Why it's not possible to minify Latex code?

Question

I'm writing Latex code in Overleaf and I was curious if it's possible to minify Latex code.

Maybe it isn't possible to fit all the code in just one line (like with Javascript) but it could be possible to have less LOCs in some ways.

Why? There isn't a specific reason, just curious.

I think it's not possible since I'm not finding any result in Google, but still want to ask.

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 16 '23 at 11:03

3

I think for the following specifications:

LaTeX code is designed to be readable and maintainable. It uses whitespace and comments to organize and explain the structure and content of a document. Removing these elements can make the code difficult to read and understand, especially for those who are not familiar with the document.
Minifying can potentially introduce errors or change the behavior of a LaTeX document, since some characters or sequences of characters may have special meanings in LaTeX. For example, removing a space between two words in a LaTeX command could change the command's meaning or result in an error.

answered Mar 16 '23 at 11:03

Taron Qalashyan

it makes sense for some spaces.. but there's no specification here saying it's not possible to delete new lines for example... – edoardottt Mar 16 '23 at 11:05
@edoardottt New lines can have meaning for latex - you can remove them, but this can change the result. – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz Mar 16 '23 at 11:16
yes I know, I wrote a lot of latex loc but still not all of them have an important meaning! – edoardottt Mar 16 '23 at 11:18

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