xelatex

xelatex [options] texfile

-draftmode
    Sets draft mode, suppressing output to the printer.

-interaction=
    Sets the interaction mode (e.g., 'batchmode', 'nonstopmode', 'scrollmode', 'errorstopmode').

-jobname=
    Specifies the job name (filename without extension).

-output-directory=
    Specifies the output directory for generated files.

-ini
    Runs xelatex in initialization mode.

-halt-on-error
    Halts processing immediately upon encountering an error.

-no-pdf
    Suppresses the generation of a PDF file.

-version
    Displays version information and exits.

-8bit
    Forces input to be interpreted as 8-bit (not Unicode).

xelatex is a TeX typesetting engine that extends the capabilities of traditional LaTeX by providing native support for Unicode and system fonts.
This allows users to easily incorporate a wide range of characters and fonts directly into their documents without requiring complex encoding schemes.

Compared to the older pdflatex engine, xelatex is particularly well-suited for documents that require international characters, specialized typography, or direct access to system fonts.
It supports both TrueType and OpenType fonts and uses the system's font rendering libraries for optimal display. The engine first processes the LaTeX source, then transforms the output into a PDF file.

Xelatex also supports advanced typographic features like ligatures and kerning, specified in OpenType fonts. It is especially useful for documents requiring complex scripts, multiple languages, or a modern visual aesthetic.

Xelatex generally requires more memory and processing power compared to pdflatex, especially for complex documents with many fonts. Compilation times can be longer.
Some LaTeX packages designed primarily for pdflatex might require adaptation or may not be fully compatible with xelatex.

Xelatex supports UTF-8 encoding directly, allowing you to use Unicode characters in your LaTeX source without special packages or encodings.
This is essential for documents containing characters beyond the basic ASCII set, such as those used in many international languages.

One of the key advantages of xelatex is its ability to directly use system fonts installed on your computer.
You can easily specify fonts by name, making it simpler to incorporate a wide variety of typefaces into your documents.
The fontspec package is commonly used to manage font selection.

Xelatex directly produces PDF files, streamlining the document creation process. The PDF output is generally well-formed and suitable for printing and distribution. It supports features like hyperlinks and bookmarks.

Xelatex was developed to address the limitations of earlier TeX engines regarding Unicode and font handling.
It allowed direct use of system fonts and UTF-8 encoding, simplifying document creation for multilingual and typographically sophisticated documents.
Its development has continued to enhance features and improve performance, making it a popular choice for modern LaTeX workflows, particularly when dealing with complex character sets.

latex(1), pdflatex(1), tex(1)