I also have a slightly more polished version of the script:

import os
import sys
import shutil

tmp_dir = '.tmp'

# find out the name of the file to compile
tex_file = sys.argv[-1]
file_name, file_ext = os.path.splitext(tex_file)
assert file_ext[1:] == 'tex'

# create the temporary directory if it doesn't exist
if not os.path.isdir(tmp_dir):
  try:
    os.mkdir(tmp_dir)
  except OSError:
    raise IOError('A file named "%s" already exists in this catalog' % tmp_dir)

# run pdflatex
os.system('pdflatex --shell-escape --output-directory=%s %s' % (tmp_dir, file_name))

# move the pdf file back to the tex directory
try:
  shutil.move('%s%s%s.pdf' % (tmp_dir, os.path.sep, file_name), os.curdir)
except IOError:
  print '\n\nPdf file not found.'

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Nice improvement. Is there a way to make it show up in the Typset in TeXShop and not only in drop-down menu within the .tex file's window?

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Don't forget that these auxiliary files are necessary for cross-referencing, producing the table of contents, index, etc.

If you are producing documents that don't require any of those, then this ought to work.

Also, instead of replacing the standard pdflatex, it is better to make it an alternative "Engine", using this nice feature of TeXShop.

Save your script in ~/Library/TeXShop/Engines, as, say,
mypdflatex.engine, and don't forget to make it executable.
(Also, add the line
#!/usr/bin/python
at the top have python run the script when it's invoked)

Then you can access your engine as you would any other engine, like xetex, of latexmk, or whatever. You can select it from either the popup menu or include the line

%!TEX TS-program = mypdflatex

at the top of any tex file to have TeXShop compile it using your script.

---
Luís

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Don't forget that these auxiliary files are necessary for cross-referencing, producing the table of contents, index, etc.

I believe that when you set the output-directory, it will also look there for the auxiliary files.

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And where can I set this Output-Directory?

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The script does that for you.

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Great hint! But I don't see the point of putting it in a new hidden directory when you can just throw it in /tmp.

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It's easier to find the temporary files in a local directory than in a global /tmp directory. But I believe you can just set the variable tmp_dir to /tmp and the temporary files will be placed there.

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where it can find the .aux file. I've tried to create a new version of bibtex by creating a new engine 'hidebibtex.engine' along the same lines as outlined above. Alas, bibtex does not support the option --shell-escape nor --output-directory, or at least that is how I understand the error message.

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Another way to hide files in the Finder is to use the command

SetFile -a V *.pdfsync *.log *.bbl *.aux *.blg

This has to be done only once for each file, but of course it could be called for each TeX file automatically. The files will remain visible in a terminal, and for latex. To undo this, use the same command with a lowercase v. Developer Tools are required for this to work.

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