LaTeX Visual Editor for VS Code
Overleaf-style visual editor that renders your .tex files as rich, readable documents.
Click any block to reveal the raw LaTeX source, edit it directly, click away to re-render.
The entire document is editable: preamble, title, body, math, tables, everything.
Visual Editor — Open any .tex file with Basil: Open Visual Editor (or right-click tab → Reopen Editor With → LaTeX Visual Editor).
- Sections rendered as headings
- Math rendered with KaTeX (inline and display)
- Tables, lists, theorems, proofs, assumptions rendered
- Figures and TikZ shown as placeholders
- Citations, references, and footnotes styled
- Preamble summary bar (document class, packages, custom commands)
Click-to-Edit — Click any rendered block to reveal its LaTeX source in an auto-sizing textarea. Edit the LaTeX. Click outside to commit and re-render. Works for every element: preamble, title, paragraphs, equations, environments, tables, lists.
LaTeX Autocomplete — Works in the regular text editor (not just the visual editor):
\triggers command completions (formatting, math, sections, Greek letters, symbols)\begin{triggers environment completions with snippets\cite{scans.bibfiles for citation keys\ref{scans\label{}in the document\usepackage{and\documentclass{suggest common packages and classes
Inline Previews — In the regular code editor, math blocks show rendered KaTeX decorations and hover previews.
git clone https://github.com/hugosantanna/basil.git
cd basil
npm install
npm run compileThen in VS Code: press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host.
npx vsce package
code --install-extension basil-0.2.0.vsix- Open a
.texfile in VS Code Cmd+Shift+P→Basil: Open Visual Editor- Click any block to edit its LaTeX source
- Click outside the block to commit and re-render
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb,amsthm,graphicx,tikz}
\newcommand{\E}{\mathbb{E}}
\newtheorem{theorem}{Theorem}
\newtheorem{assumption}{Assumption}
\title{The Effect of Minimum Wage on Employment}
\author{Jane Doe \quad John Smith}
\date{\today}
\begin{document}
\maketitle
\begin{abstract}
This paper estimates the causal effect of minimum wage increases
on local unemployment using the synthetic control method.
We find that a \$1 increase leads to a 0.3--0.5 percentage point
increase in youth unemployment.
\end{abstract}
\section{Introduction}
The minimum wage remains one of the most debated instruments in
labor economics. Since \cite{card1994minimum}, the empirical
consensus has shifted toward a more nuanced view.
\section{Model}
Firm $j$ faces an upward-sloping labor supply:
$$L_j^s(w) = \alpha_j + \beta_j w + \varepsilon_j.$$
The profit maximization problem is:
\begin{equation}
\max_{L_j} \; f(L_j) - w(L_j) \cdot L_j.
\label{eq:profit}
\end{equation}
The first-order condition yields:
\begin{align}
f'(L_j^*) &= w(L_j^*) \left(1 + \frac{1}{\eta_j}\right) \\
&= w(L_j^*) + \frac{w(L_j^*)}{\eta_j},
\end{align}
where $\eta_j$ is the firm-level labor supply elasticity.
\begin{assumption}
The labor supply elasticity $\eta_j > 0$ is finite for all firms.
\end{assumption}
\begin{theorem}
Under Assumption~1, a binding minimum wage
$\bar{w} \in (w^*, w^m)$ increases employment.
\end{theorem}
\section{Data}
\begin{table}[htbp]
\centering
\caption{Summary Statistics}
\label{tab:summary}
\begin{tabular}{lccc}
\hline
Variable & Treated & Control & Difference \\
\hline
Unemployment (\%) & 5.8 & 5.2 & 0.6 \\
Youth unemp. (\%) & 14.3 & 12.1 & 2.2 \\
Min. wage (\$) & 10.50 & 7.25 & 3.25 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}
\section{Results}
\begin{enumerate}
\item Aggregate unemployment effect is small and insignificant.
\item Youth unemployment increases by 0.4 p.p.\ (significant at 5\%).
\item Effects concentrated in retail and food services.
\end{enumerate}
\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=1.0]
\draw[->] (-0.5,0) -- (8,0) node[right] {Quarters};
\draw[->] (0,-1.5) -- (0,2) node[above] {$\hat{\tau}_t$};
\draw[dashed,gray] (4,-1.5) -- (4,2);
\draw[thick,blue] plot coordinates
{(0,0.05) (1,-0.02) (2,0.08) (3,-0.05)
(4,-0.1) (5,-0.35) (6,-0.42) (7,-0.38)};
\end{tikzpicture}
\section{Conclusion}
Moderate minimum wage increases have limited aggregate
disemployment effects but measurable impacts on youth
employment.\footnote{See Online Appendix for details.}
\end{document}MIT