% Example LaTeX Document % Preamble: Sets up General Parameters which are Global \documentclass[12pt]{article} \usepackage{doublespace,fullpage} \usepackage{epsfig} \usepackage{wrapfig} % Body: Main Document \begin{document} \title{Using {\LaTeX} to Create Documents} \author{D. W. Hyatt} \maketitle \begin{abstract} This document extends a previous paper on creating {\LaTeX} documents. Examples are provided within the text of the paper, but the reader can also view the source code for further clarity. This paper was designed to create a web page version to post on the Internet. \end{abstract} \section{Introduction} {\LaTeX}\cite{Kopka} is a text formatting program that is extensively used to produce scientific journals, textbooks, and many other publications. The software is able to take irregular blocks of text with embedded commands, and assemble a device independent file that can be displayed on a computer screen or sent to a printer. \par Similar to HTML tags used for the World Wide Web\cite{DecRan}, {\LaTeX} commands direct the program to produce a formatted document including graphics. Some of the formatting may seem more difficult than HTML, but the richness available in {\LaTeX} is amazing including mathematical symbols and even a separate tag for software's own name ($\backslash$LaTeX). As of now, {\LaTeX} remains a standard for document presentation in many scientific communities. \section{Some {\LaTeX} Basics} There are some basic principles of {\LaTeX} that can help a person organize a research paper. These will be described in more detail in each subsection below with code examples for reference. \subsection{Document Header or {\bf Preamble} } The preamble of a {\LaTeX} document contains a number of global parameters that will control the entire document. It is similar to a Cascading Style Sheet in HTML. It this paper, the following header tags are used: \begin{verbatim} \documentclass[12pt]{article} \usepackage{doublespace,fullpage} \usepackage{epsfig} \usepackage{wrapfig} \end{verbatim} In the first tag, {\bf $\backslash$documentclass}, parameters are used to indicate that the basic font size will be {\bf 12 point}, and the general format for the document will be an {\bf article}. \par The next three tags tell the software to use special packages such as {\bf doublespace} and {\bf fullpage}, as well as {\bf epsfig} for incorporating embedded postscript figures or graphics, and {\bf wrapfig} so that text can be made to wrap around a figure or graphic image if so desired. These commands will be used later on in this document. \par The next section begins the body of the document, including how to define the {\bf $\backslash$title} and the {\bf $\backslash$author}. Since the date is not specified, this will be included as part of the {\bf $\backslash$maketitle} command when the document is actually compiled. The actual code for this is listed below: \begin{verbatim} \begin{document} \title{An Example {\LaTeX} Document} \author{D. W. Hyatt} \maketitle \end{verbatim} The {\bf abstract} tag allows the author to define what exactly goes into the official abstract of the paper. This will typically be printed on the title page of the document. \begin{verbatim} \begin{abstract} This document presents a few examples showing the use of {\LaTeX}, a powerful document processing package developed primarily for UNIX platforms. \end{abstract} \end{verbatim} The actual body of the paper will then be listed afterwards in various sections or subsections until the final {\bf $\backslash$end\{document\}} tag is reached. \subsection{Sections and Subsections} Text blocks are usually arranged in various {\bf sections}, {\bf subsections} or {\bf subsubsections}. Titles associated with these text blocks will be sequentially numbered and labeled properly by {\LaTeX}. An author must merely decide the general organization of the paper, and then permit {\LaTeX} to handle all the details including default fonts and layout. \par Be careful of making {\sl \bf too many} subsections or subsubsections as this may cause a paper to seem too fragmented. Sometimes, an author will use these structures for initial organization purposes, almost as in creating an outline for the paper, but then notice that only one paragraph may be present in each subsection after the paper is actually written. In that case, it may be better to remove a bit of this excess structure and use good paragraph development to relay the same meaning. Usually, a well written topic sentence in a paragraph is sufficient to help the reader understand the content, and transition sentences from one thought to the next can assist in understanding. Therefore, it would not be necessary to have titles for subsections with ony one paragraph each, and maybe several of these sections could be grouped together with a single, more inclusive title. \subsection{Enumerated Lists} The equivalent of the "ordered list" in HTML is called the enumerated list in {\LaTeX}. An enumerated list allows people to organize a list of items and then permit the software to handle automated numbering. \par The general format for an enumerated list is as follows: \begin{verbatim} \begin{enumerate} \item First Item \item Second Item \item Last Item \end{enumerate} \end{verbatim} The following numbered sequence that shows how to run {\LaTeX} on the systems at TJHSST is such an enumerated list. Review the source code of this document to see how this list and the other examples were created. \begin{enumerate} \item Make sure the computer knows where {\LaTeX} is located on our system. \\ ({\bf /usr/share/texmf/bin}) \item Type a text file with the proper {\LaTeX} commands using vi or other editor. Save the source as {\bf $<$filename$>$.tex}. {\sl (Example: vi paper1.tex)} \item Type the command: {\bf latex $<$filename$>$} without the .tex extender. {\sl (Ex: latex paper1)} \item If there are errors, edit the file and repeat from step \#3. If there are unresolved references such as footnotes, it may be necessary to repeat \#3 again. \item View the output by typing {\bf xdvi $<$filename$>$.dvi}. {\sl (Ex: xdvi paper1.dvi)} \item Print the output, type the command {\bf dvips $<$filename$>$.dvi} to create a Postscript file and send that to a printer. \\ {\sl (Ex: dvips paper1.dvi} ... followed by ... {\sl lpr paper.ps)} \end{enumerate} \subsection{Unordered Lists} Just as in HTML, it is also possible to include unordered lists in {\LaTeX}. The bullet-ed items below point out a few of {\LaTeX}'s more powerful features and were created using such a list. The basic command {\bf $\backslash$begin\{itemize\}} starts the list structure, and each bulleted entry is identified with a {\bf $\backslash$item} tag. The end of the list is identified with a {\bf $\backslash$end\{itemize\}} tag. \par The following other features of {\LaTeX} are written as entries in an unordered list. \begin{wrapfigure}[]{r}[0in]{0in} \epsfig{file=hyatt.ps, width = 1in} \end{wrapfigure} \begin{itemize} \item Graphics such as the author's picture can be included also. This is accomplished by using the $\backslash$epsfig tag with appropriate filename and size parameters. \item If the author wishes that the text wrap around the figure, it is also possible to use elements from the {\bf wrapfigure package} indicating where the image should be placed on the page. The text below will place a Postscript image of the author with a width of only one inch to the right side of the page, allowing text to wrap around that image. \begin{verbatim} \begin{wrapfigure}[]{r}[0in]{0in} \epsfig{file=hyatt.ps, width = 1in} \end{wrapfigure} \end{verbatim} \item {\LaTeX} allows for page formatting and additional {\Large \sl font choices} by using {\bf $\backslash$Large} for one of the standard large fonts, followed by {\bf $\backslash$sl} for a slant font. \item For more information on {\LaTeX}, check out the texts \cite{Kopka} available in the lab. For information on the proper way to display online references, refer to the materials published by Columbia University \cite{Style}. \end{itemize} \subsection{Math Features} The ability to display mathematics formulas of exceptional complexity is one of the most valuable assets of {\LaTeX}. A simple formula like the solution to the quadratic equation is not possible to write using current versions of HTML but is easy in {\LaTeX}. For instance, the following code: \begin{verbatim} \begin{displaymath} x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt[2]{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \end{displaymath} \end{verbatim} Produces the following formula: \begin{displaymath} x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt[2]{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \end{displaymath} Even strange formulas with Greek letters, such as $\delta = \pi sin(\theta -\Sigma)$, can be inserted right within a line of text by surrounding the necessary components of the equation with dollar signs ({\bf \$}). \begin{verbatim} $\delta = \pi sin(\theta -\Sigma)$ \end{verbatim} \par To insert sections of computer code so that it keeps the same format, try using the {\bf $\backslash$begin\{verbatim\}} tag. For instance, the following segment of code was printed using this option. \begin{verbatim} main() { cout << "Hello \LaTeX" << endl; } \end{verbatim} \subsection{Tables and Bibliography} In many wordprocessors, students must spend considerable time creating formatted items such as tables, as well as organizing bibliographic references. In {\LaTeX}, these operations are relatively simple. \par The general format for setting up a table is to define a table using "l", "r", or "c" for positioning and vertical bar for column lines. The ampersand {\bf \&} is used to separate items and the "hline" tag for row lines. The code below is used to define the table comparing the advantages of various word processing products: \begin{verbatim} \begin{center} \begin{tabular}{r|lcc|}\hline No. & Formatting Language & Cost & Utility \\ \hline \hline 1. & HTML & free & fair \\ \hline 2. & LaTeX & free & good \\ \hline 3. & Microsoft Word & expensive & good \\ \hline 4. & vi & free & poor \\ \hline 5. & Word Perfect 5.1 & cheap & fair \\ \hline \end{tabular} \end{center} \end{verbatim} The actual table looks like the following: \begin{center} \begin{tabular}{r|lcc|}\hline No. & Formatting Language & Cost & Utility \\ \hline \hline 1. & HTML & free & fair \\ \hline 2. & LaTeX & free & good \\ \hline 3. & Microsoft Word & expensive & good \\ \hline 4. & vi & free & poor \\ \hline 5. & Word Perfect 5.1 & cheap & fair \\ \hline \end{tabular} \end{center} \par Bibliographic references are very handy since {\LaTeX} coordinates any citations in the text to the bibliograph list. Each bibliography reference needs to have an identifier such as {\bf $\backslash$bibitem\{RefID\} $<$reference info$>$ } in the bibliography, and then anytime that reference is cited with the proper {\bf $\backslash$cite\{RefID\}}, {\LaTeX} will handle all the coordination and numbering of items in the list. \section{Additional Uses} Students who want to produce professional looking research papers should learn how to use {\LaTeX}. Like many programs distributed on the Internet, the latest version will always have wonderful new features. \par Although there are word processors that can do much of the same formatting shown here, {\LaTeX} is freely available for many UNIX platforms and is installed on the {\bf Linux } systems in the Computer Systems Lab. Another really powerful feature of this document processing language is that people have written programs that will convert a standard document written in {\LaTeX} format into a complete website using the program {\bf latex2html}. \cite{latex2html} The program converts every section or subsection into a separate web page including appropriate navigation tools, and also turns all of the equations and into separate GIF images. \par The software also creates a separate cascading style sheet so that the resultant document can be quickly converted to some desired format. Take a look at the cascading style modifications used to change the background to white in this document as well as headers and links to different colors: latex.css \begin{thebibliography}{99} \bibitem{DecRan} John December and Neil Randall, \underline{The World Wide Web Unleashed}, Sams Publishing, 1994. \bibitem{Kopka} Helmut Kopka and Patrick W. Daly, \underline{A Guide to LATEX}, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc., 1993. \bibitem{latex2html} Nikos Drakos and Ross Moore, \underline{LaTeX2HTML Translator} Version 99.2 beta8(1.43), Macquarie University, Sydney, 1999. \bibitem{Style} Walker, Janice R. et al., "The Columbia Guide to Online Style", 1995.\\ http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/idx\_basic.html (August 11, 2000) \end{thebibliography} \end{document}