Source file basics

Whitespace

Like other markup languages, LaTex in many instances ignores whitespace. A blank space, a tab and a single carriage are the same to LaTeX.

A double carriage represents a blank line. This can also be achieved with the command:

\par

Multiple blank lines represent the end of a paragraph.

Document layout

% Some comment
\documentclass{classfilecls}
% Other LaTeX packages can be declared at this point and then commands defined therein declared in this source file

\begin{document}

\end{document}

Commonly used commands

Alignment

\begin{flushright}
This text right-aligned
\end{flushright}

\begin{center}
This text is centered
\end{center}

Text styling

This also introduces commands with arguments.

\emph{this text is a parameter/argument of emph, and is italicised}

\textbf{this text is in boldface}

\texttt{this text is in typewriter style text}

Punctuation marks and accents

% use two apostrophes for double quotes
''The ships is sinking''

% two hyphens is used for number ranges, producing an en dash
2--3

% three hyphens can be used for a longer dash, known as an em dash
this text is paused---until something happens

% accented letters, e.g. accented "a"
\"{a}

Hyphenating long words

This sometimes causes problems with typesetting lines with long words, and is recorded as an error.

good luck getting this to typeset aaaabbbcccdddeeefffggghhhiiijjjkkklllmmmnnnooopppqqqrrssstttuuuvvvwwwxxxyyyzzzz

In such cases, either reword the line or instruct LaTeX where it can hyphenate long words with the hyphen command \-.

this should typeset without issue now aaaa\-bbbcccddd\-eeefffggg\-hhhiii\-jjjkkk\-lllmmm\-nnnooo\-pppqqq\-rrsss\-tttuuu\-vvvwww\-xxxyyyzzzz

Today’s date

Display today’s:

\today

Line numbers

\documentclass{classfilecls}
\usepackage{lineno}
\linenumbers
\begin{document}
Each
line
will
be
numbered
\end{document}