• Computing Handbook Table of Contents

The Many Dialects of TeX

• Plain
  This is the ur dialect of TeX. It is best for hard-core TeX-hackers who insist on complete control over the appearance of their output. Please note though, that, in general, the more effort you devote to writing custom TeX macros, the more effort your publisher will have to devote to removing them when they break in a production environment. This tends to make publishers' production staff members grouchy.
• LaTeX
  LaTeX is for general document preparation. LaTeX can automatically number chapters, theorems and references, generate a table of contents, and draw rudimentary pictures---handy tools for mathematicians. LaTeX is designed to deal with formatting documents rather than mere pages, and understands how to handle many classes of documents, such as articles, books, or letters. Since the advent of LaTeX2e and NFSS2, which rationalizes font selection, we recommend LaTeX for every user who is not already committed to some other dialect of TeX. This manual was prepared in LaTeX.
• AMSLaTeX
  Not a separate TeX package but a new style for LaTeX, AMSLaTeX was designed to produce output similar to that of AMSTeX. If you are an AMSTeX user who would rather use LaTeX, but dislike its rigid formatting, then this package is for you. Those LaTeX users formerly frustrated by the rigid page format might try the new amsart or amsbook document class. As you might guess, it is what the American Mathematical Society prefers to use to prepare its publications.
• AMSTeX
  AMSTeX was designed specifically for mathematicians. This used to be the preferred format for AMS publications, but now the pendulum is swinging to AMSLaTeX.

A Note on LaTeX

Writing a TeX document

Typesetting a file

Previewing a dvi file with xdvi

1. To preview the file paper.dvi, type: xdvi paper.dvi
2. When the preview window appears, use the buttons or these keystrokes:

   U

   Move the page up

   D

   Move the page down

   R

   Move the page right

   L

   Move the page left

   F, N, RETURN

   Go to the next page

   B, P

   Go to the previous page

   G x

   Go to page x

   n s

   Use xdvi's scale n magnification.

   R

   Reread the dvi file

   Q

   Quit xdvi

Clicking the mouse over the page image pops up a little magnified window, which will follow the mouse.

Printing a dvi file

Note that the lpr -d command is not implemented at MSRI. Printing a dvi file with lpr can easily fill thousands of pages paper with garbage, ravaging forests and depleting the ozone layer.

Here are some example dvips commands:

dvips paper

You need not specify the .dvi extension.

dvips paper.dvi

If you do not specify a printer with the -P flag, the file paper.dvi will be printed to the printer specified by the PRINTER environment variable (usually the one on your floor).

dvips -P2 paper.dvi

The file paper.dvi is printed on the second floor printer.

dvips -p4 paper.dvi

The -p flag (for premier) tells dvips where to begin printing (in this case, page 4).

dvips -p3 -l6 paper.dvi

The -l flag (for last) tells dvips where to stop. In this example, only pages 3 through 6 are printed.

dvips -p4 -l4 paper.dvi

In this example, only page 4 is printed.

dvips paper.dvi -o

The -o flag tells dvips to write its output to a file with the same name as the input, but with the extension .ps, paper.ps here.

dvips -o quux.ps paper.dvi

If the -o flag is followed by a file name, it writes its output there. Here, the output is written to a file named quux.ps

If your dvi file mysteriously stops printing after 30 or 40 pages, it may be too large for the printer spool directory. By writing an intermediate PostScript file with the dvips -o command and printing with the lpr -s command (for more information, see section on Printing a UNIX Text File) you can circumvent this problem:
dvips -o paper.ps paper.dvi;lpr -s paper.ps.

Illustrations in TeX Documents

There is also a wealth of information on other approaches in the online documentation, most notably the LaTeX graphics package and the metapost system.

Encapsulated PostScript is a structured form of PostScript; encapsulated PostScript documents conventionally have the extension .eps. Encapsulated Postscript documents will begin with
%!PS-Adobe-N.N
%%BoundingBox: x y w h

where N.N is a version number, x y are the coordinates of the lower left corner of the smallest rectangle containing the figure, and w h are the width and height of the rectangle. Here the units are PostScript points, which TeX refers to as bp, and which are 1/72 of an inch in size.

To insert a figure into the TeX document, use the epsf.tex macro package. This is a quite flexible collection of macros which is rapidly becoming a standard. It is extensively documented in the dvips section of the Supplemental TeX Documentation binder, but an example should be enough to get you started:

\midinsert
\centerline {
% This figure is 152.0 bp by 114.0 bp
% \vspace{114.0 bp}
\epsfbox{L52paving.eps}
}
\botcaption{ Figure 3.1 }
The paving of the boundary of $\bold L_{5,2}^*$.
\endcaption
\endinsert

Writing Letters on MSRI Letterhead

If you are a LaTeX user, prepare your letter in LaTeX as you usually would, but instead of letter, use msriletter in the preamble. E.g.:

%&latex
\documentclass[12pt,wide]{msriletter}
...

The file /local/teTeX/texmf/tex/latex/msri/msriletterSample.tex contains a template.

If you are a plain TeX user, follow the template /local/teTeX/texmf/tex/plain/msri/msriletterSample.tex. Note that the plain TeX macros are more rudimentary than the LaTeX class file.

Making Mailing Labels

To create mailing labels:

1. Assemble a list of addresses and contemplate how to edit them so as to be 5 lines or less in length for best results.

2. Prepare a TeX file of the following form:

   %&plain
   \input labelmac3
   \address{
   Addressee 1
   Address 1, line 2
   % ... up to 4 lines more
   }
   
   %	... [as many addresses as you like]
   
   \address{
   Addressee N
   Address N, line 2
   % ... up to 4 lines more
   }
   
   \bye
   % end of file
   

   There is an example file in /local/teTeX/texmf/tex/generic/msri/labelExample.tex. The one thing to watch out for is that you escape &'s; e.g Texas A&M should be typed Texas A\&M.

3. Run this file through TeX and preview it so you can find and correct mistakes without wasting paper.

4. Print the labels with dvips onto plain paper. It is essential that you not run mailing labels through the lab laser printers. The paper path on these machines has some sharp bends, so labels have a tendency to come off the backing inside the printer. This leads to very costly repairs.

5. Get some Avery 1" x 2 5/8" labels from Marsha (if you are a postdoc applying for jobs) or your favorite stationary store.

6. Place the labels face down into one of the paper supplies of the mailing room copier, and then make sure that the copier will take its paper from the appropriate supply.

7. Copy the addresses that you recently created onto the labels.

8. Stick them onto your envelopes and relax.

• Computing Handbook Table of Contents