Thread: Set-up to write LaTex

How do you set yourself up to write and test LaTex code that works on MHF without actually being on MHF?

Started to research it and found you need something like MlkTeX to use LaTex and MikTex is a HUGE file.

I realize you can do it in MHF but that seems like a waste of MHF time and space.

Thanks

You can type LaTeX formulas online here. Maybe there are small standalone programs that allow typesetting a fraction of all LaTeX, but I don't know them off top of my head.

This is what I found:

TeX is a compiler (program) that translates LaTeX (user-intelligible source code) into another lanquage which actually creates type output. A common TeX program is MikTeX (free) which contans LaTeX and a text editor to write the LaTex program. If you dowload a different LaTeX, the assumption is you have TeX

Downloadable text editors include WinEdit ($30), Texmaker (free), and Lyx (free).

Tutorials:
Introduction to Latex and Lyx, 1-5. Very good. Part 1 gives complete clear instructions for setting up a complete LaTeX system with Lyx. Opening screen is a landscape (there is another with similar title). u-tube.

mrskrummel.com/tutorials. MikTeX with TexMaker.

Note. There is "Google Lab" which lets you play with LaTex code on-line. I recall a security warning because it was new, but confirm, and "basic MikTeX" which calls for components as you need them. The recommendation was to down-load the whole thing (first tutorial above).

Originally Posted by Hartlw

This is what I found:

TeX is a compiler (program) that translates LaTeX (user-intelligible source code) into another lanquage which actually creates type output. A common TeX program is MikTeX (free) which contans LaTeX and a text editor to write the LaTex program. If you dowload a different LaTeX, the assumption is you have TeX

Downloadable text editors include WinEdit ($30), Texmaker (free), and Lyx (free).

Tutorials:
Introduction to Latex and Lyx, 1-5. Very good. Part 1 gives complete clear instructions for setting up a complete LaTeX system with Lyx. Opening screen is a landscape (there is another with similar title). u-tube.

mrskrummel.com/tutorials. MikTeX with TexMaker.

Note. There is "Google Lab" which lets you play with LaTex code on-line. I recall a security warning because it was new, but confirm, and "basic MikTeX" which calls for components as you need them. The recommendation was to down-load the whole thing (first tutorial above).

you can install miktex and winedt to write in latex. follow this page and install miktex, ghostscropt and winedt in order and you are good to go.

Windedt is free for the 30 days..after that, it will show you frequent popups saying that your trial version is free and you can upgrade to a full version by paying.. If you do not want to pay those $30, you can still use Winedt but you will be annoyed by popups.

You can use also your google account, type your latex codes, and get a pdf output here:
http://docs.latexlab.org/docs

I use Texnic center TeXnicCenter to edit a produce my Tex documents. Like MikTek is is free and open source.

proText and TexLive are installation packages for MikTex which include extras like text editor, Ghostscript and Ghostview, which add ability to view and write PS files, and others I don't understand.

tug.org/begin.html recommends TexLive for Unix (but now also available for Windows) and proText for windows.

MikTex includes Ghostscript. Ghostview is a front end for Ghost script, and presumably MikTex includes the equivalent.

My personal preference would be MikTeX plus a text editor simply because its more transparent and mainly because of the good tutorial mentioned in my previous post which talks you through the simple installation process. I'm not interested in viewing and creating ps files so I woulldn't be interested in Ghostscript and Ghostview. And anyhow, I don't like adding things when I don't know what they are or what they do.

CONCLUSION
It's all overkill for my expressed intention. emakorov was right- just use MHF. There are sites which let you write code online and view result, like MHF, also google labtex. My concern is that any online lateX lets a site establish communication with your computer, which makes me very nervous.

TexnicCenter is a text editor. It is included in proTeXt.

Congratulations. How did you set up Latex to do it?

Just directly typed it into MHF box based on info from pdf Latex help file in one of the previous posts. Hey I am just downloading TeXnicCenter to see what it is!

Looked at the TeXnicCenter Link. It gives the impression that it is a stand-alone Latex system, rather than a sophisticated text editor (front end for a Latex system). The one indication to the contrary is the statement:

"To provide you with a quick start, TeXnicCenter's auto configuration wizard just requires you to enter the path to your TeX installation."

Does this mean they want you to provide a location where they should download Tex to or do they expect you to have it? Since you are doing it, would be nice to know? Many thanks.

EDIT: You might wish to consider post by Mr.Math Type. Here it is:

"The Equation Editor (EE) in Microsoft Office isn't compatible with MHF. I should say neither EE in Office is compatible. Not many people realize there are two. There's the "new" one (officially the "OMML" editor -- OMML = Office Math Markup Language) of course, but Microsoft Equation 3 is also there. This is the one you've seen in Office since Office v2.

Like I said though, neither of these is compatible with MHF. However, the upgrade to Microsoft Equation 3 -- MathType -- is compatible. You create the equation visually, like you would if you were adding it to a Word document, then after choosing the Math Help Forum "translator" (from the Cut & Copy Preferences dialog), you can paste it directly here. MathType includes all the correct codes -- not only LaTeX, but the opening & closing codes to distinguish the equation as being "math".

More information about this capability at the Design Science website."

Great info thanks a lot Hartlw.

Just to dot the i:
From TeXnicCenter link faq:

"TeXnicCenter is just a frontend to LaTeX, but does not contain LaTeX's functionality. So you will need a LaTeX distribution for Windows. We recommend MikTex."