LyX ⇒ Problems generating PDF

[Philipp]

Hi,

I frequently have problems generating PDF. And honestly, I don't know how to deal with the error-descriptions. It seems to me that they don't refer at all to what I typed last time. For example, the latest runs like the following:

Code: Select all

 ...doitem {{Derrida}{Jacques}{J.}{}{}} {} {}
                                                  
I've run across a `}' that doesn't seem to match anything.
For example, `\def\a#1{...}' and `\a}' would produce
this error. If you simply proceed now, the `\par' that
I've just inserted will cause me to report a runaway
argument that might be the root of the problem. But if
your `}' was spurious, just type `2' and it will go away.

Can anybody advise me what to do about this and similar errors generating PDF? I'd be very glad, because it's the last few month of my PHD and I really feel stressed about it..

Phil

[cgnieder]

Hi Philipp,

Welcome to the LaTeX community!

Would you mind adding a minimal working example that illustrates your problem, please? It will be much easier for us to reproduce your situation and find out what the issue is when we see compilable code, starting with \documentclass{...} and ending with \end{document}.

Regards

[Philipp]

Hi Clemens, I even don't know how to do a minimal working example in Lyx. Can you help?

[cgnieder]

I'll quote myself from another post:

[...] the standard way of getting a minimal working example: save the file that throws the error under a new name and start deleting the code/the document text until the error disappears. Then reinsert the last part you deleted (which must cause the error) and continue with the rest of the code in the same way until you get a minimal version causing the error. If you're lucky you'll be able to identify and correct the erroneous part yourself.

Regards

[Philipp]

Hi Clemens, that's the point, I simply don't know where in my 130 pages document the error is..

[cgnieder]

I get that, but neither can anyone of us know where the error is. All of us do the same thing when we don't know where to look: start deleting stuff until we get an idea what's causing the error or where to start looking. The only other advice I have is to look into the log file and look for the first error message. If you're lucky there's a line number referring to the respective line of the TeX source where the error occurs.

Regards

[Philipp]

Ok, thanks!