The LaTeX Icon

Next, your document needs to be processed. Drag it onto the LaTeX icon. A window will come up with a number of buttons. Click on the Process button to begin processing your document.

If an error occurs, details will be given of the line in which the error was detected. Try to correct the error in your Editor window. You may need to refer to the LaTeX documents in the help system or ask the Programming Advisor for help. When you have corrected the error, save the file, type 'x' in the latex window to kill off the last process and click on Process button again.

When LaTeX has processed your document successfully you will be left with a number of new files, all with the same base name as your original, but having different suffices. The one we are interested in is the `.dvi' file. This file shouldn't be viewed using emacs, but can be looked at using the View option of the xlatex window. Clicking this button will preview your document. You can use the mouse to magnify bits of the window. Just press a mouse button over the part of the text you want to see in more detail. The middle button works the scroll bars. Click on the buttons to the right of the window to move around the document.

To print out a hard copy of your document select the Print option.

If you would rather process your document using commands in a terminal window, use the man command to consult the unix manual entries for

detex

- this removes the LaTeX constructions from a file.

wc

- to do word counts.

spell

- a spell checker.

xdvi

- a DVI file previewer.

latex

- the LaTeX program.

lacheck

- a LaTeX file checker.

dviselect

- to pick out pages from a DVI file.

dvilp

- to send DVI files to the default laser printer.