# tectonic > A modern, self-contained TeX/LaTeX engine. > More information: . - Compile a standalone TeX/LaTeX file: `tectonic -X compile {{path/to/file.tex}}` - Compile a standalone TeX/LaTeX file with synctex data: `tectonic -X compile --synctex {{path/to/file.tex}}` - Initialize a tectonic project in the current directory: `tectonic -X init` - Initialize a tectonic project in the specified directory: `tectonic -X new {{project_name}}` - Build the project in the current directory: `tectonic -X build` - Start a watcher to build the project in the current directory on change: `tectonic -X watch`