Detexify

Detexify provides a handwritten‑input interface for locating LaTeX symbols. Users draw a rough sketch of a desired symbol in a canvas, and the system returns the corresponding LaTeX command, streamlining the search that would otherwise require browsing large symbol tables. The tool is available as a web service and as a stable macOS application, which copies the found command to the clipboard and includes a reminder to purchase a license for unrestricted use.

The project targets anyone who writes LaTeX documents and needs a quick way to discover the correct syntax for mathematical or technical symbols. It is especially useful for researchers, students, and developers who find memorising or manually searching symbol lists time‑consuming.

Detexify’s distinctive aspect is its focus on handwritten recognition rather than textual search, allowing users to sketch the shape of a symbol directly. The source code for the frontend and backend is hosted on GitHub, and the training data can be reused by researchers. The macOS version is stable, while the web service requires a modern browser.