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When is the aux file read and written?

25

4

1. I'd like to know when the aux file is read. I know it happens after the preamble, but does it come before or after the AtBeginDocument hook?



2. 
   

   I'd like to know when the aux file (or any other helper file) is actually written. I tried to trace the writing process by placing an undefined command after something should have been written to the aux file, and run pdflatex in interactive mode, like so:

   
   
   

   documentclass{article}
   
   begin{document}
   
   section{S}label{s}% write something to the aux file
   
   
   
   foo% unknown command
   
   end{document}
   
   

   
   
   

   but to my surprise the aux file is still empty when pdflatex stops at the error. I guess there is some buffering happening, but how would I resolve the synchronization issue? Say, when foo is command that wants to read from the aux file?

   
   

auxiliary-files

share|improve this question

asked Jun 25 '13 at 9:27

mafpmafp

14.6k252100

add a comment | 

25

4

1. I'd like to know when the aux file is read. I know it happens after the preamble, but does it come before or after the AtBeginDocument hook?



2. 
   

   I'd like to know when the aux file (or any other helper file) is actually written. I tried to trace the writing process by placing an undefined command after something should have been written to the aux file, and run pdflatex in interactive mode, like so:

   
   
   

   documentclass{article}
   
   begin{document}
   
   section{S}label{s}% write something to the aux file
   
   
   
   foo% unknown command
   
   end{document}
   
   

   
   
   

   but to my surprise the aux file is still empty when pdflatex stops at the error. I guess there is some buffering happening, but how would I resolve the synchronization issue? Say, when foo is command that wants to read from the aux file?

   
   

auxiliary-files

share|improve this question

asked Jun 25 '13 at 9:27

mafpmafp

14.6k252100

add a comment | 

1. I'd like to know when the aux file is read. I know it happens after the preamble, but does it come before or after the AtBeginDocument hook?



2. 
   

   I'd like to know when the aux file (or any other helper file) is actually written. I tried to trace the writing process by placing an undefined command after something should have been written to the aux file, and run pdflatex in interactive mode, like so:

   
   
   

   documentclass{article}
   
   begin{document}
   
   section{S}label{s}% write something to the aux file
   
   
   
   foo% unknown command
   
   end{document}
   
   

   
   
   

   but to my surprise the aux file is still empty when pdflatex stops at the error. I guess there is some buffering happening, but how would I resolve the synchronization issue? Say, when foo is command that wants to read from the aux file?

   
   

auxiliary-files

share|improve this question

asked Jun 25 '13 at 9:27

mafpmafp

14.6k252100

share|improve this question

asked Jun 25 '13 at 9:27

mafpmafp

14.6k252100

share|improve this question

asked Jun 25 '13 at 9:27

mafpmafp

14.6k252100

asked Jun 25 '13 at 9:27

mafpmafp

14.6k252100

asked Jun 25 '13 at 9:27

mafpmafp

14.6k252100

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

23

The .aux file is read as part of the document macro (begin{document}) but before the AtBeginDocument hook is used. (You can check this by inserting some 'test code' into the .aux file and the hook.)

Writing to the .aux file takes place both 'immediately' and at shipout. The latter is important to get for example the correct page numbers for cross-references, so things like label take place in a delayed fashion, using the protected@write 'wrapper' around the write primitive. Thus for example

documentclass{article}



begin{document}

makeatletter

immediatewrite@auxout{noexpandfoo}

protected@write@auxout{}{noexpandbaz}



end{document}

only places foo in the .aux file: baz is never written as there is no page shipout. In your example, shipout occurs after foo, so you see nothing in the .aux file at that point although a shipout does occur later.

Note that TeX keeps the .aux file open until the end of the run, so you cannot be sure that any particular write will appear in the partial .aux file during a run. As such, the only safe time to check on what gets written to the file is after the run completes. In particular, badly-terminated jobs may leave the .aux file in an incomplete state even if the crash occurs after writes 'should' have taken place.

share|improve this answer

edited 12 mins ago

answered Jun 25 '13 at 10:07

Joseph Wright♦Joseph Wright

206k23564892

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks. But even when I do a clearpage after the label, and pdflatex tells me it shipped out the first page before running into the error, I still don't see anything in the aux file. Why?
  
  – mafp
  Jun 25 '13 at 10:30
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Because the file is still open for writing. It is closed only at end{document}
  
  – Ulrike Fischer
  Jun 25 '13 at 10:38
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Daniel: The problem bothering @mafp has imho nothing to do with asynchronously output. The file is still open and so its content - even if it belongs to previous pages lurks still around in memory and you don't see it if you open the file. If one would add makeatletterimmediatecloseout@mainaux before the error it would appear.
  
  – Ulrike Fischer
  Jun 25 '13 at 11:26
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @frougon I'e made the edit: sorry about the missing argument
  
  – Joseph Wright♦
  12 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @frougon I've kept both arguments as noexpand as the idea is to show as little difference as possible
  
  – Joseph Wright♦
  9 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 7 more comments

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23

The .aux file is read as part of the document macro (begin{document}) but before the AtBeginDocument hook is used. (You can check this by inserting some 'test code' into the .aux file and the hook.)

Writing to the .aux file takes place both 'immediately' and at shipout. The latter is important to get for example the correct page numbers for cross-references, so things like label take place in a delayed fashion, using the protected@write 'wrapper' around the write primitive. Thus for example

documentclass{article}



begin{document}

makeatletter

immediatewrite@auxout{noexpandfoo}

protected@write@auxout{}{noexpandbaz}



end{document}

only places foo in the .aux file: baz is never written as there is no page shipout. In your example, shipout occurs after foo, so you see nothing in the .aux file at that point although a shipout does occur later.

Note that TeX keeps the .aux file open until the end of the run, so you cannot be sure that any particular write will appear in the partial .aux file during a run. As such, the only safe time to check on what gets written to the file is after the run completes. In particular, badly-terminated jobs may leave the .aux file in an incomplete state even if the crash occurs after writes 'should' have taken place.

share|improve this answer

edited 12 mins ago

answered Jun 25 '13 at 10:07

Joseph Wright♦Joseph Wright

206k23564892

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks. But even when I do a clearpage after the label, and pdflatex tells me it shipped out the first page before running into the error, I still don't see anything in the aux file. Why?
  
  – mafp
  Jun 25 '13 at 10:30
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Because the file is still open for writing. It is closed only at end{document}
  
  – Ulrike Fischer
  Jun 25 '13 at 10:38
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Daniel: The problem bothering @mafp has imho nothing to do with asynchronously output. The file is still open and so its content - even if it belongs to previous pages lurks still around in memory and you don't see it if you open the file. If one would add makeatletterimmediatecloseout@mainaux before the error it would appear.
  
  – Ulrike Fischer
  Jun 25 '13 at 11:26
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @frougon I'e made the edit: sorry about the missing argument
  
  – Joseph Wright♦
  12 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @frougon I've kept both arguments as noexpand as the idea is to show as little difference as possible
  
  – Joseph Wright♦
  9 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 7 more comments

23

The .aux file is read as part of the document macro (begin{document}) but before the AtBeginDocument hook is used. (You can check this by inserting some 'test code' into the .aux file and the hook.)

Writing to the .aux file takes place both 'immediately' and at shipout. The latter is important to get for example the correct page numbers for cross-references, so things like label take place in a delayed fashion, using the protected@write 'wrapper' around the write primitive. Thus for example

documentclass{article}



begin{document}

makeatletter

immediatewrite@auxout{noexpandfoo}

protected@write@auxout{}{noexpandbaz}



end{document}

only places foo in the .aux file: baz is never written as there is no page shipout. In your example, shipout occurs after foo, so you see nothing in the .aux file at that point although a shipout does occur later.

Note that TeX keeps the .aux file open until the end of the run, so you cannot be sure that any particular write will appear in the partial .aux file during a run. As such, the only safe time to check on what gets written to the file is after the run completes. In particular, badly-terminated jobs may leave the .aux file in an incomplete state even if the crash occurs after writes 'should' have taken place.

share|improve this answer

edited 12 mins ago

answered Jun 25 '13 at 10:07

Joseph Wright♦Joseph Wright

206k23564892

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks. But even when I do a clearpage after the label, and pdflatex tells me it shipped out the first page before running into the error, I still don't see anything in the aux file. Why?
  
  – mafp
  Jun 25 '13 at 10:30
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Because the file is still open for writing. It is closed only at end{document}
  
  – Ulrike Fischer
  Jun 25 '13 at 10:38
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Daniel: The problem bothering @mafp has imho nothing to do with asynchronously output. The file is still open and so its content - even if it belongs to previous pages lurks still around in memory and you don't see it if you open the file. If one would add makeatletterimmediatecloseout@mainaux before the error it would appear.
  
  – Ulrike Fischer
  Jun 25 '13 at 11:26
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @frougon I'e made the edit: sorry about the missing argument
  
  – Joseph Wright♦
  12 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @frougon I've kept both arguments as noexpand as the idea is to show as little difference as possible
  
  – Joseph Wright♦
  9 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 7 more comments

The .aux file is read as part of the document macro (begin{document}) but before the AtBeginDocument hook is used. (You can check this by inserting some 'test code' into the .aux file and the hook.)

Writing to the .aux file takes place both 'immediately' and at shipout. The latter is important to get for example the correct page numbers for cross-references, so things like label take place in a delayed fashion, using the protected@write 'wrapper' around the write primitive. Thus for example

documentclass{article}



begin{document}

makeatletter

immediatewrite@auxout{noexpandfoo}

protected@write@auxout{}{noexpandbaz}



end{document}

only places foo in the .aux file: baz is never written as there is no page shipout. In your example, shipout occurs after foo, so you see nothing in the .aux file at that point although a shipout does occur later.

Note that TeX keeps the .aux file open until the end of the run, so you cannot be sure that any particular write will appear in the partial .aux file during a run. As such, the only safe time to check on what gets written to the file is after the run completes. In particular, badly-terminated jobs may leave the .aux file in an incomplete state even if the crash occurs after writes 'should' have taken place.

share|improve this answer

edited 12 mins ago

answered Jun 25 '13 at 10:07

Joseph Wright♦Joseph Wright

206k23564892

documentclass{article}



begin{document}

makeatletter

immediatewrite@auxout{noexpandfoo}

protected@write@auxout{}{noexpandbaz}



end{document}

share|improve this answer

edited 12 mins ago

answered Jun 25 '13 at 10:07

Joseph Wright♦Joseph Wright

206k23564892

answered Jun 25 '13 at 10:07

Joseph Wright♦Joseph Wright

206k23564892

answered Jun 25 '13 at 10:07

Joseph Wright♦Joseph Wright

206k23564892