• Local LaTeX Resources
• What is LaTeX?
• Composing, Compiling, Viewing ...
• Spell Checking LaTeX Documents
• The thesis class
• The phd-report class
• Contact address for problems/questions
• Appendix 1: Rotating Figures and Tables
• Appendix 2: FAQ

• Online latex guide
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Simple introduction to LaTeX
• Thesis preparation in LaTeX
• PhD report preparation in LaTeX
• pagelayout.html

• lshort.pdf - (new) 153 page guide
• india.pdf - 304 page guide
• journal-guide.pdf - 11 page reference
• latex.ps - 82 page LaTeX guide
• latex.pdf (converted to pdf)
• latex2e.pdf - 104 page guide
• ltxcrib.ps - 14 page reference
• ltxcrib.pdf (converted to pdf)
• math-guide.pdf - 15 page math guide
• mil.ps - 101 page 'math into latex' guide
• mil.pdf (coverted to pdf)
• simplified.ps - 146 guide
• simplified.pdf (converted to pdf)
• authors.ps - 33 pages author guide
• authors.pdf (converted to pdf)
• symbols-a4.pdf - 141 pages symbol list

LaTeX offers the following advantages over other document preparation systems such as MS Word:

1. Quality: the final product of a LaTeX'ed document is a PostScript file that can be printed on a PostScript laser printer to a high quality. Quality PostScript images such as plots and diagrams can be included easily in a LaTeX document.
2. Mathematical formulae: LaTeX is a de facto standard for the expression of mathematical formulae.
3. Formatting: LaTeX imposes and automates document formatting leaving the author free to concentrate on the content. Basic document formats (classes) provided by a LaTeX system are: the book class, the article class, the report class, the slides class, and the letter class - there are many more. In addition, a thesis class and a phd-report class are available for Master and Doctoral thesis, and PhD report preparation in the University of Gaziantep.

Composing documents in LaTeX
The author types the content, annotated by LaTeX script, directly into a .tex file.
An example of a short LaTeX script, example.tex, created with the command:
$ edit example.tex , is shown below:

    \documentclass[12pt]{report}
    \begin{document}

    To first order, $\alpha_s$ is given by Equation \ref{ALPHAS}:
    \begin{equation}
       \label{ALPHAS}
       \alpha_{s}(Q^2) = \frac{12\pi}{(33 - 2n_f)ln(Q^2/\Lambda^2)}
    \end{equation} 
    where $Q^2$ is the momentum transfer
    (on the $Z$ peak $Q^2$ = (91.2 $GeV$)$^2$,
    $n_f$ is the available number of quark flavours ($n_f$ = 5 at LEP),
    and $\Lambda$ is a parameter determined by experiment.

    \end{document}
    

If you are familiar with other scripting languages, for example HTML, then you will find it easy to write in LaTeX. LaTeX is a simple scripting language to learn at a basic level - the easiest way to learn LaTeX is to refer to a relevant example document (for example your friend's thesis).

Compiling LaTeX
LaTeX scripts require compiling; on a Linux(Unix) system the command is latex. For example:

    $ latex example.tex

The result of this command is the file  example.dvi .

Viewing
The result of the command  latex example.tex  is the file  example.dvi  which can be viewed with the xdvi or xdvi programs as follows:

    $ xdvi example.dvi &
or
    $ kdvi example.dvi &

.

For this you need a graphical interface to the linux(unix) system, either a graphical desktop on workstation or if you are viewing remotely from an MS Windows PC then you can use an X-server.

Printing
For printing the LaTeX'ed document you can convert  example.dvi  into PostScript using the dvips program as follows:

     $ dvips example.dvi -o example.ps

If you only require, for example, pages 5 to 8 then use the  -pp  option:

    $ dvips example.dvi -o example.ps -pp 5-8

You now have a PostScript file,  example.ps , for printing; remember that a very high quality hard copy can be obtained using a PostScript laser printer (a desktop printer such as a Deskjet will not give good quality output - though this is fine for drafts).

Previewing PostScript
Windows: GhostView
Linux; Various programs: gv, ggv, kghostview, ...

Summary of commands:
All the commands you need for composing, compiling, viewing and printing a LaTeX document:

    $ edit example.tex
    $ latex example.tex
    $ xdvi example.dvi &
    $ dvips example.dvi -o example.ps

   $ ispell chapter3.tex 

The easiest way to obtain and use thesis class is to download the following example thesis to your central Linux server account and replace its contents with your own thesis:

• Browse the Example Thesis (please read the README.TXT at the end of the listing).
• Download the latest gzip'ed tar distribution ThesisClass-2.2.0.tgz (03/05/2007)

  Instructions
  Assuming you are on a Linux(Unix) system, type the following commands:

  1. To download:
     $ wget http://wwwacs.gantep.edu.tr/guides/programming/latex/
     ThesisClass/ThesisClass-2.2.0.tgz
  2. To unzip:
     $ tar -xzf ThesisClass-2.2.0.tgz
     or if you are using MS Windows then the WinZip program supports tar-zip files.

     $ cd ThesisClass-2.2.0/

  3. To Compile:
     $ latex thesis.tex

     and again to get the cross-references
     $ latex thesis.tex

  4. To view:
     $ xdvi thesis.dvi
     and
     $ dvips thesis.dvi -o thesis.ps
     to obtain a PostScript version. and
     $ ps2pdf thesis.ps
     to obtain a PDF version (thesis.pdf).
  5. To modify (for your own thesis):
     $ edit thesis.tex

     of course you need to edit all other .tex files as well.
     The files well commented so it should be clear what you need to do.

Acknowledgments
We like to thank The University of Colorado for the original version of thesis class, and the kind permission for its adaptation, for the University of Gaziantep.

The easiest way to obtain and use phd-report class is to download the following example report to your central Linux server account and replace its contents with your own report:

• Browse the Example Report (please read the README.TXT at the end of the listing).
• Download the latest gzip'ed tar distribution PhdReportClass-2.1.1.tgz

• View the example phd-report.ps / phd-report.pdf

  Instructions
  Assuming you are on a Linux(Unix) system, type the following commands:

  1. To download:
     $ wget http://wwwacs.gantep.edu.tr/guides/programming/latex/
     PhdReportClass/PhdReportClass-2.1.1.tgz
  2. To unzip:
     $ tar -xzf PhdReportClass-2.1.1.tgz
  
  or if you are using MS Windows then the WinZip program supports tar-zip files.

  $ cd PhdReportClass/
  

  3. To Compile:
     $ latex phd-report.tex

     and again to get the cross-references
     $ latex phd-report.tex

  4. To view:
     $ xdvi phd-report.dvi
     and
     $ dvips phd-report.dvi -o phd-report.ps
     to obtain a PostScript version.
  5. To modify (for your own report):
     $ edit phd-report.tex

     of course you need to edit all other .tex files as well.
     The files well commented so it should be clear what you need to do.

Acknowledgments
We like to thank The University of Colorado for the original version of thesis class, and the kind permission for its adaptation, for the University of Gaziantep.

You then replace the standard table environment:

    \begin{table}
    .
    .
    .
    \end{table}
    

    \begin{sidewaystable}
    .
    .
    .
    \end{sidewaystable}
    

• Q. The viewing quality of gv (ghostview) is not good, can anything be done about this?
  A. Yes, use the kghostview or ggv programs instead.