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From various tutorials I feel my knowledge of latex is very top down, and not very deep. I just recently realized that {} are not needed for singletons, so I m

From various tutorials I feel my knowledge of latex is very top down, and not very deep. I just recently realized that {} are not needed for singletons, so I may for instance write \frac12 for 1/2. Can anybody recommend a more bottom up guide? Something more similar to learning a programming language, where you start with the basic syntax and build on features iteratively? Is Knuth's book the best way to go? Or is that like learning C, when you wanted to learn C++?

rwl 10y ago
Knuth's book (that is, the TeX Book) is worth looking at. You're right that it won't tell you everything you want to know about LaTeX, and in that sense is like learning C rather than C++. But (also like learning C before C++) it provides a lot of foundational knowledge that will be useful if go on to read a book specifically about LaTeX, and if you ever need to do something more complicated than LaTeX's defaults allow. For example, it explains how all layout is done with "boxes" and "glue", and the difference between horizontal and vertical mode.
mci 10y ago
> I just recently realized that {} are not needed for singletons Trick question: What will you get by TeX-ing this document? $\acute a\acute{a}\acute{{a}}$\'a\'{a}\'{{a}}\end
- GFK_of_xmaspast 10y ago
  Frustrated.
- thomasahle 10y ago
  Haha, great example on how my knowledge of the syntax is lacking. Does the first acute attach to the space rather than the a? Is the last one an error?
2ion 10y ago
I've started working through the TeX Book for educational purposes about a year ago. It obviously lays the foundation for a deep understanding of TeX/LaTeX. If you're still getting surprised by syntax or the macro system in general, you can skip the chapters which go into minute detail and still take a lot of interesting things away: layouting commands, page structure, units, registers, understanding memory limits and allocation, etc. That being said, LaTeX has its own kernel, on top of which comes a document class, on top which comes any number of packages. Each layer can alter or mask the lower layer, so understanding LaTeX on all its levels is a difficult task. Then, there are different implementations which add fundamental aspects to the Knuth reference TeX, like pdftex, luatex, xetex, and that does not even include platex, uplatex and other special things. The little things I know I learned by finding a package/class/command that does what I need, and then study how it does it. E.g. hyperref is a very interesting starting place (relates closely to how documents (DVI, PDF,...) are output), as is memoir or my favourite, microtype.
Steuard 10y ago
I really enjoyed learning the details from Lamport's own book: LaTeX: A Document Preparation System. It covers most of the essential features, but maybe just as importantly it describes the philosophy behind LaTeX (which is rather different from the philosophy behind an editor like Word, and thus calls for a correspondingly different mindset while writing). Yes, the book is 20 years old, but then, so is most of LaTeX. https://www.pearsonhighered.com/program/Lamport-La-Te-X-A-Document-Preparation-System-2nd-Edition/PGM159713.html https://www.pearsonhighered.com/program/Lamport-La-Te-X-A-Do...
- alphapapa 10y ago
  > the philosophy behind LaTeX (which is rather different from the philosophy behind an editor like Word, and thus calls for a correspondingly different mindset while writing) Could you explain a bit about this? How does it change one's mindset while writing?

rwl 10y ago

Knuth's book (that is, the TeX Book) is worth looking at. You're right that it won't tell you everything you want to know about LaTeX, and in that sense is like learning C rather than C++. But (also like learning C before C++) it provides a lot of foundational knowledge that will be useful if go on to read a book specifically about LaTeX, and if you ever need to do something more complicated than LaTeX's defaults allow. For example, it explains how all layout is done with "boxes" and "glue", and the difference between horizontal and vertical mode.

mci 10y ago

> I just recently realized that {} are not needed for singletons Trick question: What will you get by TeX-ing this document? $\acute a\acute{a}\acute{{a}}$\'a\'{a}\'{{a}}\end

GFK_of_xmaspast 10y ago
Frustrated.
thomasahle 10y ago
Haha, great example on how my knowledge of the syntax is lacking. Does the first acute attach to the space rather than the a? Is the last one an error?

2ion 10y ago

I've started working through the TeX Book for educational purposes about a year ago. It obviously lays the foundation for a deep understanding of TeX/LaTeX. If you're still getting surprised by syntax or the macro system in general, you can skip the chapters which go into minute detail and still take a lot of interesting things away: layouting commands, page structure, units, registers, understanding memory limits and allocation, etc. That being said, LaTeX has its own kernel, on top of which comes a document class, on top which comes any number of packages. Each layer can alter or mask the lower layer, so understanding LaTeX on all its levels is a difficult task. Then, there are different implementations which add fundamental aspects to the Knuth reference TeX, like pdftex, luatex, xetex, and that does not even include platex, uplatex and other special things. The little things I know I learned by finding a package/class/command that does what I need, and then study how it does it. E.g. hyperref is a very interesting starting place (relates closely to how documents (DVI, PDF,...) are output), as is memoir or my favourite, microtype.

Steuard 10y ago

I really enjoyed learning the details from Lamport's own book: LaTeX: A Document Preparation System. It covers most of the essential features, but maybe just as importantly it describes the philosophy behind LaTeX (which is rather different from the philosophy behind an editor like Word, and thus calls for a correspondingly different mindset while writing). Yes, the book is 20 years old, but then, so is most of LaTeX. https://www.pearsonhighered.com/program/Lamport-La-Te-X-A-Document-Preparation-System-2nd-Edition/PGM159713.html https://www.pearsonhighered.com/program/Lamport-La-Te-X-A-Do...

alphapapa 10y ago
> the philosophy behind LaTeX (which is rather different from the philosophy behind an editor like Word, and thus calls for a correspondingly different mindset while writing) Could you explain a bit about this? How does it change one's mindset while writing?