Introduction to LaTeX

LaTeX separates the content (text, figure…) from the form (how the document will look like)

In order to get my document, I need to compile my source file

A LaTeX document is composed of commands (they start with \ ), environments (starts with \begin{envname} and stop with \end{envname})

Packages are tools to add new functionalities to LaTeX, a list of packages can be found on the CTAN webpage and we use the \usepackage command to load them

Font size can be changed using \tiny, \small, \normalsize, \large, \Large, \LARGE, \huge, \Huge

To have your text in italic: \textit or in bold : \textbf

Ordered lists use the enumerate environment; unordered lists the itemize. Items are defined with \item

New page is added with \newpage

Figure uses the environment figureand table the environment table

Legends are defined with \caption{} inside the float environment.

\includegraphics{} is used to add external graphic file.

By adding [(h)(H)(p)(b)(t)]to the float environment, you can choose how LaTeXT put the float in the document.

\part{},\chapter{}, \section{},\subsection{},\subsubsection{},\paragraph{} are used to specify the hierarchical structure of the document

the \label{key} command add a tag

the \ref{key} command will place the correct number of the label key during compilation

the \pageref{key} command will put the page of the label key during compilation

the \tableofcontents command will be replace by the table of contents of the document

For short bibliographies,you can use the {thebibliography} environment

Long or more robust bibliographies need BiBTeX linked with your document

You can write equation within the text using the $$ or within a separate space using the equationenvironment

References can be exported from Zotero in BibTeX format

Overleaf is a web platform in which multiple persons can work with a LaTeX document simultaneously