LaTeX is a document-formatting system based on the TeX language. The LaTeX language is a tag-based markup language for typeset documents, just as HTML is a markup language for Web documents. It provides a powerful, relatively easy-to-use, method for preparing large documents which might include tables of contents and figures, several chapters and appendices, index, and references. LaTeX allows these various portions of the document to be created and numbered with minimal fuss, allowing the author to concentrate on the content rather than the formatting of the document. Because of its extensive mathematical formatting structures, it has also become a publishing standard for scientific and mathematical publications.
LaTeX is implemented by a number of programs that work together to produce a typeset document. These programs include a text file editor of your choice, the latex and pdflatex processors that interpret the markup and formats pages of output, document previewers, and various post-processors that convert intermediate device-independent (DVI) output into Postscript, PDF, or other formats.
Where Can I Find LaTeX?
LaTeX is based on open-source code, so is available on most computing platforms as free software. Like Linux, there are various “distributions” of LaTeX. These distributions package up, in various configurations, the suite of programs that make up LaTeX.
On Unix/Linux platforms on the UW campus, we've been using teTeX. Recently (May 2007) teTeX became unsupported. A supported alternative is TeX Live.
Under all versions of Windows, we recommend using the MikTeX distribution. MikTeX is not currently on the Waterloo Nexus (Windows) network, but can be installed easily on your own PC. There are many LaTeX editors and graphical "front-ends" for Windows. Most of these are freeware or shareware. Popular ones are Texmaker (cross-platform freeware) and WinEdt (Windows-only shareware). Windows versions are generally designed to work with MikTeX. These editors provide equation and table editors, etc.
There are also some commercial versions of LaTeX. These usually provide some kind of editor or graphical user interface, and integrate the various programs that make up a distribution. At UW, we have a very cheap site license for an older version of a commercial application called Scientific Workplace. Scientific Workplace provides a quasi-WYSIWYG interface to LaTeX, and so does a good job of hiding the LaTeX source “code” (a markup language, analogous to HTML) from the user. This is fine until you have a problem. We believe it's a good idea to understand how LaTeX works first. So if you use Scientific Workplace, please also review the LaTeX course notes.
Of the various types of editors for LaTeX, we recommend Texmaker, or it's non-free cousin WinEdt. These editors provide quick access to the various LaTeX commands through drop-down menus and simple interfaces for creating the tricker structures like equations, tables, etc., while not hiding the LaTeX markup. They also provide one-click buttons for processing your document into PS or PDF (once properly configured). In our opinion trying to make a LaTeX editor more like a conventional word processor (i.e. WYSIWYG), as is done with Scientific Workplace (and it's free cousin, LyX), is counter-productive. These products hide the LaTeX from the user, but still expect the user to have a solid knowledge of how LaTeX works. They have much more complicated user interfaces, yet they can't come close to representing a formatted LaTeX document. They also have trouble importing existing LaTeX documents and therefore make collaboration difficult.
The main repository of TeX and LaTeX source files and packages is the Comprehensive TeX Archive Network (CTAN) .
Notes on Creating a UW Electronic Thesis with LaTeX