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LaTeX is a document-formatting system, based on the TeX language developed in the late 1970s by legendary computer scientist Donald Knuth. LaTeX is a tag-based markup language for typeset documents, just as HTML later became a markup language for web documents. LaTeX provides a powerful and relatively easy-to-use method for preparing large, complex documents which might include tables of contents and figures, several chapters and appendices, index, and references. LaTeX allows the various components of the document to be automatically formatted and numbered according to current publishing standards, while allowing the author to concentrate on the content rather than the appearance of the document. Because of its extensive mathematical fonts, symbols and formatting structures, LaTeX has become a de facto publishing standard for scientific and mathematical publications.LaTeX is implemented by a number of programs that work together to produce a typeset document. These programs include a text file editor of your choice, the latex and pdflatex processors that interpret the markup and format pages of output, document previewers, and various post-processors that convert intermediate device-independent (DVI) output into Postscript, PDF, or other formats required to produce the final digital or printed output. LaTeX is based on open-source code, so it is available on most computing platforms as free software. Like the open-source Linux operating system, there are various “distributions” of LaTeX. These distributions package up, in various configurations, the suite of programs that make up LaTeX. There are also some commercial versions of LaTeX. These usually provide an integrated editor and graphical user interface that integrates the various programs that make up a distribution. Until the 2010s it was a daunting experience to install and configure the large and cumbersome suite of software that makes up a LaTeX distribution. These days the simplest and most convenient way to use LaTeX is through a web (cloud) service. Such services provide a web interface for editing, previewing, storing and sharing your documents, and will process your LaTeX markup into PDF format. Perhaps the most useful features of running LaTeX in the cloud are:
Overleaf Site License for Graduate Students, Faculty and StaffIn September 2018, UW entered into a site license with Overleaf, a leading LaTeX-based cloud service for document preparation and collaboration. This agreement provides UW graduate students, staff and faculty with “Pro”-featured accounts. Sign up via UW's Overleaf portal. |
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