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Text & Document Formatting

Text & Document Formatting


The most popular and commonly used document formatting system on CSE systems is LaTeX (pronounced La-Tech.) The LaTeX language is a macro package used for text formatting and typesetting. A LaTeX file must have the extension .tex (for example, <file name>.tex). To translate a LaTeX file into a dvi file, use the command latex <file name>.tex. The LaTeX command will create the file <file name>.dvi (as well as a few others).

The command dvips -o <file name>.ps <file name>.dvi converts the dvi file to the PostScript file <file name>.ps. PostScript files can be printed out on most department printers using the commmand lpr -P<printer name> <file name>.ps.

Since there is a quota imposed on the number of pages each user can print, it is highly recommended that one of the following commands is used to preview each document until the final version is ready for printing.


xdvi
To preview a dvi file, use the command xdvi <file name>.dvi

gv and pageview
To preview a PostScript file use either of the commands:gv <file name> or pageview <file name>.

The commands bibtex and slitex may also be of use to you; for more information, see their respective manual pages.

More information on the LaTeX document preparation system is best sought by buying a LaTeX guide, one of which is: LaTeX - A Document Prepartion System, by Leslie Lamport, published by Addison-Wesley, ISBN No. 0-201-15790-X.