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software & plugins
how-tos & tricks
tips to writing math functions
redefining title names

» software & plugins

MiKTeX: An up-to-date TeX implementation for the Windows operating system
WinEDT: A powerful, extremely flexible and versatile native LaTeX editor and shell for Windows

[WinEDT quick tip]

Visit this site for instructions to add a button to the WinEDT Menu

WinEDT plugins: Plugins for WinEDT
TexPoint: A Powerpoint add-in that enables the easy use of Latex symbols and formulas in Powerpoint presentations

[TexPoint quick tip]

Alt-X-X will TeXify any embedded TeX symbols
Alt-X-D will open a TeX equation editor for generating images for the equation. For example, the following will produce an image file of the equation y=mx+b:

  \documentclass{slides}
  \pagestyle{empty}
  \begin{document}
  $y=mx + b$
  \end{document}

TeXAide: Generates TeX and LaTeX equations from the Windows clipboard
LaTeX2rtf: Converts LaTeX to RTF (useful for viewing in Microsoft Word)
pdftohtml: Converts PDF to HTML (very close to HTML 4.01 Transitional)

» how-tos & tricks

Creating a bibliography from Endnote: In Endnote, open the reference library. Select the output style to "BibTeX Export" and save the library as a text file with extension *.bib:

To cite a reference, the label field in the Endote reference library must be defined. To insert a citation in LaTeX use \cite{label}
To include the BibTeX libarary in your LaTeX document, place \bibliography{libraryname} in the preamble
To change the style of the bibliography, place \bibliographystyle{unsrt} in the preamble. unsrt lists the references in the order in which they are referenced

Including graphics in a LaTeX document. Use PDF or JPG files for PDF output. Use EPS for DVI output. Here's a little guide to make the EPS figure and include it with WinEDT:

Draw your figure using Adobe Illustrator.
Choose Save As from the File menu. You will get a dialog box.
Choose Illustrator EPS from the pull-down menu on the dialog box in the Save As Type field. Then hit the Save button.
Another dialog box will pop up. Check compatability 6.0, uncheck the Include Document Thumbnails, and set Preview to None. Then hit the OK button.
The EPS file should be ready to include!

LaTex source to include an EPS file:

  \documentclass{slides}\pagestyle{empty}
  \begin{figure}[htbp]
  \begin{center}
  \begin{tabular}{c}
  \psfig{figure=figuretest.eps,clip=}
  \end{tabular}
  \end{center}
  \caption{Inserted EPS figure}
  \end{figure}

Generate PDF file through Windows Command Prompt: pdflatex nameOfFile.tex
Setting caption spacing to single:

\usepackage{setspace}
\let\myCaption\caption
\renewcommand\caption[1]{%
\singlespacing
\myCaption{#1}

Set the size of the caption font to small and bold the label:

\usepackage{caption2}
\renewcommand{\captionfont}{\small}
\renewcommand{\captionlabelfont}{\bf}

Change the spacing between figure captions and the figure with \setlength{\abovecaptionskip}{0pt}
To bold lowercase Greek letters, use \bm (Must have bm.sty)

» tips to writing math functions

Summation limits over and under Sigma: \sum\limits_{i=1}^{N}x_i
Fractions: \frac{a}{b}
Subscript: x_{a}
Superscript: x^{b}
Big parentheses: \bigl ( \bigr )
Even bigger parentheses: \biggl ( \biggr)
Define uppercase Greek letter: \newcommand{\Kappa}{K}
To insert spacing in an equation field:

The equation defined below will show up as y=mx+b,forx>0 (no spacing after the "," and "for"):

  \begin{equation}
  y=mx+b, for x > 0
  \end{equation}

There are several ways to insert the space after the "," and "for"

y=mx+b\hbox {, for }x > 0
y=mx+b,\text{ for } x > 0
y=mx+b, ~~~\text{for}~~~ x > 0
y=mx+b, \quad \textrm{for $x>0$}
y=mx+b,\textrm{ for } x > 0

» redefining title names

The canned text macros are all of the form \name, and changing them is accomplished by putting \renewcommand{\name}{name} in the preamble. Some title names are:

\abstractname Abstract
\alsoname see also (makeidx package)
\appendixname Appendix
\bibname Bibliography (report,book)
\ccname cc (letter)
\chaptername Chapter (report,book)
\contentsname Contents
\enclname encl (letter)
\figurename Figure (for captions)
\headtoname To (letter)
\indexname Index
\listfigurename List of Figures
\listtablename List of Tables
\pagename Page (letter)
\partname Part
\refname References (article)
\seename see (makeidx package)
\tablename Table (for caption)

Table of notations: This small package provides an easy way to do a table with all notations you use. Just type \notation{A}{B} to say that A is a notation for B, and then \printnotations to write the list of notations (together with the pages the notation appeared on)

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