A LaTeX primer

Directory of this page:

  • What is LaTeX?
  • Advantages/Disadvantages of LaTeX
  • Obtaining LaTeX
  • Creating Publication articles in LaTeX
  • Creating a UWM Master's Thesis in LaTeX

What is LaTeX?

LaTeX is a versatile typesetting langauge available for multiple operating systems. It is specifically designed for displaying complicated equations, figures and tables in technical documents. Also, built-in functions allow LaTeX users to create correctly formatted references and bibliographies with a minimal amount of work. Finally, many publications provide templates that provide the journal's specific formatting, allowing the user to save a large amount of time during submission and revisions.

Advantages of LaTeX:

  • Templates can be created to generate documents with proper formatting; publications commonly produce these templates
  • Quick and easy to create formulas; all formulas appear professional within documents.
  • Figures can be quickly added and resized
  • One command generates a proper in-text citation and a fully-formatted bibliography entry
  • Can automatically generate a table of contents, table of figures, etc. (GREAT FOR A MASTER'S THESIS!)
  • Generates PDF documents for quick distribution or printing
  • Lots of documentation available online and in texts

Disadvantages of LaTeX:

  • Requires additional software downloads.
  • Requires learning a new computer "language"
  • Not a WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You Get) program
  • Figures typically need to be in EPS format, which require special viewing software (see below).

Obtaining LaTeX:

Full information on LaTeX is available at www.latex-project.org. Please visit that website for the most up-to-date information.

LaTeX distributions are available for Windows, Linux, or Mac. Follow the instructions below for your specific operating system:

Linux:

The easiest way to obtain LaTeX is through your Linux distribution's update manager. See your Linux documentation or www.latex-project.org for more information.

You can also download TeTeX, a complete TeX distribution, at www.tug.org/teTeX/. Installation instructions and documentation is provided on the referenced website.

Windows:

Download the following programs to get LaTeX on a Windows machine. The first two programs are REQUIRED, the others are optional but STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!

  • MiKTeX: A LaTeX distribution for Windows (get version 2.7 for Windows 2000/XP/Vista, version 2.6 for Windows 9x/Me/NT).
    • When you run the installation executable, the program will first need to download the installation files.
    • Once all files are downloaded, rerun the executable to install the software.
    • When downloading MikTeX, consider installing the basic version to save file space and time.
    • Additional packages can be downloaded later when they are needed; see documentation for more information.
    • Download the full repository only if you use a lot of advanced features.

  • TeXNic Center: A free LaTeX development environment with text editor; also allows direct compiling of TeX documents without using the Command Prompt.
    • You can use any Windows text editor to create TeX documents, including WordPad or Notepad. However, TeXnicCenter provides a specialized text editor with many built-in formatting commands.
    • TexNicCenter can be linked directly to your MikTeX installation, so you can write, compile and view your TeX output all in one program.
    • Includes a viewer program for examining DVI files (TeX output files)
    • Also includes converters to quickly produce PS (PostScript) and PDF files. These options can quickly be selected from the program's toolbar.
    • TeXnicCenter is considered a "BETA" version, but it seems to have full functionality.
    • When you run TeXnic center for the first time, the program must link to the MikTeX executable files. You will typically find the executable files in C:\Program Files\MikTeX 2.7\miktex\bin\.
  • Ghostscript: An interpreter for the PostScript language; useful for working with PostScript files.
    • Required in order to install GSView.
  • GSView: A software program for viewing PostScript files.
    • You will need this programs to view EPS graphics files, a type of PostScript format typically required in TeX documents.

    Mac:

    See the "Obtaining LaTeX" page at www.latex-project.org/ftp.html.

    Creating Publication documents in LaTeX

    Many publications offer templates for submitting publication articles. These templates produce the correct page formatting, column settings, font style, references, and other typesetting requirements. By using these templates throughout the publishing process, the authors can help limit the number of errors that may occur in a submission.

    Be sure to follow the specific journal instructions and requirements. Otherwise, there may be delays (or worse) when you submit your article.

    Use the links below to find specific files and information for submitting to major meteorological journals:

    If you have any questions, consult with Dr. Larson.

    Creating a UWM Thesis or Dissertation in LaTeX

    For those who wish to write their UW-Milwaukee Master's thesis or Ph.D dissertation using LaTeX, a template has been created by the UWM Department of Mathematics. This template contains the required formatting and content for the final thesis document. The template also provides information on basic LaTeX commands that need to be used in the thesis. By using this template, the Master's student can simply replace the sample text with his/her own content, allowing them to focus more on their research, and less on formatting their document.

    All of the following files are required, and must be downloaded and stored in the same directory:

    • *UWMthesis.cls: Provides general formatting for the UWM thesis/disseration
    • *natbib.sty: A LaTeX package that provides useful citation commands.
    • *UWM_masters_thesis.tex: The actual TeX document where the thesis text is written. Rename and modify this document to produce your actual thesis document.
    • *ametsoc.bst: Provides the formatting for generating citations using the American Meteorological Society format.
    • *mybibabbr.bib: Provides citation listings used by Dr. Larson's research group. Required for generating citations automatically within LaTeX. (See UWM_thesis.pdf for more information).
    • nov11_sndg_qcm_compare_t61_bw.eps: An example graphics file in EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) format
    • scatter_eqn23_F_psdep.eps: An example graphics file in EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) format

    Two PDF files are also provided for reference:

  • UWM_masters_thesis.pdf: The output from UWM_thesis.pdf. Provides instructions on how to use the template, and also provides details on major LaTeX commands and syntax.
  • adam_thesis_final.pdf: An actual Master's thesis, written by Adam Smith in Fall 2007. This document will demonstrate what a final thesis will look like.

    • Instructions on writing your own thesis:

    • Download all of the above files. If necessary, back up the above files to a separate directory.
    • Rename UWM_thesis.tex (the "TeX" file) to a new name, if desired. Do not rename any other files.
    • Open the TeX file in TeXnic center.
    • Follow the comments and replace any content (e.g. title, name, date, advisor name, etc.) with the correct information.
    • Replace the chapters, sections, figures, tables and other material with your own content.

    A few helpful suggestions:

  • Periodically rebuild the code to check for errors and warnings. In TeXnicCenter, use the Build and View command (shortcut: CTRL-SHIFT-F5) often, and fix any listed errors or warnings. This command automatically saves the current TeX file, so be careful!
  • When writing and editing the thesis, use the LaTeX => DVI option (in the toolbar) to build the code. This option will save the output to a DVI format, which can be built and viewed quickly.
  • When you want to print parts of your thesis, use the LaTex => PS => PDF option. This option will take longer, but will produce a PDF file that can be easily given to others.
  • Each time you add a new citation (/citep or /citet commands), label (/label command) or reference (/ref command), expect to rebuild the code at least two to four times. LaTeX will need multiple runs in order to re-number and cross-reference everything correctly. Typically, you will need to rebuild the code until the number of warnings does not change.
  • Use a spell and grammar check. If necessary, copy the raw text to Microsoft Word or another program, run the necessary checks, and copy the text back into the text editor.
  • Keep all graphics files and other necessary files in one location, for easy access and reference.
  • You may erase any files not marked with an asterisk (*). If you erase the .eps files, make sure to comment out or remove the corresponding "figure" sections within the code.

    • DISCLAIMER: The above template follows UWM Graduate School guidelines from Fall 2007. These guidelines are subject to change. Please check the Graduate School website for current requirements. Also, be sure to meet with the Graduate Student Specialist to make sure all formatting is correct.

    LaTeX documentation:

    The LaTeX Project website provides a few introductory websites on getting started with LaTeX. If you are interested, check out www.latex-project.org/guides. Also, specific LaTeX texts are listed at the end of the TeX file (and the corresponding PDF file). These texts provide more specific information. Both texts are available for Larson-group researchers in EMS E468. Those not in Dr. Larson's group may want to ask permission to borrow the books, or may wish to check the UWM Library, local or online bookstores. Many other websites also provide information on LaTeX. Try searching with Google or your favorite search engine.

    Special thanks to Adam Smith for updating, debugging and adding documentation to the templates.