This document discusses the benefits of using Beamer, a LaTeX presentation template, compared to PowerPoint. Beamer allows for neat mathematical typesetting and formula copying from written reports. It generates PDF documents viewable on any system without surprises. Basic Beamer usage involves specifying document classes and creating overlays using commands like \pause. Packages may need downloading but are now fairly standard. Settings can be adjusted to customize presentations.

1. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Beamer
The A
LT EXalternative to PowerPoint
Anonymous
March 18, 2011

2. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Outline
1 Why Beamer?
Advantages
Disadvantages
2 Basic Programming
The basics
3 Practical Matters
Compiling
Downloading
4 Playing with Settings
5 Summary

3. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Outline
1 Why Beamer?
Advantages
Disadvantages
2 Basic Programming
The basics
3 Practical Matters
Compiling
Downloading
4 Playing with Settings
5 Summary

4. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Why Beamer?
Advantages
A
Enjoy all the benefits of LTEX
Mathematical typesetting is neater, e.g.
n
1 if k = j,
Pn (x) = Lj (x)yj , with Lj (xk ) =
0 otherwise.
j=0
Formulae can be copied directly from a written report.
Generates a PDF-document, which can be viewed under any
operating system.
No surprises next time you open the file on another computer.

5. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Why Beamer?
Advantages
A
Enjoy all the benefits of LTEX
Mathematical typesetting is neater, e.g.
n
1 if k = j,
Pn (x) = Lj (x)yj , with Lj (xk ) =
0 otherwise.
j=0
Formulae can be copied directly from a written report.
Generates a PDF-document, which can be viewed under any
operating system.
No surprises next time you open the file on another computer.

6. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Why Beamer?
Advantages
A
Enjoy all the benefits of LTEX
Mathematical typesetting is neater, e.g.
n
1 if k = j,
Pn (x) = Lj (x)yj , with Lj (xk ) =
0 otherwise.
j=0
Formulae can be copied directly from a written report.
Generates a PDF-document, which can be viewed under any
operating system.
No surprises next time you open the file on another computer.

7. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Why Beamer?
Advantages
A
Enjoy all the benefits of LTEX
Mathematical typesetting is neater, e.g.
n
1 if k = j,
Pn (x) = Lj (x)yj , with Lj (xk ) =
0 otherwise.
j=0
Formulae can be copied directly from a written report.
Generates a PDF-document, which can be viewed under any
operating system.
No surprises next time you open the file on another computer.

8. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Why Beamer?
Advantages
A
Enjoy all the benefits of LTEX
Mathematical typesetting is neater, e.g.
n
1 if k = j,
Pn (x) = Lj (x)yj , with Lj (xk ) =
0 otherwise.
j=0
Formulae can be copied directly from a written report.
Generates a PDF-document, which can be viewed under any
operating system.
No surprises next time you open the file on another computer.

9. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Why Beamer?
Disadvantages
Not as “point-and-click” as PowerPoint.
A
Need to know the basics of LTEX.
Downloading of packages needs a little effort and patience
(but Beamer’s packages are fairly standard nowadays).

10. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Outline
1 Why Beamer?
Advantages
Disadvantages
2 Basic Programming
The basics
3 Practical Matters
Compiling
Downloading
4 Playing with Settings
5 Summary

11. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Basic Programming
A
Normal LTEXdocument: A
Beamer-LTEXdocument:
documentclass{book} documentclass{beamer}
mode<presentation>
title{...} usepackage{graphicx}
author{...} title{...}
date{...} author{...}
institute{...}
begin{document} date{...}
maketitle begin{document}
begin{frame} titlepage end{frame}
tableofcontents
begin{frame}
frametitle {Outline}
tableofcontents
section{Introduction} end{frame}
section{Introduction}
begin{frame}
frametitle{...}
...end{frame}

12. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Methods of revealing
You can create overlays . . .
Using the pause command:
First item.
Second item.
. . . just like that!
You can create overlays ldots
begin{itemize}
item Using the emph{pause} command: pause
begin{itemize}
item First item. pause
item Second item.
end{itemize}
pause
item ldots just like that!
end{itemize}

13. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Methods of revealing
You can create overlays . . .
Using the pause command:
First item.
Second item.
. . . just like that!
You can create overlays ldots
begin{itemize}
item Using the emph{pause} command: pause
begin{itemize}
item First item. pause
item Second item.
end{itemize}
pause
item ldots just like that!
end{itemize}

14. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Methods of revealing
You can create overlays . . .
Using the pause command:
First item.
Second item.
. . . just like that!
You can create overlays ldots
begin{itemize}
item Using the emph{pause} command: pause
begin{itemize}
item First item. pause
item Second item.
end{itemize}
pause
item ldots just like that!
end{itemize}

15. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Methods of revealing
You can create overlays . . .
Using the pause command:
First item.
Second item.
. . . just like that!
You can create overlays ldots
begin{itemize}
item Using the emph{pause} command: pause
begin{itemize}
item First item. pause
item Second item.
end{itemize}
pause
item ldots just like that!
end{itemize}

16. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Methods of revealing
You can create overlays . . .
Using the pause command:
First item.
Second item.
. . . just like that!
You can create overlays ldots
begin{itemize}
item Using the emph{pause} command: pause
begin{itemize}
item First item. pause
item Second item.
end{itemize}
pause
item ldots just like that!
end{itemize}

17. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Adding pictures
Pictures are included in the normal ways:
begin{center}
includegraphics[height=45mm]{fractal.jpg}
end{center}

18. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Outline
1 Why Beamer?
Advantages
Disadvantages
2 Basic Programming
The basics
3 Practical Matters
Compiling
Downloading
4 Playing with Settings
5 Summary

19. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
You need to compile your slides.tex file to get a slides.pdf file.
Graphics type Compiling method
png; jpg; pdf slides.tex −→ slides.pdf
eps; ps slides.tex −→ slides.ps −→ slides.pdf

20. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Practical matters: downloading
You will need to download three packages:
1 beamer ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/CTAN/macros/latex/contrib/
2 xcolor ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/CTAN/macros/latex/contrib/
3 pgf ftp://ftp.sun.ac.a/CTAN/graphics/
Or all of them (an many more!) at http://www.ctan.org
[ CTAN = Comprehensive TEXArchive Network ]

21. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Practical matters: downloading
You will need to download three packages:
1 beamer ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/CTAN/macros/latex/contrib/
2 xcolor ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/CTAN/macros/latex/contrib/
3 pgf ftp://ftp.sun.ac.a/CTAN/graphics/
Or all of them (an many more!) at http://www.ctan.org
[ CTAN = Comprehensive TEXArchive Network ]

22. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Outline
1 Why Beamer?
Advantages
Disadvantages
2 Basic Programming
The basics
3 Practical Matters
Compiling
Downloading
4 Playing with Settings
5 Summary

23. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Changing the settings
Bergen, Madrid, AanAr-
Presentation themes named af- bor, CambridgeUS, Pitts-
ter cities (except 2) burgh, Copenhagen, Han-
nover, . . .
Color themes named after flying albatross, crane, fly, dove,
animals seagull, . . .
Inner Themes, Outer Themes, . . .

24. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
Outline
1 Why Beamer?
Advantages
Disadvantages
2 Basic Programming
The basics
3 Practical Matters
Compiling
Downloading
4 Playing with Settings
5 Summary

25. Why Beamer? Basic Programming Practical Matters Playing with Settings Summary
The beamer-package allows you to have all the interactivity
you need, and
displays mathematical formulae neatly and legibily.