FINAL PROJECT: Abstract and Reader's Reponse > An Introductory Guide to LaTeX
Looking forward to this guide, M., as an occasional editor of documents written in this program. :)
May 8, 2016 |
Marybeth Shea
Marybeth Shea
My guide introduces the reader to LaTeX, a powerful typesetting tool that can be used to generate professional-looking documents. The document assumes a nominal amount of computational experience: saving and opening files, downloading and installing software, and using the command line or terminal. The guide first discusses compilation by way of LaTeX compilers and output file formats, such as PDF and Postscript. The document next walks the reader through the process of creating a simple "first" document in LaTeX. The later sections of the guide discuss typesetting mathematical equations in "math mode," creating lists, using templates, and other selected topics in which LaTeX has consistently proved a useful alternative to standard what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) document designing software like Microsoft Word. The document's conclusion gives a number of references to useful sources for further reading about LaTeX. These references may help the reader identify further uses for LaTeX that, hopefully, will work to make their life easier.
WC = 155
READER'S PROFILE --
I'd imagine the average reader as someone new to LaTeX whose experience is exclusively (or at least primarily) in WYSIWYG document editing tools like Microsoft Word. They likely wouldn't even be familiar with what the term WYSIWYG means -- they'd just consider it the only form of document editing, as many people do (for good reason). The reader is familiar with basic computational tasks, however.
READER'S RESPONSE --
I haven't heard of LaTeX before, and that seems like a really strange name for something! I'd be interested in creating "professional-looking documents," but I don't see what's wrong with the Microsoft Word documents I've created. I remember trying to insert mathematical equations in Word documents before, which was pretty annoying -- yeah, that was a lot of clicking. It'd be nice if that were easier to do in this tool. I'm comfortable with the file and software skills the abstract mentions, and I think I've used the command line on my computer a few times before. So maybe using this LaTeX thing won't be too difficult for me.