prosper

LaTeX

Compiling a PROSPER LaTeX document

The class ``prosper'' is for computer-displayed or projected presentations, while
traditional LaTeX classes article and report are still best for printed material.

The author of the LaTeX class ``prosper'' was not the first to adapt LaTeX for creating PDF documents, but made a simplified interface for using existing packages and methods. Because there is so much existing support for including PostScript images in LaTeX documents using the graphicx package, the author rejected using pdflatex and instead created this class to be used with normal latex, the output DVI file of which could be converted to PostScript and then to PDF. (Using "dvipdf" combines the latter two steps into one.)

Here is LaTeX source from the file sample.tex. It would be compiled with the command   latex sample.tex   and then converted to PDF with   dvipdf sample.dvi.   The PDF file is displayed using Acrobat Reader, and full-screen mode should be used; choose "Full Screen" from the View menu, or just type Ctrl-L.

\documentclass[a4paper,pascal,pdf,colorBG,slideColor]{prosper}
\hypersetup{pdfpagemode=FullScreen}

\title{My Big Presentation}
\subtitle{which rocks}
\author{Jane Q. Doe}
\email{jdoe@colorado.edu}
\institution{Applied Mathematics\\University of Colorado}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\begin{slide}{First Slide Caption}
	This is the stuff on slide 1.
\end{slide}


\begin{slide}{Caption no.2}
	This is the stuff on slide 2.
	Note that $C=2\pi r$.
\end{slide}


\begin{slide}{Sphere equations}
	This is the stuff on slide 3.
	\begin{eqnarray}
		C & = & 2 \pi r \\
		A & = & 4 \pi r^2 \\
		V & = & \frac{4 \pi r^3}3
	\end{eqnarray}
\end{slide}

\end{document}
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NOTES:

line 01:
``a4paper'' is needed to size the PDF pages correctly. If you want a printed document on letter paper (8.5"×11") then use ``letter'' and the required dvipdf options.

``pascal'' is one of several possible Prosper styles. Not naming a style explicitly is equivalent to choose the style ``default''.

``pdf'' -- compile to produce a PDF file for video projection (rather than PostScript for printing)

``colorGB,slideColor'' -- use many colors, depending on style (rather than white background / restricted colors, for B/W printing)

line 02:
``\hypersetup{pdfpagemode=FullScreen}'' tells Acrobat Reader to go immediately into Full Screen mode, so you don't even have to press Ctrl-L!

lines 04-08:
None of these items will appear on a title page unless you also include the command \maketitle (cf. line 11). Still, it's always good to define at least a title and author.

lines 13,15:
begin and end each individual slide with the \begin{slide} and \end{slide} macros.

The slide title -- the parameter following \begin{slide} (e.g., {First Slide Caption} on line 13) will be displayed on the ``display bar'' of that slide; each style formats the title bar in its own way.

The slide environment can ``wrapped'' in an \overlay macro if it will have multiple forms using overlays. Portions of the slide can appear or disappear in different overlays by making use of the macros \fromSlide{n}{...}, \untilSlide{n}{...}, \onlySlide{n}{...}.   (See template2.html)