1.2}{3}} so that \ref can directly produce the correct output. Perhaps the type of the label should be written instead, like \newlabel{eq-Qprop}{{equation}{1.2}{3}} \newlabel{seq-intro-prop}{{section}{1.2}{3}} \newlabel{thm-prop}{{theorem}{1.2}{3}} Hans Aberg * AMS member: Listing <http://www.ams.org/cml/> * Email: Hans Aberg <[log in to unmask]> * Home Page: <http://www.matematik.su.se/~haberg/>