In some fields, especially mathematical and physical sciences, the LaTeX document preparation system is very common. It is not widely used outside these fields.
LaTeX is a tool for writing documents. LaTeX files are plain text files. A LaTeX file does not look like the final text – it is not ‘what you see is what you get’ like a word processor. Instead, you tag each bit of content, and the LaTeX program reads your file, formats it following rules stored in a class file, and puts out a formatted document. Customised editors can save you from having to directly edit LaTeX code.
Here is an example of LaTeX code:
The quantity \$p_i\$ is the `magnetic scattering amplitude' of the \$i\$th atom~\cite{bacon}, and is written \begin{equation} \label{pi} p=\left( \frac{e^2\gamma}{2mc^2} \right) gJf. \end{equation} Here, \$g\$ is the Land\'e splitting factor, \$J\$ is the angular momentum of the ion, such that \$gJ\$ is its moment, and \$f\$ is the form factor for magnetic scattering\ldots
Here is an extract from the PDF that this gives:
Before trying LaTeX think about your needs and whether they are best met by LaTeX or another type of software (e.g. you word processor’s built-in equation editor or MathType).
Use LaTeX because ...
Do not use LaTeX because ...
It handles mathematics better than anything else (it was designed to!)
It can automatically number, label and style your citations, footnotes, endnotes, figure captions, table captions, equations, index entries, etc
LaTeX input files are plain text, which means they are completely cross-platform and work equally well on Mac, Linux, Windows, ChromeOS and Android
It is completely free and open source
In some fields in mathematical and physical sciences, it is very common and much infrastructure (e.g. templates and styles, bibliographic databases) already exists
It can be installed locally (on your computer) or in the cloud (running in a browser)
It has a steep and daunting learning curve
It is not common outside academia
It lacks the built-in grammar, spelling and accessibility checkers that come with modern word processors
Tracking changes is not as easy as when using a word processor
For most people, the idea of having to write a document using markup language and then process it to get the final result seems alien and difficult
Its basic aim is to design document pages, so it is not ideal for production to HTML and other reflowable formats
Making an accessible PDF from a LaTeX file is not simple (see PDF accessibility)
Use LaTeX if ...
Do not use LaTeX if ...
You need to present a lot of mathematics
The journal you want to publish in requires it (and provides a style file and template to make it easier)
Your final output will be a print or PDF document
You like working with computers, and like the results that LaTeX produces
Your collaborators use it
The project is a big one (such as a thesis) and the time spent learning LaTeX will be a good investment
You work with simple (or no) mathematics
You are already a ‘power user’ of another program and know how to automatically number equations, figures, citations, footnotes and so on, and how to insert mathematics effectively
You already have established workflows and collaborations that use other tools, such as Word (with track changes) and PerfectIt
You have a single, small project to do and the time spent learning LaTeX would not be a wise investment
Accessibility (see PDF accessibility) and production to HTML are high priorities
