LyX exports to MS Word

Good news. LyX now has an option to export a document as a MS Word file! This development removes one of the main reasons to not learn LaTeX/LyX (or RMarkdown).

If you haven’t read the previous blog, LyX is a GUI for writing LaTeX, a document preparation system widely used in computer science, mathematics, and engineering. LaTeX is not that hard but it is code based. The nice thing about LyX is that it has the feel of a word processor but the power of a document preparation system. For the working biologist, the really great thing is that R code can be imbedded in the document making for truly reproducible research and a vastly improved workflow.

But obviously, we live in an MS Word world. LyX can export many different file types but usually, these were static, such as a pdf file. So this lack of compatibility with the MS world had some real down sides. Either you convinced your colleagues to work in LyX or you had to go through quite a few gymnastics to convert the file into Word - neither option is very appealing. So why put effort into writing a document in one program when you'll just have to convert it later? I agree and was sympathetic to a degree. But now, there is little need for anymore foot dragging. If you are writing a simple report or just need a way to keep an analysis in a nice neat workflow, there is RMarkdown. If you are working on a document that requires very fine control and publication quality, like a manuscript or high-end report, there is LyX (or raw LaTeX for the brave). But, with a bit of post-conversion formatting, documents can now be exchanged with colleagues as needed.

One note of caution. The simpler the document, the better the conversion. Simple text converts well. Headers requires some reformatting. Tables are OK. I haven’t tried this with figures yet.

Note:

RStudio has had the ability to export as an MS Word file (in addition to pdf and html) for some time.

If you missed it in the last “blog”, LyX has a track changes system! Again, one less reason not to use this system.