LaTeX input is stored as plain text files, usually with the extension .tex;
LaTeX input files contain both the text of the document and commands;
Commands start with a backslash, so look like this: \example;
Writing in LaTeX is therefore a bit like programming it to produce the
document you want;
Logical mark up is important in LaTeX: we’ll use some almost straight
away!
Workflow
Spacing
LaTeX treats multiple spaces as a single space;
By default, the space between sentences is slightly larger than the space
between words – can be switched off using \frenchspacing;
The tilde (~) is used to create a non-breaking space;
New line characters are treated as a space;
Paragraph breaks should be indicated by a blank line;
LaTeX automatically indents paragraphs, except for the first paragraph
after a section heading.
A simple document
Example
\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article} % A comment in the preamble \begin{document} % This is a comment This is a simple document\footnote{with a footnote}.