Opinions on LaTex

[juggernaut]

I'm thinking about using LaTex, rather than Word, once I start my dissertation. It looks like there's quite a learning curve involved, but the end results I've seen are beautiful. I'm also really quite fed up with Word. What do you guys think of it? Advantages? Disadvantages?

For those of you who aren't familiar with it:
LaTeX isn't for everyone but it could be for you

 

[Orangey]

I had to use the MikTeX and TeXnik Center combo for the last logic course I took in undergrad because the prof wanted a very specific style of proof (Fitch). I found it to be a bit difficult at first, but then I liked it once I got the hang of it a bit. I like it because you can just code in all of your formatting parameters and it feels like you have more control.

 

[ygolo]

TeX is much better for math or other extremely symbolic type of writing.

The equation editor in word often does not have the flexibility needed to write the equations you want.

But if you don't have a lot of symbols you want to use, word is probably still the better choice.

 

[FDG]

Just use LyX or Scientific Workplace.

 

[Sentura]

dear god, don't use it. burn it.

the trouble of getting miktek running, finding a proper GUI for editing (teknikcenter is shit). word is shit, but you'll be crying for mercy once you find out you have to projects in this format.

there are definitely some things word could learn from latex, but in the long run, it's like a pain in your lower abdomen, and you will tire before it does.

 

[Thalassa]

I have a friend who had to use it to finish his diss and he hated it.

 

[FDG]

dear god, don't use it. burn it.

the trouble of getting miktek running, finding a proper GUI for editing (teknikcenter is shit). word is shit, but you'll be crying for mercy once you find out you have to projects in this format.

there are definitely some things word could learn from latex, but in the long run, it's like a pain in your lower abdomen, and you will tire before it does.

That's a string of lies.

 

[Athenian200]

I like it. It reminds me of being able to edit or write a webpage as a text file rather than relying on composing it visually. I don't know why, but I prefer looking at raw information and parameters affecting it (like in HTML or C code), rather than right at the end result.

I had no idea there was a way to do that with other documents as well. I think I'll see if I can learn this at some point.

Although, it sounds like it might have a learning curve like you said. You probably want to start learning it far in advance and get a gauge of how easily you'll be able to do what you need to do in it before relying on it to write your dissertation.

 

[FDG]

I like it. It reminds me of being able to edit or write a webpage as a text file rather than relying on composing it visually. I don't know why, but I prefer looking at raw information and parameters affecting it (like in HTML or C code), rather than right at the end result.

I had no idea there was a way to do that with other documents as well. I think I'll see if I can learn this at some point.

Although, it sounds like it might have a learning curve like you said. You probably want to start learning it far in advance and get a gauge of how easily you'll be able to do what you need to do in it before relying on it to write your dissertation.

There are some very useful interfaces, such as LyX, that can smoothen a lot the learning curve.

 

[Economica]

Just use LyX or Scientific Workplace.

I tried writing my thesis in Scientific Workplace but I couldn't figure out in a reasonable amount of time how to do some of the things that made me want to use LaTeX instead of Word in the first place, like landscape tables. (In defense of my geekiness, 'reasonable' was in this context defined by my EEENTJ thesis partner. Next to her I felt like a uselessly slow flunky. ) Now I'm investing the time in using the WinEdt/MiKTeX combination, but that's because I've been employed at the department to churn out working papers and need them to look positively delicious.

An extremely intelligent ISFP fellow student with whom we shared a thesis office went all the way with Scientific Workplace and estimated afterwards that she had spent a full month just struggling with the program. To be fair, she did say that she thought the end result was worth it, but this was a woman who had time to spend the last three weeks before her deadline just proofreading and making incremental improvements, so identify with her at your own risk.

My advice would be to use Word if it's just for a thesis. It's less important to make a thesis perfectly inviting to read (of course the layout should be decent, but the usual Word micromanagement followed by conversion to pdf is fine), and so IMO LaTeX is just not worth the learning curve.

 

[Sentura]

That's a string of lies.

unfortunately it's not. it takes me twice as long to write things in latex as it does in word. i don't care how biased you are towards it.

 

[bluebell]

Use LaTex if your thesis has a shitload of maths equations, otherwise stick to Word. Also, see if you can pinch someone else's tex'ed thesis template and then just input your words/equations into that. It will save you a heap of time.

 

[Halla74]

MS Word is most useful when you have good document templates with non-corrupted style sheets.

I have some really nice document templates that I have gathered over my professional career, business requirements documents, massive spreadsheets with great formatting, MS Visio process flows, etc. I am a documentation junkie, I overdo everything and am usually lauded for it. If you want me to shoot a few of these to you in an e-mail let me know in a PM.

Good luck,

-Alex

 

[nightning]

Well I'm going to be writing mine in plain old Word. And just to make sure things don't go screwy... I'm going to break it down to one major section per document. Also leaving formatting/stylesheet etc last because Word will give you grief with "autoformat" jumping elements if you try to fiddle with them while adding more stuff.

I think what's important here is content and not form. Unless your thesis really cannot be easily read in Word... there's no point in wasting so much time learning how to use another program just to get precise symbols/alignments etc.

 

[FDG]

unfortunately it's not. it takes me twice as long to write things in latex as it does in word. i don't care how biased you are towards it.

Then probably you don't write any maths in your papers (I'm not saying it's something bad, just a fact). "Biased"? I wish the creators of LaTex paid me to advertise them, but unfortunately they don't. Alternatively, you migh just be slow-brained.

 

[Sentura]

Then probably you don't write any maths in your papers (I'm not saying it's something bad, just a fact). "Biased"? I wish the creators of LaTex paid me to advertise them, but unfortunately they don't. Alternatively, you migh just be slow-brained.

it's true, we don't use maths in our projects. it's software development documentation mostly. our supervisors have agreed that writing in latex is "the shit" and thus give a 10% higher grade to those who prefer it over word. i was never one to aspire, but if those 10% are what save me between failure and success, i better go with it.

looking over the board i think you'll find that i'm an idiot, but not slow brained.