LaTeXify is a browser extension built for both Firefox and Chrome. It serves a simple but efficient purpose—take a screenshot of a mathematical equation, and if it’s valid, LaTeX code is instantly generated and copied to your clipboard.
- Mac users: Cmd+Shift+Y
- Windows users: Ctrl+Shift+Y
In future if time permits, I would be willing to refactor the extension for Safari/Edge too.
Typing equations in LaTeX can be time-consuming—especially when minor syntax errors prevent compilation. LaTeX isn’t always beginner-friendly either. Instead of switching tabs or looking for/genertaing syntax, this extension helps save time by generating LaTeX within moments. As an undergrad I have spent a lot of time trying to get around compilation errors (especially mathematical notation) in an Overleaf doc- sometimes I wish a standard equation were just there so that I can focus on other elements of the paper.
Instead of publishing the extension on a store, I’ve opted for manual installation. This is because the extension uses OpenAI's API, which requires a private key. I personally wouldn;t like to trust anyone with an API key, and expect the same from the users of this extension.
If there's a secure way to handle API keys (e.g., via a backend or encrypted vault), I’d love to integrate that in the future.
To set your API key, open background.js and update this section:
async function callLLMAPI(imageBase64) {
const OPENAI_API_KEY = 'sk-proj-xxx...'; // Replace with your real API key
...
}For Chrome:
- Visit chrome://extensions/ and enable developer mode
- Click “Load unpacked”
- Select the local LaTeXify-main folder
For Firefox:
- Open manifest.json file, and change the version from 3 to 2, replace "action" with "browser_action", and remove unsupported keys like "scripting". This should be present in the coments, just feel free to uncomment.
- Vist bout:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox
- Click "Load Temporary Add-on"
- Select just your manifest.json the local LaTeXify-main folder
The extension is currently open to development and welcomes feedback and new feature suggestions!
This project is licensed under a Creative Commons License to know more, visti- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/