So I just started using LaTeX. Before you jump to conclusions about what this implies about my personal life or ability to use capitalization...this is about the markup language. (A markup language is something that allows you to display text and images in different ways. Biggest example of course is HTML, used everywhere on the Internet.)
I've come to have sort of a love hate relationship with it. You can do so much with it, and it's extremely convenient, especially in comparison to doing it all in Microsoft Word. Though, in its defense, Microsoft has added much better equation and math typing tools built right in since Office 2010, if I'm not mistaken.
But there are a lot of quirks about it that annoy me like anything. For example, the default margins, and the default font. These are personal preferences, but I don't get why you need like 2 inch margins. And I just hate serif fonts. I'm fairly certain there was a certain logic behind the way it is, but I sure am glad you can customize it to the way you want.
Also, I like putting white space in my code. Not just for LaTeX, but for all of my coding. With LaTeX, when you put an extra empty line between two lines of text, the second line becomes indented for some reason. Also, in math mode, spaces are SO weird. If you just type words, then it doesn't put spaces between them. This is sort of understandable, because you're not supposed to put words in math mode unless you're using "\text{}". But when you want to separate say two equations with a comma, you have to put in "\;" for every space you want. #TheStruggleIsReal
I only just started using LaTeX about a week ago, and I ended up doing both of my first two assignments of the semester with it. After fiddling around with it and getting used to the package system, I finally got the hang of it and I was on my way to making some clean HWs.
For anyone interested, I used the base MiKTeX, set up a custom batch file to compile the code into pdf without making a log file, and automatically open the created pdf. I ended up finding Sublime Text's (shoutout to the best text editor of all time, OF ALL TIME. One day I'll buy the software. Maybe one day I'll even buy WinRAR) build command. This allowed me to use Sublime for editing the tex files, and compile straight to PDF.
Somehow or another, I ended up installing Texmaker, and am now using that since it has a side by side view of the source code and the pdf. Still haven't found a way to make it stop making the stupid log files.
I have a feeling that many a backslash keys have been broken by heavy LaTeX users.
In other math program related news, I think it's become my unwritten goal to learn as many different math related computer tools this semester. I started using MATLAB (I know, sort of sad I didn't already know this) and Maple. I'm thinking of learning Mathematica too. Might as well learn all the free software I can.
Maple is also really cool because it shows you the expressions as you'd write them, in actual fractions, exponents, etc. But the programmer in me absolutely loathes having to do ":=" to assign a variable. So frustrating.
Anyway, those were my musings about math related software. I'll probably be posting more coding related things as time goes on.
I've come to have sort of a love hate relationship with it. You can do so much with it, and it's extremely convenient, especially in comparison to doing it all in Microsoft Word. Though, in its defense, Microsoft has added much better equation and math typing tools built right in since Office 2010, if I'm not mistaken.
But there are a lot of quirks about it that annoy me like anything. For example, the default margins, and the default font. These are personal preferences, but I don't get why you need like 2 inch margins. And I just hate serif fonts. I'm fairly certain there was a certain logic behind the way it is, but I sure am glad you can customize it to the way you want.
Also, I like putting white space in my code. Not just for LaTeX, but for all of my coding. With LaTeX, when you put an extra empty line between two lines of text, the second line becomes indented for some reason. Also, in math mode, spaces are SO weird. If you just type words, then it doesn't put spaces between them. This is sort of understandable, because you're not supposed to put words in math mode unless you're using "\text{}". But when you want to separate say two equations with a comma, you have to put in "\;" for every space you want. #TheStruggleIsReal
I only just started using LaTeX about a week ago, and I ended up doing both of my first two assignments of the semester with it. After fiddling around with it and getting used to the package system, I finally got the hang of it and I was on my way to making some clean HWs.
For anyone interested, I used the base MiKTeX, set up a custom batch file to compile the code into pdf without making a log file, and automatically open the created pdf. I ended up finding Sublime Text's (shoutout to the best text editor of all time, OF ALL TIME. One day I'll buy the software. Maybe one day I'll even buy WinRAR) build command. This allowed me to use Sublime for editing the tex files, and compile straight to PDF.
Somehow or another, I ended up installing Texmaker, and am now using that since it has a side by side view of the source code and the pdf. Still haven't found a way to make it stop making the stupid log files.
I have a feeling that many a backslash keys have been broken by heavy LaTeX users.
In other math program related news, I think it's become my unwritten goal to learn as many different math related computer tools this semester. I started using MATLAB (I know, sort of sad I didn't already know this) and Maple. I'm thinking of learning Mathematica too. Might as well learn all the free software I can.
Maple is also really cool because it shows you the expressions as you'd write them, in actual fractions, exponents, etc. But the programmer in me absolutely loathes having to do ":=" to assign a variable. So frustrating.
Anyway, those were my musings about math related software. I'll probably be posting more coding related things as time goes on.
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