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latex2e: Overview

 
 2 Overview of LaTeX
 *******************
 
 LaTeX is a system for typesetting documents.  It was originally created
 by Leslie Lamport and is now maintained by a group of volunteers
 (<http://latex-project.org>).  It is widely used, particularly for
 complex and technical documents, such as those involving mathematics.
 
    A LaTeX user writes an input file containing text along with
 interspersed commands, for instance commands describing how the text
 should be formatted.  It is implemented as a set of related commands
 that interface with Donald E. Knuth's TeX typesetting program (the
 technical term is that LaTeX is a "macro package" for the TeX engine).
 The user produces the output document by giving that input file to the
 TeX engine.
 
    The term LaTeX is also sometimes used to mean the language in which
 the document is marked up, that is, to mean the set of commands
 available to a LaTeX user.
 
    The name LaTeX is short for "Lamport TeX".  It is pronounced LAH-teck
 or LAY-teck, or sometimes LAY-tecks.  Inside a document, produce the
 logo with '\LaTeX'.  Where use of the logo is not sensible, such as in
 plain text, write it as 'LaTeX'.

Menu

 
· Starting and ending  The standard beginning and end of a document.
· Output files         Files produced.
· TeX engines          Programs that can compile TeX and  LaTeX.
· LaTeX command syntax General syntax of LaTeX commands.
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