LaTeX2e Quick Start

Introduction
Compatability mode
Native mode
Slides
Environmental variables

Introduction

This document is intended for experienced uses of LaTeX. It explains what to do to start using LaTeX2e. In brief, for existing LaTeX 2.09 documents using LaTeX2e means making no changes to your document and using compatibility mode (described below). For new documents, small changes in the preamble will allow you to easily use the new features of LaTeX2e. For more details, consult section 4 of the user's guide.

One important thing to note is that in the new version of LaTeX, there are not separate programs for SliTeX and AMS-LaTeX. These are now just document classes for LaTeX. For example, the document class that replaces SliTeX is called slides. As described below, to process a slide file, just change the first line to be

\documentclass{slides}

and process using the latex command.

LaTeX 2.09 Compatibility mode

When you process a document beginning with a \documentstyle command, LaTeX2e enters LaTeX 2.09 compatibility mode. With rare exceptions, any document that LaTeX 2.09 processed can be processed in compatibilty mode. However, there are penalties associated with compatibility mode.

Compatibility mode runs approximately 50% slower than native mode.
You will not be able to use any of the new features of LaTeX2e.

LaTeX2e native mode

For most documents, you can convert to LaTeX2e native mode by simply changing the command

\documentstyle[cl_op1,cl_op2,...,pkg1,pkg2,...]{class}

\documentclass[cl_op1,cl_op2,...]{class}
\usepackage{pkg1,pkg2,..}

where class is the document class, e.g book, article, or report, and cl_op1,cl_op2,.. are options for the document class, e.g. 12pt or twoside, and pkg1,pkg2,... are LaTeX packages, or style files independent of the class, e.g. mapleenv or array.

You may have problems with your document in native mode if a package you want to use is incompatible. In such a case, you can either go back to compatiblity mode or see if there is an update of your package or perhaps a different package with the same functionality.

For example, the graphics bundle provides improved handling of PostScript graphics. If you used to use psfig or epsf with LaTeX 2.09 you should start using the graphicx package instead. However, for psfig users there is the epsfig package, which is simply a wrapper around the graphicx package that lets you use psfig syntax.

Slides

Using SLITeX is a little different with LaTeX2e. The differences are noted below, followed by a template. You might also want to look at the FoilTeX and Seminar packages, as more sophisticated alternatives.

You should only have one file, not separate control and slide files.
Use the slides document class and the command latex not slitex to process the file.

Here is a SLITeX template file.

\documentclass{slides}

\begin{document}

\begin{slide}{}

...

\end{slide}

\end{document}

Environmental variables

If you set any of the TeX-related environmental variables, you should change them to reflect the new setup. For example, if you have your own style files you will want to set the TEXINPUTS environmental variable. If you use BIBTeX to organize your references, you can put all of your *.bib files in one directory and set the BIBINPUTS environmental variable. Here is what I have in my .cshrc.

  setenv TEXINPUTS .:/math/users/bfarr/TeX-stuff/inputs2e//:
  setenv BIBINPUTS .:/math/users/bfarr/TeX-stuff/bib

The . at the beginning of each path tells the program to look first in the current directory. The // in the first line tells LaTeX to search all subdirectories of /math/users/bfarr/TeX-stuff/inputs2. This allows you to separate files by package. The colon at the end says to append the standard search path. This is the right thing to do for TEXINPUTS, or standard files wouldn't be found. I don't use any of the *.bib files distributed with BIBTeX, so I don't want to waste time searching there.

Bill Farr < bfarr@wpi.edu>