4 ms·

Also, he implies that LaTeX documents are always typeset in Computer Modern and the plain article template (which is ugly!). XeTeX can use all the same TTF/OTF

Also, he implies that LaTeX documents are always typeset in Computer Modern and the plain article template (which is ugly!). XeTeX can use all the same TTF/OTF fonts Word uses. Oh, and let's not forget that Word's math renderer is gross.

eesmith 9y ago
He does not imply they are "always typeset in Computer Modern". The relevant quote is "everything is (typically) printed in this weird, old-fashioned-looking typeface called Computer Modern." The "(typically)" implies that there are cases where the result is not in Computer Modern. On the same topic, "if you want to do anything really wild and crazy – like using a typeface other than Computer Modern – then plain vanilla TeX and LaTeX won’t do. ... And anything other than vanilla TeX and LaTeX is really, really difficult to install. So difficult that most people seem to give up on installing individual packages and instead install the whole of something called TeX Live." Again, that implies that not all LaTex documents are in Computer Modern. He mentions XeTeX in the following: "I only needed XeTeX and XeLaTeX, which are quite small. So I tried to install just those. While I did eventually manage it, it took a long time and was very frustrating – and what was most frustrating was that when I looked for help online, the advice I found basically amounted to ‘install TeX Live; everybody else does’.
- majewsky 9y ago
  > The relevant quote is "everything is (typically) printed in this weird, old-fashioned-looking typeface called Computer Modern." The "(typically)" implies that there are cases where the result is not in Computer Modern. In school, I was told that you should only put stuff in parentheses that is not strictly required to understand the statement. Without them, we're left with "Everything is printed in [...] Computer Modern". The first word sets the tone in a (IMO) manipulative way.
  - anc84 9y ago
    Here he uses the parentheses to clarify that not everything is printed in Computer Modern, but only that things are typically printed in Computer Modern.
  - eesmith 9y ago
    Your own use of parenthetical comments shows that you don't follow that rule. Quoting you at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14949375 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14949375 : "A typical megacorporation is just as centralized as a socialist government, and they probably do just as much forecasting and planning, and they apparently succeed (most of the time)." Leave out the "(most of the time)" and it sounds like typical megacorporations always succeed. I don't think you were being manipulative there, and I don't think the author of this TeX/LaTex essay is being manipulative now.
gaius 9y ago
You can use LaTeX in Word directly now https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Linear-format-equations-using-UnicodeMath-and-LaTeX-in-Word-2E00618D-B1FD-49D8-8CB4-8D17F25754F8 https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Linear-format-equat...
- ygra 9y ago
  For a subset of math. Not for any of the rest of the document.
- Derbasti 9y ago
  You can use the syntax. It still renders using Word's hideous math renderer.
TrickyRick 9y ago
https://www.chachatelier.fr/latexit/ https://www.chachatelier.fr/latexit/ is a solution to that. Write your math in Latex > export as image. I always use that whenever I have to display math in something which doesn't support Latex.
- majewsky 9y ago
  That may work if you have a few formulas. A typical thesis may have hundreds, if not thousands, formulas.
  - TrickyRick 9y ago
    Oh, I'm not saying it's a good option for a thesis, I would use LaTeX for that, I'm saying it's a good option if you have a few formulas and you have to use Word for whatever reason.
- Derbasti 9y ago
  Can Word import PDF? How would I keep editable copies of the Math code? I use a similar workflow for PowerPoint slides, where I have dozens of files with a minimal LaTeX template that render math fragments to tiny PDF files, which I can then include in the PowerPoint slides. It's a huge pain. (But less painful than LaTeX beamer).
  - TrickyRick 9y ago
    It can generate PNG as well. I'm not saying it's a replacement for LaTeX, I'm saying it's a good option in the cases where you have a few pieced of math text which you have to input in a Word doc.
  - anc84 9y ago
    SVG or MathML are supported by Word and available as export from this tool. There are several online tools to do this as well: https://viereck.ch/latex-to-svg/ https://viereck.ch/latex-to-svg/ , www.tlhiv.org/ltxpreview/ , http://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php http://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php
NoGravitas 9y ago
I dislike that the author called using a font other than CM "advanced". Since the mid-90s, it's been just \usepackage{fontname} in the header to change the set of base fonts to some other combination that looks good together. Yes, you need to learn to do that, but it's nothing compared to all the boilerplate you need to get a basic LaTeX document working.

eesmith 9y ago

He does not imply they are "always typeset in Computer Modern". The relevant quote is "everything is (typically) printed in this weird, old-fashioned-looking typeface called Computer Modern." The "(typically)" implies that there are cases where the result is not in Computer Modern. On the same topic, "if you want to do anything really wild and crazy – like using a typeface other than Computer Modern – then plain vanilla TeX and LaTeX won’t do. ... And anything other than vanilla TeX and LaTeX is really, really difficult to install. So difficult that most people seem to give up on installing individual packages and instead install the whole of something called TeX Live." Again, that implies that not all LaTex documents are in Computer Modern. He mentions XeTeX in the following: "I only needed XeTeX and XeLaTeX, which are quite small. So I tried to install just those. While I did eventually manage it, it took a long time and was very frustrating – and what was most frustrating was that when I looked for help online, the advice I found basically amounted to ‘install TeX Live; everybody else does’.

majewsky 9y ago
> The relevant quote is "everything is (typically) printed in this weird, old-fashioned-looking typeface called Computer Modern." The "(typically)" implies that there are cases where the result is not in Computer Modern. In school, I was told that you should only put stuff in parentheses that is not strictly required to understand the statement. Without them, we're left with "Everything is printed in [...] Computer Modern". The first word sets the tone in a (IMO) manipulative way.
- anc84 9y ago
  Here he uses the parentheses to clarify that not everything is printed in Computer Modern, but only that things are typically printed in Computer Modern.
- eesmith 9y ago
  Your own use of parenthetical comments shows that you don't follow that rule. Quoting you at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14949375 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14949375 : "A typical megacorporation is just as centralized as a socialist government, and they probably do just as much forecasting and planning, and they apparently succeed (most of the time)." Leave out the "(most of the time)" and it sounds like typical megacorporations always succeed. I don't think you were being manipulative there, and I don't think the author of this TeX/LaTex essay is being manipulative now.

gaius 9y ago

You can use LaTeX in Word directly now https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Linear-format-equations-using-UnicodeMath-and-LaTeX-in-Word-2E00618D-B1FD-49D8-8CB4-8D17F25754F8 https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Linear-format-equat...

ygra 9y ago
For a subset of math. Not for any of the rest of the document.
Derbasti 9y ago
You can use the syntax. It still renders using Word's hideous math renderer.

TrickyRick 9y ago

https://www.chachatelier.fr/latexit/ https://www.chachatelier.fr/latexit/ is a solution to that. Write your math in Latex > export as image. I always use that whenever I have to display math in something which doesn't support Latex.

majewsky 9y ago
That may work if you have a few formulas. A typical thesis may have hundreds, if not thousands, formulas.
- TrickyRick 9y ago
  Oh, I'm not saying it's a good option for a thesis, I would use LaTeX for that, I'm saying it's a good option if you have a few formulas and you have to use Word for whatever reason.
Derbasti 9y ago
Can Word import PDF? How would I keep editable copies of the Math code? I use a similar workflow for PowerPoint slides, where I have dozens of files with a minimal LaTeX template that render math fragments to tiny PDF files, which I can then include in the PowerPoint slides. It's a huge pain. (But less painful than LaTeX beamer).
- TrickyRick 9y ago
  It can generate PNG as well. I'm not saying it's a replacement for LaTeX, I'm saying it's a good option in the cases where you have a few pieced of math text which you have to input in a Word doc.
- anc84 9y ago
  SVG or MathML are supported by Word and available as export from this tool. There are several online tools to do this as well: https://viereck.ch/latex-to-svg/ https://viereck.ch/latex-to-svg/ , www.tlhiv.org/ltxpreview/ , http://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php http://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php

NoGravitas 9y ago

I dislike that the author called using a font other than CM "advanced". Since the mid-90s, it's been just \usepackage{fontname} in the header to change the set of base fonts to some other combination that looks good together. Yes, you need to learn to do that, but it's nothing compared to all the boilerplate you need to get a basic LaTeX document working.