LaTeX Workshop

# LaTeX Workshop
### <a href='https://github.com/janusvm'>Janus Valberg-Madsen</a>
### 2018-10-08 @ Aalborg University

---

# Overview of today

- What is LaTeX?

- Why should we use LaTeX?

- How do we use LaTeX?

- How do we write LaTeX?

- How do we structure a project?

---

# What is LaTeX?

From <https://www.latex-project.org/>:

> *LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting system; it includes features designed for the production of technical and scientific documentation. LaTeX is the de facto standard for the communication and publication of scientific documents.*

![](img/ex-full.png)

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# Why LaTeX?

- Handles large documents consisting of multiple files

- Typesets math beautifully and easily

- Free and open source

- Backwards compatible

- Easy sectioning, automatic numbering

- Cross references and citations

- Documents are consistent

- Not restricted to a specific editor

- Platform independent

- Command line interface `\(\implies\)` perfect for scripting

- Plain text format `\(\implies\)` perfect for version control

---

# The most important LaTeX binaries

- [`pdflatex`](https://linux.die.net/man/1/pdflatex) : used to generate a PDF file

- [`bibtex`](https://linux.die.net/man/1/bibtex) : used to generate auxiliary files for citations

- [`latexmk`](https://man.cx/latexmk) : Perl script for automating the build process

```sh
where pdflatex
where bibtex
where perl
where latexmk
```
]

```sh
which pdflatex
which bibtex
which perl
which latexmk
```
]

---

## If you get errors from where/which

1. You didn't install the program, or
2. The installer didn't add the containing folder to your system's PATH

1. Open *Settings*
2. Search for *Edit environment variables for your account*
3. Highlight *Path* under *User variables* and click *Edit*
4. Click *New* and browse to the folder containing the LaTeX binaries

With MiKTeX, they will be under `C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Programs\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\bin\x64`
]

1. Open *Terminal* and run:
    ```sh
    sudo nano /etc/paths
    ```
2. Go to the bottom of the file and add the path to the LaTeX binaries
3. Hit `Ctrl+X Y Enter` to save and quit

With MacTeX, they will be under `/Library/TeX/texbin`
]

---

# How to use LaTeX

---

## Compiling a document from the command line

---

### Exercise

1. Download a template from <https://janusvm.github.io/aau-project-template>

1. Unpack in a folder somewhere on your computer

1. Delete `master.pdf`

1. Open a command prompt/terminal

1. `cd` to the folder (use `\` instead of `/` on Windows), e.g.
    ```sh
    cd path/to/project
    ```

---

### Exercise (cont.)

1. Compile `master`;
    ```sh
    pdflatex master
    ```
    Open the PDF file.
    Notice anything missing?

1. Run `pdflatex` again. What changed in the PDF? What's still missing?

1. Run `bibtex`. What changed on disk?
    ```sh
    bibtex master
    ```

1. Run `pdflatex` again twice

---

### Exercise (extra)

If you have `latexmk` installed

1. Delete the auxiliary files and PDF output
    ```sh
    latexmk -bibtex -C
    ```

2. Compile `master` using `latexmk`;
    ```sh
    latexmk -pdf -quiet -bibtex master
    ```

---
layout: false

## Using a specialised editor

![](img/texmaker-interface.png)

For this tutorial, I am using TeXMaker on Windows 10, with a full MiKTeX distribution and Strawberry Perl installed.

---

# Writing LaTeX code

For this part, I will explain the syntax of LaTeX in very general terms:

- The document class

- Installing and importing packages

- Commands

- Environments

The best way of learning the details of the LaTeX syntax (i.e. all the different commands and symbols) is by trial and error.

There will be a set of exercises at the end for this.

---

# Structuring a LaTeX project

```
master
│
├── preamble files
│   ├── packages
│   └── customisations
│
├── content files
│   ├── body text
│   ├── figures, tables, etc.
│   └── sub input files
│
├── appendices
│
└── bibliography
```
]

```
.
├── master.tex
├── preamble.tex
├── fig
│   ├── alg
│   ├── img
│   ├── tab
│   └── tikz
├── incl
│   ├── app
│   ├── bib
│   ├── main
│   └── misc
└── (+ folders for extra stuff)
```
]

---

# Exercises

## Links and help

- These slides: <https://janusvm.github.io/aau-latex-workshop>

- Wikibook: <https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX>

- *Help* ➡ *LaTeX Reference* (if you use TeXMaker)

- Google :^)

Feel free to ask questions too!