Typesetting Beautiful Documents

One of the most important things for a working scientist is to be able to create scientific documents with ease, caring about the meaning of the inputted data and not about the data formatting. The worst possibility is to use Microsoft Word, which inputs mathematical equations as pictures destroying the line spacing of the document and making impossible for this information to be copied in text files. So it is much better to avoid losing your time with Microsoft products and install LaTex right now. LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting system; it includes features designed for the production of technical and scientific documentation. LaTeX is the de facto standard for the communication and publication of scientific documents.

Installing LaTex on Windows XP

It is likely that most of the Linux users already have installed LaTex editor on their PCs, that is why in the following text we will provide complete list of instructions how one can install LaTex editor on Windows XP.

 

1. Install MikTex 2.5 complete package. Download the MikTex Installer and the complete package of MikTex 2.5. Precaution: the basic package will not suffice for proper installing of Lyx.

 

2. Install AFPL GhostScript 8.54. Download and install the AFPL package. Precaution: The GPL package will not suffice for proper installing of GSView.

 

3. Install GSView 4.8. Download and install the latest version. Since it may require registering you might skip this step and go to installing of Lyx 1.5.1 directly. Lyx Installer will detect that GSView is missing and will automatically download from internet and install GSView without prompting for registration. In order to use this last option internet connection is needed.

 

4. Install Lyx 1.5.1. Installation of the Lyx editor is the last step, which will allow you to have user friendly interface and working environment that looks in many aspects like the MS Word one. The big difference is that you input equations in LaTex format and you can import or export LaTex files.

 

5. Install TeXnic Center 1 Beta 7.01. This is an optional step, which is for advanced LaTex users and indeed if TeXnic Center is installed there is no need for you to install the Lyx editor. One of the critical steps is to configure properly the TeXnic Center providing link to the MikTex installation, which is located in folder C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.5\miktex\bin.

 

6. After successful installing of the LaTex editor you might wish to take a look at some manual how to typeset in LaTex. Some good sources are:

 

The Not So Short Introduction to LATEX2ε by Tobias Oetiker

 

Getting Started with LaTeX by David Wilkins

 

Installing of LaTex is relatively easy and completely free. This software has been created as an academic product by working scientists for the working scientists and this is why you don't have to pay a cent for it. It will be nice if you start using LaTex and further contribute to the scientific community according to your own skills and possibilities.