LaTeX

Learners : UG/PG students, faculty and research scholars.

Basic Level LaTeX

1. LaTeX on Windows using TeXworks
   • Installing MikTeX on Windows
   • Writing basic LaTeX document using TeXworks editor
   • Configuring MikTeX to download missing packages
2. Report Writing
   • report style having chapter, section and subsection
   • article style having section, subsection and subsubsection
   • Automatic generation of table of contents
   • toc file to store the information that goes into the table of contents
   • Automatic numbering of section numbers
   • Appendix; its appearance in report and article style
   • exiting from LaTeX when a compilation error occurs
3. Letter Writing
   • Letter document class
   • From address
   • Automatic generation and format of date
   • Starting a new line with double slash
   • To address
   • Starting a new paragraph with a blank line
   • itemize environment for bullet points
   • enumerate environment for numbered points
   • Closing statement
   • Signature
   • Carbon copy
4. Mathematical Typesetting
   • $ sign to begin and end mathematical expressions
   • Creating alpha, beta, gamma and delta
   • Space being used as a terminator of symbols
   • Creating spaces in mathematical formulae
   • Difference in font of text and formula
   • Difference in the minus sign in text and in formula
   • frac command to create fractions
   • Subscripts and superscripts
   • Use of braces {} to demarcate arguments
   • Not equal to, greater than or equal to, less than or equal to, much less than
   • Right arrow, left arrow, left right arrow, up arrow
   • Integral sign, limits of an integral
   • Matrices of different rows and columns
5. Equations
   • amsmath package and align and align* environments to create equations
   • Matrix differential equation
   • aligning two equations using &, with and without intervening text
   • Automatic numbering of equations using align
   • Labeling equations with the label command
   • Cross referencing equation numbers through the ref command
   • Inserting text between two aligned equations through the intertext command
   • Automatic generation of equation numbers at run time allows insertion and removal of an equation from a set of equations
   • Labeling sections and subsections for easy and fool-proof cross referencing
   • Breaking an equation into more than one line
   • Suppression of equation numbers in the align environment using the nonumber command
   • Use of backslash (\) to make braces appear as braces
   • left[, right] and also left[. (i.e. left bracking fullstop)
   • Blank lines in the align environment is not permissible
6. Tables and Figures
   • Creating tables and figures in Latex
7. Beamer
   • Creating a presentation using a Beamer
8. Bibliography
   • Creaing Bibliography in Latex

XFig

Xfig is an interactive drawing tool which runs under X Window System on most UNIX-compatible platforms, including Mac OS X and any X server under Microsoft Windows.

In Xfig, figures may be drawn using objects such as circles, boxes, lines, spline curves, text, etc. It is also possible to import images in formats such as GIF, JPEG, EPS, etc. Those objects can be created, deleted, moved or modified. Attributes such as colors or line styles can be selected in various ways. For text, many fonts are available.

A three button mouse is recommended to work with Xfig, although, one/two button mouse can also be configured to work with Xfig.

It is possible to embed LaTeX mathematical formulae in block diagrams created using Xfig.

http://linux.math.tifr.res.in/manuals/html/xfig/contents.html has the up-to-date information on Xfig.

The slides in this page make use of our project logo, available at File:ST 3T Logo.pdf. We welcome readers to create additional spoken tutorials.

1. Simple block diagram
   • Explain panel on left hand side, bottom, top left and canvas of Xfig worksheet
   • Create a box, increase thickness through editing
   • Create an arrow
   • Change the font size of text, create text and move inside the box
   • Change the attribute value and add lines with arrow head directly
   • Save the file as block.fig and export the pdf file
2. Feedback control diagram
   • Open the .fig file created in the simple block diagram tutorial
   • Copy the box
   • Change the text justification to centre aligned
   • Enter text directly into the box
   • Put a dot from the logic library
   • Create a circle, delete it and redraw it
   • Explain the scroll bar on the right and also the mouse button indicators on top right corner
   • Save the file as feedback.fig
3. Feedback diagram with Maths
   • Open the .fig file saved in the feedback control tutorial
   • Put $G(z) = \frac z{z-1}$ in the second block diagram
   • Choose the special flag
   • Save and export it as combined tex and pdf
   • Show that if "special" is not chosen, we get only text
   • Change /frac into /dfrac
   • Show that at the time of compilation, dfrac unknown error
   • Include \usepackage{amsmath} in the tex file
   • Recompile it and show that the equation is now coming properly
   • Use pdfcrop to trim the pdf file, mention Briss

Intermediate Level

1. newcommand in LaTeX
   • What is a command?
   • Different types of commands with examples
   • Defining a new command
   • Defining short commands for long repeated input.
   • Commands with parameter
   • Passing parameters to the commands defined
   • Renewcommand
   • Redefining the existing commands to the required output
2. newenvironment in LaTeX
   • What is an environment?
   • Defining a new environment
   • Defining environments with parameters
   • Renewenvironment
   • Redefining an existing environment to the required output
3. Writing Style Files in LaTeX
   • About LaTeX Styles files.
   • Writing a Style file for LaTeX.
   • Importing a Style file in LaTeX.
   • Defining a standard Style file for LaTeX.
   • newcommand in LateX.newenvironment in LaTeX.
   • RequirePackage command in LaTeX.
   • usepackage command in LaTeX.
   • Style file identification.
   • Preliminary declarations of a Style file.
   • NeedsTeXFormat.
   • ProvidesPackage.
4. Indic Language Typesetting in LaTeX
   • Typeset a document in Indic language using XeLaTeX.
   • Indic language fonts bundle.
   • Installing Indic language Fonts.
   • Installing Nirmala UI Fonts.XeLaTeX Compiler.
   • Using Fontspec package.
   • Using Polyglossia package.
   • Select language command.
   • Set default language in LaTeX.
   • Set other language in LaTeX.

Advanced Level

Contributors and Content Editors

Gaurav, Minal, Nancyvarkey, PoojaMoolya, Pravin1389