LaTeX (document preparation system)
LaTeX is a powerful document preparation system primarily used for creating articles, especially in scientific and mathematical fields. Unlike traditional word processing software, LaTeX emphasizes a command-based formatting approach, where users type specific commands alongside the text to define the document's structure and appearance. This method separates content from formatting, allowing for greater flexibility and precision in document presentation, particularly useful for longer and more complex documents. LaTeX files typically carry a .tex extension and can be compiled into PDFs for distribution.
Developed in the early 1980s by Leslie Lamport, LaTeX is built upon Donald Knuth’s TeX typesetting language, offering a more extensive range of commands and formatting options. It has undergone significant advancements over the years, with updates managed by the LaTeX3 Project. While using LaTeX may require users to learn a variety of commands and techniques, many consider it advantageous for technical writing due to its ability to handle intricate formatting, such as math equations and bibliographies, efficiently. LaTeX's unique WYGIWYM (What You Get Is What You Mean) principle contrasts sharply with the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) approach of typical word processors, making it a favored choice among academics and researchers for high-quality document preparation.
LaTeX (document preparation system)
LaTeX (pronounced lay-tech or lah-tech) is a document preparation system. This system helps people create articles for publication. The LaTeX system creates documents in a TeX typesetting program. LaTeX is most often used to format and produce longer scientific and mathematic documents, though it can be used to format any document. LaTeX is not word processing software, such as Microsoft Word. Instead of using buttons, shortcuts, and menus to format the document, LaTeX has users type in commands that tell the software how the document should be formatted. Users do not see the formatting appear in the document as they type the commands. Instead, the formatting from the commands appears when the document is produced, usually in a PDF file, or previewed.
History of LaTeX
LaTeX was first developed in the early 1980s by Leslie Lamport, and it was based on Donald E. Knuth's TeX typesetting language. The TeX typesetting language created documents in plain text that could be formatted using commands. LaTeX was very similar, but it had more commands and formatting options available. The first widely used LaTeX program was LaTeX 2.09, which was released in 1985. In 1994 a second version of the software was released that made LaTeX compatible with even more machines.
Before LaTeX was developed, very few writers had the ability to typeset their own documents. As computer technology progressed, other software made it possible for people to typeset their own documents, but LaTeX remained a popular typesetting program. In the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, LaTeX developed and changed a great deal. Since the 2010s, the LaTeX software and updates have been managed by the LaTeX3 Project. Since the LaTeX program has been in development for so long, new versions of the program come out only intermittently, usually about once a year.
Using LaTeX
LaTeX is a special version of the TeX software that understands the LaTeX commands. These commands give the software information about the content of the document and the way the document should be formatted. Although the LaTeX document does not show the results of the formatting, users can choose to preview the document with the formatting. This allows users to spot any possible formatting errors before the document is converted to a different file or sent to another user.
LaTeX files have the extension *.tex. They are typed in plain text. LaTeX commands begin with a backslash (\). A LaTeX document begins with a command that tells the document type (e.g., book, article, report). People using LaTeX use commands to change the font, change formatting, insert tables and figures, insert footnotes and citations, and more.
LaTeX users memorize the different commands that create formatting changes. (Users can also look at manuals and tutorials for information about the commands.) Many different types of commands exist. For example, LaTeX can produce three different-sized dashes. Users type different numbers of hyphens (e.g., -, --, ---) to create the three different sizes of dashes. The software changes these hyphens into the three different-sized dashes. Users will see the dashes they typed in the document while they type, but they can see the formatted dashes if they use the preview function. LaTeX also includes text-generating commands. For example, if a user types \today into a LaTeX document, the final document and the preview will show that day's date in place of the command in the document. Other commands allow LaTeX users to format math formulas and other technical information.
LaTeX can be used on Linux, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Google operating systems. Linux users often have TeX software installed, or they can use TeX Live. Windows users can install the proTeXt system, Mac users can install the MacTeX program, and Google users can install Auto-LaTeX Equations, LaTeX Lab, GLaTeX, or other add-ons. Users also need to download LaTeX software; some LaTeX programs are available for free and others charge a fee. Documents that are prepared with LaTeX can be distributed as LaTeX documents or can be converted into PDF documents.
LaTeX vs. Word Processing Software
The LaTeX program is unlike word processing software, such as Microsoft Word. Word processers generally require users to add formatting to text manually. For example, if a heading in a paper needs to be set in boldface, a person using word processing software would use the keyboard or the mouse to highlight the text and make it boldface. Word processing software works on the principle of What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG), which means the user sees the formatting in the document. LaTeX documents, however, work on a principle called What You Get Is What You Mean (WYGIWYM). LaTeX users type commands in addition to the text they type. These commands tell the software how to format the text. The LaTeX user would not see the heading in boldface, but (if the LaTeX commands are used correctly) the text will be boldface in the final version of the document.
Proponents of LaTeX believe that WYSIWYG technology is better for short documents, but WYGIWYM technology is better for longer, more technical documents. This is why LaTeX is most popular in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics. However, one study conducted in the 2010s concluded that Microsoft Word users created documents with fewer errors in less time than LaTeX users did. Despite these findings, many professionals continue to format their technical documents in LaTeX. While learning to use LaTeX takes time, some users contend that it is better for larger projects because it can be used to create a text document that is translated into a formatted document, such as a book.
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