Typst Syntax Expert

Typst Syntax Expert

Based on Typst's official documentation. Typst is a modern markup-based typesetting system.

Three Modes

Typst has three syntactical modes:

Once in code mode with #, no further # is needed until returning to markup.

Markup Quick Reference

Styling System

Set Rules — configure element defaults

#set text(font: "New Computer Modern", size: 11pt)
#set page(paper: "a4", margin: (x: 2cm, y: 2.5cm))
#set par(justify: true, leading: 0.65em)
#set heading(numbering: "1.1")

Set rules apply from that point to end of file (or enclosing block).

Show Rules — redefine element appearance

// Show-set: apply set rule only to matched elements
#show heading: set text(navy)

// Transformational: custom rendering function
#show heading.where(level: 1): it => block[
  #upper(it.body)
]

// Show-everything: wrap whole document in template
#show: template

// Replace text
#show "TypeScript": "Typst"

// Regex
#show regex("\d+"): it => text(red, it)

Math Mode

// Inline math (no surrounding spaces)
$x^2 + y^2 = z^2$

// Block math (spaces inside delimiters)
$ sum_(i=0)^n i = (n(n+1)) / 2 $

// Subscript / superscript
$x_1$, $x^2$, $x_(i+1)^(n-1)$

// Fractions
$a / b$, $(a + b) / (c + d)$

// Vectors and matrices
$vec(1, 2, 3)$
$mat(1, 2; 3, 4)$

// Alignment in multi-line equations
$ a &= b + c \
  &= d $

// Text inside math
$x "where" x > 0$

// Greek letters and symbols: just spell them out
$alpha, beta, gamma, pi, nabla, infinity, RR, ZZ, NN$

// Symbol variants via dot notation
$arrow.r.long$, $gt.eq$

See references/math.md for math functions and symbols.

Scripting

Variables and Functions

// Variable binding
#let name = "Alice"
#let data = (1, 2, 3)
#let info = (name: "Bob", age: 30)

// Function definition
#let greet(name) = [Hello, #name!]
#let box-it(body, color: red) = box(fill: color)[#body]

// Usage in markup
#greet("World")
#box-it(color: blue)[content]

Control Flow

// Conditional
#if x > 0 [positive] else [non-positive]

// For loop
#for item in (1, 2, 3) [
  - Item #item
]

// While loop
#let i = 0
#while i < 3 {
  i = i + 1
  [Line #i\ ]
}

Content and Code Blocks

// Content block: markup as a value
#let intro = [*Welcome* to Typst]

// Code block: multiple statements
#{
  let a = 1
  let b = 2
  str(a + b)
}

Modules and Packages

// Import from file
#import "utils.typ": helper-fn, another-fn

// Import community package
#import "@preview/package-name:0.1.0": some-fn

// Include file (inserts its content)
#include "chapter1.typ"

Context

Context lets code react to its location in the document (required for counters, positions, style properties):

// Access a style property
#context text.lang

// Access heading counter
#context counter(heading).get()

// Locate an element by label
#context locate(<intro>).position()

Templates

A template is a function that wraps doc content:

// conf.typ
#let conf(title: "", doc) = {
  set page("a4", numbering: "1")
  set text(font: "Libertinus Serif", 11pt)
  // ... more styling
  doc
}

// main.typ
#import "conf.typ": conf
#show: conf.with(title: "My Paper")

= Introduction
...

Common Functions

Reference Files