Originally posted by PalynkaIs that so?! You better warn these people then:
The point of LaTeX is typesetting maths.
http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.1/Documentation/user/out-www/lilypond/Integrating-LaTeX-and-music.html
http://latex-beamer.sourceforge.net/beamerexample5.pdf
http://www.tac.dk/cgi-bin/info2www?(latex)verse
It seems that they're doing something stupid according to you. http://www.tac.dk/cgi-bin/info2www?(latex)verse THere are lots of documents classes on LateX and if you're only using it to write up formulas you ain't using it to its full capacities.
Originally posted by PalynkaWell, I wasn't really comparing it to a word processor, I was arguing that LaTeX is only really a tool 'serious' typesetting, where the run-of-the-mill word processor falls far short - as you rightly point out 😕
The point of LaTeX is typesetting maths. It's stupid to compare it to a word processor.
Edit - I use both LaTex and OO. If I'm writing a letter or a similar 1-page document, why should I bother with LaTex?
Adam was the one who pointed rhbTard towards LaTeX and I said it was an unnecessarily complicated tool for someone who seems to need only basic office tools.
If someone wants to learn LaTeX in their spare time, by all means go for it, I was just showing the pros and cons...
Originally posted by adam warlockYeah, horses for courses.
I'm in physics and so I use Latex. One of the main strenghts of LAteX is typesetting mathematical equations but that's not all. If you have to write reports my sugestion is for you to use LateX. If those reports have more than 3 pages than by all means use Latex. If it's less than that probabily it won't be worth the trouble. If you have to include grap ...[text shortened]... t a good plotting tool is out there.
And if the guy wants to use LateX just let him be 😛
I know rhb, so that's why I said he won't really need it in his daily work, but I know it has uses in other industry, like physics etc.
Originally posted by CrowleyHmmmm. In that case I am wrong: It looked like to me that you were saying that LateX is only for math. Or even if you're saying that LateX is mainly for math that is wrong. Latex as a harde learning curve that's for sure. But that's if you want to use all the mathematical trickery. If you just want to typest documents with text and graphs or pics than I'd say LateX is great. You just have to type in your text and all formatting will be done by the computer. One only has to worried about content of what is being written and that for me is very important.
Well let's just agree to disagree then.
I used LaTeX at varsity and never again, so I don't see a use for it in 'my world'.
If one usually writtes something like one page or two pages docs that I agree that probabily LateX won't be worth the trouble, but for documents bigger than five pages LateX is certainly worth the trouble. Even if no mathematical typesetting is needed. My CV was wrote using LateX and if I had to do that on MO I think I would have gone crazy with all the formatting needed.
Originally posted by adam warlockNo, I've said all along: LaTeX has it's relative merits, but if you want to typeset mostly text documents - any word processor will do, whether it's OO or MS Office.
Hmmmm. In that case I am wrong: It looked like to me that you were saying that LateX is only for math. Or even if you're saying that LateX is mainly for math that is wrong. Latex as a harde learning curve that's for sure. But that's if you want to use all the mathematical trickery. If you just want to typest documents with text and graphs or pics than I ...[text shortened]... d if I had to do that on MO I think I would have gone crazy with all the formatting needed.
Playground Fight!
To help settle things, I'd have struggled to find a use for Latex in my last position, but in the position I held before that (Information Management / Publishing - internal to the Bank) it MAY have come in useful, although I can't recall a practical situation where - maybe things would've been done differently in the dept if we'd had access to Latex.
As for VB on OO - I'm not using it at that level, however I did sometimes tweak about with Excel Macros to do some whizzy bangy stuff, so may find OO limiting in this respect in the future. I've already found that I can't "Step Into" OO Calc Macro in the way I'd have done in Excel. This was for a one off data cleanup over 150 or so rows, so I just did it manually in the end instead of playing wit the Macro further.
So as you can see, at the moment I'm starting with basic stuff and just exploring the software really.
Interesting discussion, as I'm learning more about stuff through reading it. Cheers both.
Originally posted by CrowleyI think that it has more than relative merits. But good thing we got our both messages across.
No, I've said all along: LaTeX has it's relative merits, but if you want to typeset mostly text documents - any word processor will do, whether it's OO or MS Office.
Ps: I'll say this just one more time and the I'll shut up: For big documents, text only included, LateX is better suited than just a word processor. For small documents I can agree that LateX is probabily too much.
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Originally posted by adam warlockThat may be, I can only speak from my experience.
For big documents, text only included, LateX is better suited than just a word processor. For small documents I can agree that LateX is probabily too much.
I will usually only type out docs up to 15 pages long (absolute maximum) and most of my documents are standard contracts and quotations that are usually 3-5 pages. I have document templates set up for these already, so I type in my content, as the formatting is done already. This is basically true for most of my clients too.
Why would I ever want to use LaTeX? Don't fix something that isn't broken.
Originally posted by CrowleyThat's just like I have my LateX documents. 😉 A bunch of templates that will get filled with the appropriate content.
That may be, I can only talk from my experience.
I will usually only type out docs up to 15 pages long (absolute maximum) and most of my documents are standard contracts and quotations that are usually 3-5 pages. I have document templates set up for these already, so I type in my content, as the formatting is done already. This is basically true for most of my clients too.
Why would I ever want to use LaTeX? Don't fix something that isn't broken.
If you're satisfied with MO and feeding the power hungry Bil Gates ( 😛 ) than it's ok.
Now seriously: if you can work well with just a word processor and are satisfied with it it's ok but if you ever get the need to do something bigger I'd just say for you to try LateX. It's easier and better. At least have a quick look at the manual I posted.
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Originally posted by rhbI'm surprised how little people know about VBA, especially what you can achieve with it in Excel.
As for VB on OO - I'm not using it at that level, however I did sometimes tweak about with Excel Macros to do some whizzy bangy stuff,
I've got some much work using VBA in MS Office 'applications' at the moment, it's coming out my ears.
The usual suspect is the "garbage in - garbage out" scenario where spreadsheets are shared across a network. It's pretty easy setting up some VBA code with forms and some basic input validation to make sure only specific data types are input in their relative fields.
You should look into it - there is work for someone doing that in most bigger organizations...
Originally posted by adam warlockThe point of toilet paper is to wipe your bum, but that doesn't mean you can't make a ton of things with it.
Is that so?! You better warn these people then:
http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.1/Documentation/user/out-www/lilypond/Integrating-LaTeX-and-music.html
http://latex-beamer.sourceforge.net/beamerexample5.pdf
http://www.tac.dk/cgi-bin/info2www?(latex)verse
It seems that they're doing something stupid according to you. http://www.tac.dk/cgi-bin/info2ww ...[text shortened]... X and if you're only using it to write up formulas you ain't using it to its full capacities.