sysop @ mousehouse:

Quick start on TeX

started on 01.01.1998 - updated 01.09.1998
Index
  1. What does TeX do?
  2. How is TeX started on this system?
  3. A short example progname input file OR
  4. Miscellaneous

1. What does TeX do?

Tex takes your input file named *.tex, and processes it to an output file, named *.dvi.

Now you want to know what this is good for. Read on:

TeX is a document programming system (though most people call it a typesetting system).
You program your document the way you want it to look like (and the contents, of course), in TeX language.
The *.dvi output from TeX is 1:1 translatable to PostScript and bigger, more expensive typesetting systems.

The good thing is that TeX output looks alike, no matter what printer or fotographic typesetting system you use.
The bad thing is that you need to learn how to write a program. See programming.

2. How is progname started on this system?

Type tex filename, and TeX will process filename.tex, write its errors to filename.log, and if some output was achieved, it is written to filename.dvi.

3. A short example progname input file 

% A percent sign marks a comment
input style.tex                          % takes style tex and processes
                                         % it as if it had been copied
\hrule                                   % horizontal line
\"a \"o \"u \ss \"A \"O \"U              % German umlauts
\"a\ \"o\ \"u\ \ss\                      % small German umlauts,
                                         % separated by spaces.

% an empty line marks the end of a paragraph
\cmr10                                   % switches to font
                                         % Computer_Modern_Roman_10Pt. Default font.
\it{This text appears in italic Style}   % it does.
\tt{Typewriter style}                    % oh yes
\sf{SansSerif Font}                      % currently not available on this system

\end                                     % ends file

4. Miscellaneous

I hate to say you this, but go ahead and buy "The TeX book" by Donald Knuth, the author of TeX.
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