TeX Writer - LaTeX On The Go app good for
I really do love it. Only very few minor issues.
1) the cursor is weird. If I wanted to edit the code in, say, the middle of the second line, sometimes I will have to use the side arrows all the way. The up and down arrow take my only to the beginning of the paragraph
2) relatedly, the "option" button on the Smart Keyboard does not allow you to navigate across words. So you have to go through each letter one by one until you get to the desired location.
3) after previewing your document, you actually have to tap on the editing screen to begin editing again, otherwise your keyboard will not register
But honestly, these are only a minor annoyance. This app gave me the first opportunity to create my first TeX document. Thank you!
I installed this app because I was asked to write a scientific article for an at-home experiment that I performed regarding Europas salt content and structure of its ice.
This was my first time ever writing something in TeX format, and I was impressed with this app as far as the versatility and ease of use. I was able to write my article within a couple of days and wrote a subsequent article within the week.
Great app, well laid out, the DropBox feature is great, and Im very glad I purchased it.
I use LaTeX on my computer, and its so convenient to have it on my iPad and iPhone 6 Plus as well. It makes me so productive since I can work and make documents anywhere and any time. I love how it integrates with other apps. I use a combined file browser, file server, FTP client app, Documents 5, and I can move my Tex and PDF files back and forth between the apps.
Im not a very big fan of the text editor in this app, and Ive been using Textastic or another editor on my iPad to produce my LaTeX files.
There are a few changes that I think would make this app so much better. I think it would be really nice to have an option to choose whether to use the built in iOS text selection, cut, copy, and paste tools instead of the special tools included in the app. Ive tried to get used to the special built in text editing tools, but I have been using iOS so long that Im much more efficient with the built-in iOS text selection tools. I also dont like how the built-in selection tool pushes the text around when I am selecting something. I also think it would also be nice to have a switch that enables or disables autocorrect if it were possible to make the autocorrect TeX aware. Autocorrect is currently always disabled in the app. Since Ive been using iOS for many years, my autocorrect dictionary is quite accurate now. The last important thing would be to be able to update packages when new ones become available. I use a few Latex packages that format documents to specific standards that are updated periodically, and a year is too long to wait to be able to get a current version of the package on my device. Finally, it would be nice to be able to adjust the font size in the text editor.
I use this app as a study aid for teaching myself statistics. Every evening, while reading statistics books on my iPad, I take my notes in it. Great for equations. Even taught myself LaTeX using the app. Nice job!
I have been "computing" since quite a while (hint: >= paper tapes). Now I am sitting here looking at my compiled pfd of a 44 page Latex opus with lots of references and graphics - and I just did it by touching an icon in this little application Tex Writer running on my iPhone. It is not so that I did not keep up-to-date on all the computing changes and technologies. Quite the opposite. Still, I wonder and feel happy, when I see the clean - so rapidly produced - documents from Tex Writer - my macro customizations not with-standing. The developer has done a superb job of letting me work whenever and wherever I feel the lights blinking. BTW: This app integrates well with results out of Wolfram Alpha. Thank you.
Very straightforward and user-friendly. Has exactly what you need for writing on the go.
Some bad moments
The app cannot sync with Dropbox. Its useless. Also cannot include figures from different folder. I need a refund.
Dropbox support is poorly conceived and does not consistently work properly. Documents must be "imported", a process which more often than not fails and when successful entails making a separate copy of the file elsewhere in Dropbox and undermining the seamless ness across devices which, to me, is the whole point of using Dropbox. And, as mentioned, it doesnt usually work. This makes the app a giant hassle to use. Certainly not worth the asking price.
This is a wonderful idea. But, it has gnawing and deeply annoying issues. For one, the developer seems to have his/her own way of selecting text. The standard methods that Apple recommends and that 99% of all other apps use (and users are used to) are not adopted here. This is frustrating. It would be ok if this app has a better way of selecting text for cut/paste. But, it does not. Please adopt the standard iOS method for this: on iPads, two-finger on keyboard should allow one to select text and then a little pop-up should appear with options to cut, copy, paste. The selection part works, but the pop-up doesnt show... making it useless to select the text! On iPhones, one uses the finger directly on the text and then drags. Unfortunately, here, you cant drag to select. So, I have no idea how to select text to cut and paste. This is obviously important for an editor!
Too bad, because all the other Latex stuff works just fine. It seems like the hard problems were solved, but the app fails in the basic but essential aspects of a proper editor interface.
This is really a great app. It works if you dont need too much special packets.
For further improving the usability I would suggest to add syntax highlighting, auto completion or file exchange for tex files with other apps.
This App does not support KomaScript. Package error that there is no e-TeX.
So dont buy it if you need KomaScript.
Pros: it works.
Cons: this app has extremely limited features and I found it way over priced.