Getting started with LaTex

Please add any useful tips/tricks to the bottom of this document.

Intro:

LaTex is a very powerful tex compiler and editor with almost unlimited capabilities. In theory, you should write a code to format your document, text, font, color, etc. For any change in the document, you should add/change part of the code. However, this is the most professional way of working with this software.

Typically, we start with a downloaded template prepared by a professional that has all the formatting in place. Any IEEE conference or journal has the template on their website. All we need to do is to fill in the text in the right places and know very basic rules on how to add a figure, start a section or subsection, write an equation, etc.

Below, I have tried to include the basic stuff you need to know to get started with LaTex and perhaps some useful tips and tricks. However, the nice thing about LaTex is that whatever you want to do, you can simply google it and there are thousands of codes suggested by other people that you can simply paste into your code

Installation:

To work with LaTex, you need a compiler (engine) and an editor (GUI).

For the compiler, go here and download the 192 MB file for your OS. Install the file like any other software. The only thing you need to change is the default paper size that should be changed from A4 to letter.

Next, you need to download an editor. Out of tens of various editors out there, the best I have worked with is TexStudio. You can download it from here. Make sure to start the installation of TexStudio after completing the installation of MikTex. Otherwise, you need to adjust some of the settings manually.

If you have done everything right, you should be able to open TexStudio and start working with it without any further actions.

Sample codes

I have uploaded samples of two of my previous papers (1 conference and 1 journal) together with their figure files. In each folder, find the .tex file, load it using TexStudio (or your TEX viewer) and compile it. Seeing samples should help you with making and adjusting figures, tables, full-page items, managing vertical and horizontal spaces, etc.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1p9PLc4g70rNUqU0_L12lt5PZMB9S-8TB

Have Fun,

Hossein