LaTex

This page is for getting started with LaTex. Also see LatexRevisionControl for use with Thesis documents.

Getting Started with Latex

Source Files

• Make a .tex file in a text editor or LaTex tool
• Make a .bib file
• Copy the Makefile below

Headings

Basic section headings. Depending on the style package in use they may be numbered automatically.

\section{Heading Level 1}
\subsection{Heading Level 2}
\subsubsection{Heading Level 3}

Comments

As far as I know, only single line comments are supported rather than comment blocks.

% Comment text goes after percentage/modulo symbol to the end of line character.

Citations

Citations refer the reader to an entry in the bibtex file. The label used to make the reference is the usally the first value in the bibtex entry.

\cite{REF}

Multiple references are seperated by commas.

\cite{REF1,REF2,REF3}

To cite a particular page, use the following syntax.

\cite[pg 2]{REF}

Quotation Marks and Block Quotes

LaTeX requires you to use different notation for opening and closing quotes.

Steven Wright noted that  ``A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me. I'm afraid of widths.''

Block Quotes are as follows.

\begin{quote}
  there is a rather neglected proportion of spreadsheets that are
  periodically used, and submitted to regular update-cycles like any
  conventionally evolving valuable legacy application software.
  However, due to the very nature of spreadsheets, their evolution is
  particularly tricky and therefore error prone. \cite[pg 3]{SSATE}
\end{quote}

Text Formatting

\textbf{This text is bold}

\emph{This text is empahsised}

\texttt{typewriter}

Further Information

Here is links to LaTex Tool Editors and other documentation guides.

LaTex Tools

• Kile - LaTeX source editor
• MiKTEX

LaTex Documentation

• The Not So Short Introduction to Latex
• Hypertext Help with LaTeX
• The LaTeX project

Makefile

The following is a makefile for use on the Linux / MacOSX machines. The TeX and BibTeX files should be in filename.tex and filename.bib respectively.

Usage

%> make quick - rapid compile and view.
%> make clean - remove all temporary files.
%> make print - print to printer specified in file.
%> make pdf - create then view pdf file.
%> make ps - create then view postscript file.
%> make tech - create the postscript tech report file (requires TRCover.tex).
%> make html - create the document as a web page.

Makefile Source

#
# Makefile for LaTeX files
#

# Enter document name (no suffix!)
DOC   = invis
# Enter printer name
PRINT   = comp300-237lp

all: ${DOC}.dvi ${DOC}.ps

${DOC}.dvi: *.tex *.bib
   latex ${DOC}.tex
   bibtex ${DOC}
   latex ${DOC}.tex
   latex ${DOC}.tex

${DOC}.ps: ${DOC}.dvi
   dvips -f ${DOC}.dvi -o ${DOC}.ps

${DOC}.pdf: ${DOC}.ps
   ps2pdf ${DOC}.ps

print1up: ${DOC}.ps
   cat trick.ps ${DOC}.ps | lpr -P ${PRINT}

print: ${DOC}.ps
   lpr -P ${PRINT} ${DOC}.ps   

dvi: ${DOC}.dvi
   kdvi ${DOC}.dvi 

ps: ${DOC}.ps
   gv -antialias ${DOC}.ps 

clean:
   rm -f *.aux *.bbl *.blg *.dvi *.log *.toc *~

quick: ${DOC}.dvi
   xdvi ${DOC}.dvi

# File containing LaTex to construct TechReport cover.
TRCover.dvi: TRCover.tex
   latex TRCover.tex

# Create the document with a tech report cover.
tech: ${DOC}.dvi TRCover.dvi
   dviconcat -o TR${DOC}.dvi TRCover.dvi ${DOC}.dvi
   dvips -f TR${DOC}.dvi -o TR${DOC}.ps
   ps2pdf TR${DOC}.ps

# need webtools, generates html file
html: ${DOC}.tex      
   need webtools
   latex2html ${DOC}.tex

#printf "==================Creating DVI================\n\a"