Getting started with LaTeX – frequently encountered issues Ronja Addams-Moring Kie-98.1601 English Oral Skills Test 10. February 2009

Disclaimer The facts about LaTeX you can verify The experiences, interpretations and opinions, however, are mine There certainly are similarities with some other persons' views but that is not their responsibility Feel free to copy, distribute, criticize, ignore or form derivative opinions as you see fit 

The facts about LaTeX you can verify

The experiences, interpretations and opinions, however, are mine

There certainly are similarities with some other persons' views but that is not their responsibility

Feel free to copy, distribute, criticize, ignore or form derivative opinions as you see fit 

Presentation outline First: some unlearning may be needed Task analysis: What we researchers do Requirements: What we need Historical overview To LaTeX or not to LaTeX? Typical issues when one begins After this presentation: LaTeX demo

First: some unlearning may be needed

Task analysis: What we researchers do

Requirements: What we need

Historical overview

To LaTeX or not to LaTeX?

Typical issues when one begins

After this presentation: LaTeX demo

Unlearn first? Documents are created and maintained with quite varying software vi, emacs, pico, jEdit, OO Writer... notepad, WordPad, MS Word... Adobe Acrobat, FrameMaker... TikiWiki, MediaWiki, Joomla!, Mambo... LaTeX has its own philosophy and logic Do not expect “just another X” - you will frustrate yourself and make mistakes

Documents are created and maintained with quite varying software

vi, emacs, pico, jEdit, OO Writer...

notepad, WordPad, MS Word...

Adobe Acrobat, FrameMaker...

TikiWiki, MediaWiki, Joomla!, Mambo...

LaTeX has its own philosophy and logic

Do not expect “just another X” - you will frustrate yourself and make mistakes

Task analysis 1(2) A simplified ”circle of life” of scientific-scholarly knowledge Researcher A publishes a new result Based on A’s result, other researchers create more new knowledge Researcher A uses other researchers’ results as input for more research The process repeats: Body of Knowledge grows larger and better with each ”round”

A simplified ”circle of life” of scientific-scholarly knowledge

Researcher A publishes a new result

Based on A’s result, other researchers create more new knowledge

Researcher A uses other researchers’ results as input for more research

The process repeats: Body of Knowledge grows larger and better with each ”round”

Task analysis 2(2) Necessary precondition for publishing: presenting research results accurately in scientific/scholarly works Readable, precise language Exact and fault-free citing Unambiguous symbols Effective-to-read typescript and layout Clear layout for tables and figures Writing/drawing/editing tools needed

Necessary precondition for publishing: presenting research results accurately in scientific/scholarly works

Readable, precise language

Exact and fault-free citing

Unambiguous symbols

Effective-to-read typescript and layout

Clear layout for tables and figures

Writing/drawing/editing tools needed

Requirements for tools Some essential necessities Re-use of references in new works Correct word divisions (in any language) Correct cross-referencing in the article No orphan lines or other layout “uglinesses” etc

Some essential necessities

Re-use of references in new works

Correct word divisions (in any language)

Correct cross-referencing in the article

No orphan lines or other layout “uglinesses”

etc

Historical overview 1(3) Before ca. 1975 only proprietary printing systems, typesetting far from author Problem: typesetting introduced mistakes Solution: author corrected proof prints manually New problem: corrections entered incorrectly -> more mistakes ! 1977 Donald Knuth (comp.sci.) had enough 1982 TeX: formulae, symbols - free software 1984 LaTeX (document structure) by Leslie Lamport (CS, math), 1986 The Book

Before ca. 1975 only proprietary printing systems, typesetting far from author

Problem: typesetting introduced mistakes

Solution: author corrected proof prints manually

New problem: corrections entered incorrectly -> more mistakes !

1977 Donald Knuth (comp.sci.) had enough

1982 TeX: formulae, symbols - free software

1984 LaTeX (document structure) by Leslie Lamport (CS, math), 1986 The Book

Historical overview 2(3) The TeX innovation: device independence This was news back then... Some limitations WYSIWYM, not WYSIWYG need to learn the markup Some advantages free software: Windows (MiKTeX), Unix/Linux (TeX-live) and MacOS X keeps document neat through changes no-hassle references, footnotes etc.

The TeX innovation: device independence

This was news back then...

Some limitations

WYSIWYM, not WYSIWYG

need to learn the markup

Some advantages

free software: Windows (MiKTeX), Unix/Linux (TeX-live) and MacOS X

keeps document neat through changes

no-hassle references, footnotes etc.

Historical overview 3(3) Today de facto standard for (most) IEEE and ACM journals and conferences Stable, bug-free, genuinely multi-lingual Future: depends on MiKTeX - ? Personal experience & opinion: since 1983 have heard of one friend-of-a-friend who had a bug-like problem with LaTeX (around 1988-1992) anything longer than 8-12 pages -> LaTeX

Today de facto standard for (most) IEEE and ACM journals and conferences

Stable, bug-free, genuinely multi-lingual

Future: depends on MiKTeX - ?

Personal experience & opinion:

since 1983 have heard of one friend-of-a-friend who had a bug-like problem with LaTeX (around 1988-1992)

anything longer than 8-12 pages -> LaTeX

To LaTeX or not to LaTeX? How large a work? 15+ pages -> LaTeX motivated Need to structure work / use many files -> LaTeX motivated If e.g. mathematical or Greek alphabet symbols needed -> LaTeX motivated If journal / conference only has LaTeX templates: use them, don't argue More brains, less money -> using free software makes sense

How large a work? 15+ pages -> LaTeX motivated

Need to structure work / use many files -> LaTeX motivated

If e.g. mathematical or Greek alphabet symbols needed -> LaTeX motivated

If journal / conference only has LaTeX templates: use them, don't argue

More brains, less money -> using free software makes sense

Typical beginner's issues 1(4) What are all these files?!? You must edit one .tex (the actual article text) one .bib (your bibliography = literature) You may create and/or edit .eps (figure files: pictures, graphs...) other input files You must not edit .sty (text layout style) and related .bst (bibliography style) and related

What are all these files?!?

You must edit

one .tex (the actual article text)

one .bib (your bibliography = literature)

You may create and/or edit

.eps (figure files: pictures, graphs...)

other input files

You must not edit

.sty (text layout style) and related

.bst (bibliography style) and related

Typical beginner's issues 2(4) Don't panic about the many details - you only need to learn what you use LaTeX resembles HTML or wiki markup: tags inside text Extra whitespace in .tex or .bib will not show in end result -> use as you please The “magic” characters - must “quote” in .tex or .bib : { } $ ^ _ % ~ # & don't use in file names of input files!

Don't panic about the many details - you only need to learn what you use

LaTeX resembles HTML or wiki markup: tags inside text

Extra whitespace in .tex or .bib will not show in end result -> use as you please

The “magic” characters - must “quote” in .tex or .bib : { } $ ^ _ % ~ # &

don't use in file names of input files!

Typical beginner's issues 3(4) Only the cited works from .bib listed by default -> when in doubt, make entry Where to put cite{AuthYEAR} in .tex? cite or citet or citep? How do I get (also in demo) bolded text (italics not so readable) lists (numbered / bulleted) tables, pictures chapter, section and subsection headers

Only the cited works from .bib listed by default -> when in doubt, make entry

Where to put cite{AuthYEAR} in .tex?

cite or citet or citep?

How do I get (also in demo)

bolded text (italics not so readable)

lists (numbered / bulleted)

tables, pictures

chapter, section and subsection headers

Typical beginner's issues 4(4) BibTeX entry types = ? (Article, InProceedings, Proceedings...) How do I get that nice-looking PDF? Why “acm” not “ACM” in the PDF's reference list? -> add {} around Other questions? Learn to use (on-line) manuals! Google: LaTeX OR BibTeX tutorial OR beginner OR guide -> 7.5 M hits!

BibTeX entry types = ? (Article, InProceedings, Proceedings...)

How do I get that nice-looking PDF?

Why “acm” not “ACM” in the PDF's reference list? -> add {} around

Other questions?

Learn to use (on-line) manuals!

Google: LaTeX OR BibTeX tutorial OR beginner OR guide -> 7.5 M hits!

A few useful guides Oetiker: The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX 2 (PDF - do save a copy!) http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~dwilkins/LaTeXPrimer/ http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BibTeX http://www.hep.manchester.ac.uk/u/jenny/jcwdocs/latex/bibtexbasics.html http://www.economics.utoronto.ca/osborne/latex/BIBTEX.HTM

Oetiker: The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX 2 (PDF - do save a copy!)

http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~dwilkins/LaTeXPrimer/

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BibTeX

http://www.hep.manchester.ac.uk/u/jenny/jcwdocs/latex/bibtexbasics.html

http://www.economics.utoronto.ca/osborne/latex/BIBTEX.HTM

Thank you Questions? My contact info http://www.iki.fi/~ronja/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/addamsmoring ronja [AT] iki [DOT] fi skype: ronja-am

Questions?

My contact info

http://www.iki.fi/~ronja/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/addamsmoring

ronja [AT] iki [DOT] fi

skype: ronja-am

Use and share these slides, please! This work (= these slides) is licensed under the Creative Commons license Attribution Non-Commercial ShareAlike 3.0 Unported The license terms are available via: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/deed.en Attribution info: Ronja Addams-Moring: "Getting started with LaTeX – frequently encountered issues". Presentation 10th February 2009 at Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), Espoo, Finland, EU.

This work (= these slides) is licensed under the Creative Commons license Attribution Non-Commercial ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

The license terms are available via: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/deed.en

Attribution info: Ronja Addams-Moring: "Getting started with LaTeX – frequently encountered issues". Presentation 10th February 2009 at Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), Espoo, Finland, EU.