Path handling inconsistency between output formats (typst vs. docx)

[davidzgli]

Description

Description:

I've discovered a path handling inconsistency in Quarto when using bibliography paths across different output formats. Specifically:

• When using the typst format, project-relative paths (starting with /) work correctly
• When using the docx format, the same project-relative paths fail - absolute paths are required instead

This creates maintenance challenges when building documents for multiple output formats.

Minimal Working Example:

1. Create a project with this structure:

my_project/
├── _quarto.yml
├── index.qmd
└── references/
    └── bibliography.bib

2. Place this content in _quarto.yml:

project:
  output-dir: _output

3. Place this content in index.qmd:

---
title: "Bibliography Path Test"
format:
  typst:
    bibliography: /references/bibliography.bib
  docx: 
    bibliography: /references/bibliography.bib
---

Testing bibliography paths.

Here's a citation [@doe2023].

4. Create a minimal references/bibliography.bib file:

@article{doe2023,
  author = {Doe, John},
  title = {Example Article},
  journal = {Journal of Examples},
  year = {2023}
}

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Create the above files in a new project
2. Run quarto render index.qmd --to typst (works correctly with project-relative path)
3. Run quarto render index.qmd --to docx (fails with project-relative path)
4. Change the docx bibliography path to an absolute path like /home/username/my_project/references/bibliography.bib (works)

Environment information:

• Quarto version: 1.5.57
• Operating system: Rocky Linux release 9.5 (Blue Onyx)
• R version: 4.4.2

Is this the expected behavior, or should project-relative paths work consistently across output formats?

[cscheid]

Is this the expected behavior, or should project-relative paths work consistently across output formats?

They should work consistently across formats.

[mcanouil]

@davidzgli Would you mind confirming the issue using the latest stable version as you appear to be using 1.5.57 instead of 1.6.42?

Also, is _quarto.yml necessary? Because you set output-dir in it which also has its own complexity.

• Output directory in quarto-cli #2171

[abduazizR]

I am facing the exact same issue and relative paths are not working for me with Quarto 1.7.24

[mcanouil]

Same as my previous comment, especially the part about using _quarto.yml to set an output directory for single document a.k.a., default project type.

• Path handling inconsistency between output formats (typst vs. docx) #12386 (comment)

@abduazizR Note that since you don't provide more context or reproducible example, a reaction on the original post would have given the same information without triggering notifications to all participants.

[mcanouil]

• Bibliography path resolution not respecting leading / #12553