# texchanges `texchanges` is a LaTeX-native track-changes protocol for Overleaf, human reviewers, and AI agents. It keeps changes in plain text, renders Word-like review markup, and resolves the same source into accepted or original output. ## Installation After Texchanges is available in your TeX distribution, install it with the distribution's package manager and load it normally: ```latex \usepackage[review]{texchanges} ``` For Overleaf projects whose TeX Live version does not include Texchanges, upload `texchanges.sty` beside the main document. Overleaf updates TeX Live on its own release schedule, so a new CTAN package may take time to appear there. ## Overleaf quick start Upload `texchanges.sty` beside your main `.tex` file: ```latex \usepackage[review]{texchanges} \txreplace{old text}{new text} \txadd{new text} \txremove{old text} ``` Switch `review` to `final` to accept pending changes or to `original` to show the unchanged document. ## Structured review ```latex \txdefineauthor[name={Phuc Nguyen},color=orange]{phuc} \txreplace[ author=phuc, id=R12, comment={Clarify this claim.}, status=pending ]{human-like behavior}{O\&M-aligned behavior} ``` Change keys are: - `author`, a registered author ID. - `id`, an optional document-unique change ID. - `comment`, an attached reviewer note. - `status`, one of `pending`, `accepted`, or `rejected`. The legacy form `\txreplace[Reviewer]{old}{new}` remains supported as a visual label. Short aliases `\add`, `\remove`, `\replace`, `\highlight`, and `\comment` are installed only when another package has not defined them. ## Modes and decisions | Mode | Pending | Accepted | Rejected | |---|---|---|---| | `review` | visual old and new | proposed text | original text | | `final` | proposed text with warning | proposed text | original text | | `original` | original text | original text | original text | ## Reports ```latex \txlistofchanges \txlistofchanges[style=summary] \txlistofchanges[ style=list, title={Open reviewer changes}, show={added,replaced,commented}, status={pending}, author={phuc} ] ``` Detailed reports need two LaTeX runs. With `hyperref`, entries link to changes that have an ID. Summary and compact-summary reports group counts by author and change type. Reports are displayed and recorded only in `review` mode. ## Visual customization Presets are `texchanges`, `default`, `underlined`, `bfit`, and `nocolor`. ```latex \usepackage[ review, markup=texchanges, addedmarkup=uline, deletedmarkup=sout, highlightmarkup=background, commentmarkup=inline, authormarkup=superscript, authormarkupposition=right, authormarkuptext=id ]{texchanges} ``` - Added/deleted styles: `colored`, `sout`, `xout`, `uline`, `uuline`, `uwave`, `dashuline`, `dotuline`, `bf`, `it`, `sl`, and `em` where relevant. - Highlight styles: `background`, `uuline`, and `uwave`. - Comment styles: `inline`, `todo`, `margin`, `footnote`, and `uwave`. - Author styles: `superscript`, `subscript`, `brackets`, `footnote`, and `none`. Runtime hooks such as `\txsetaddedmarkup`, `\txsetcommentmarkup`, `\txsetauthormarkup`, and the width/auxiliary-file setters are documented in the [online API reference](https://phucnht.github.io/texchanges/reference/api/). ## `changes` compatibility Compatibility is opt-in because replacement arguments use the opposite order: ```latex \usepackage[review,compat=changes]{texchanges} \definechangesauthor[name={Phuc Nguyen},color=orange]{phuc} \replaced[id=phuc,changeid=R12]{new text}{old text} ``` Use `commandnameprefix=none|ifneeded|always` for compatibility commands. Native `\txreplace` always remains `old` then `new`. ## Resolve source markup The standard-library CLI can update statuses or permanently merge markup: ```bash python3 scripts/texchanges_merge.py paper.tex reviewed.tex --accept python3 scripts/texchanges_merge.py paper.tex final.tex --accept --merge python3 scripts/texchanges_merge.py paper.tex --reject --id R12 --in-place python3 scripts/texchanges_merge.py paper.tex --accept --author phuc --dry-run ``` In-place updates create a `.bak` file. Interactive mode, nested braces, Unicode, comments, and common verbatim-like environments are supported. Malformed input fails before any file is written. ## Automatic `latexdiff` `examples/automatic-diff/` compares two complete revisions through Overleaf's `latexmkrc` mechanism. It complements explicit semantic markup. ## Development ```bash make check make example make doc make dist make ctan make website make release-check ``` The suite covers all modes, metadata, reports, styles, compatibility syntax, the CLI, pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX, LuaLaTeX, and automatic `latexdiff`. ## Limitations - Complex display math, floats, headings, verbatim content, and some commands should be changed at a larger text boundary or reviewed with `latexdiff`. - The merge CLI intentionally skips comments and common verbatim-like environments. Custom verbatim environments require manual review. Maintained by Phuc Nguyen. Report issues at . Released under LPPL 1.3c or later. See `LICENSE`.