Latex project with parent-child files

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

spinner writes:

 > I discovered that the source of my biggest confusion is selecting the
 > model when initializing a new project.

I'm pretty sure you're referring to "shared repositories."  It may
have seemed otherwise, but in fact shared repositories are a pure
space optimization for multi-branch projects.[1]  They have *no*
implications at all for the structure of the project itself.

 > Question: I am using Bazaar solo, and not using it to collaborate with
 > others. Also, I carry my files on an external HD between my office and
 > home computers. I've got things installed and working on one
 > computer. Do I need to do anything on the second computer, working
 > with the same external drive, other than install Bazaar on it?

No.

 > Russel, I'm not familiar with Waf nor SCons.

These are build dependency management software.  The traditional tool
on Unix is called "make".  The basic problem is that you may have
generated files for your document (such as graphs).  Doing the work of
generating them every time is time-consuming, ie, slows down the
edit-generate-review cycle.  Make-like tools help minimize the work
done in generating your document, thus speeding up the process.

Probably MikTeX handles the basics for you already, though.  Does
MikTex ever produce output that does *not* reflect some change or
addition you've made to the document?  If the answer is "no", you
don't *need* Waf or SCons.  (Though you may find them useful in
projects where you want more automation than MikTeX provides -- if
you've got a little time, you might want to investigate them.)

 > I understand it doesn't create all those annoying Tex process
 > files. What else?

That's probably not a benefit.  TeX creates the TeX process files.
(It's possible that MikTeX allows you to generate one chapter at a
time, in which case you would get fewer files because make-like tools
are more or less designed for processing the whole document every
time, but skipping steps that were already done the last time.)

However, if you are working in a MikTeX interface for TeX and Bazaar
Explorer for version control, I don't see why you should care about
the auxiliary files.  MikTeX should suppress listing of .aux, .dvi,
and .log files unless you ask for them, and Bazaar Explorer will do
the same if you add a .bzrignore file with three lines

*.aux
*.dvi
*.log

in it to the top folder of your project.  Of course if you get a file
listing from the command shell or the GUI desktop file manager, you
get all the gory details.  Then for the command shell, "bzr ls" will
DTRT, and as for using the file manager, "the doctor says, 'if it
hurts, just stop doing that!'" :-)  Just get used to using Bazaar
Explorer instead.


Footnotes: 
[1]  A project where for some reason multiple versions of the same
content are in development at the same time.  For example, in the case
of a dissertation, you may have a chapter which you are simultaneously
submitting for publication.  Your examiners will likely demand a "fat"
discussion proving you know everything about the subject, while the
journal editor will insist on a "lean" discussion, assuming that the
reader knows almost everything and you just tell her the news.  It's
not clear to me that existing VCSes can help you much with this
particular case, but that's the kind of thing branches help manage.