Sync Overleaf

Sync Overleaf

Standard post-step to push updated tables/figures into an Overleaf-synced folder.

Inputs (infer if obvious, otherwise ask)

• Source directory in the project (typically results/tables/ and results/figures/).
• Destination Overleaf folder (typically under ~/Dropbox (MIT)/Apps/Overleaf/<paper>/ — confirm location; project folders may live in separate unsynced Dropbox roots).

Steps

1. Confirm destination exists and is synced — ls -la <dest> and check files are real (not Dropbox placeholders).
2. Diff — for each source file, compare to the existing destination file:

   diff -q source dest
   

   Build a list of: NEW, CHANGED, UNCHANGED.
3. Copy only NEW + CHANGED files. Preserve filenames exactly so \input{} / \includegraphics{} calls don't need editing.
4. Report — list NEW and CHANGED file paths and their sizes. ≤ 10 lines.

Editing .tex files (not just copying artifacts)

The user edits in the Overleaf web editor while Claude edits locally. Treat this as a two-way sync, never a one-way push.

1. Pull first. Invoke the overleaf skill (or run overleaf-sync-now sync) to refresh the local copy before touching any .tex/.bib.
2. Diff before writing. Show the user a diff of the pulled Overleaf version against the local copy. If they differ, stop and ask which to keep. Do not merge on your own.
3. Targeted edits only. Never regenerate or overwrite a whole .tex file when an Edit on the specific block will do. Regenerating clobbers the user's web-editor prose — this has already cost recovery from Overleaf version history.

Verify the compile before reporting done

After ANY table or figure edit:

• Recompile the document.
• Look at the affected page — page-fit, header layout, rendering — don't infer it from a clean exit code.
• Report the actual measurement (e.g., Overfull \hbox (83.0pt too wide) at line 412). Never say a fit is "fixed" without a compile that shows it.

Conventions

• Never delete files in the Overleaf folder — only add/overwrite.
• If a filename collision exists but content differs intentionally (e.g., anonymized version), confirm with the user before overwriting.
• After copy, suggest the user trigger a fresh Overleaf compile.

Anti-patterns

• Do not paste table content into chat — only path + size.
• Do not assume the Overleaf folder structure; confirm first if not previously used in this session.