Abstract:

This presentation, titled "Syntax ist nicht mein Freund – wie man es richtig macht" (Syntax is not my friend – how to do it correctly), is aimed at LaTeX users ("LaTeX fetishists") and provides a comprehensive guide to best practices in typesetting, particularly focusing on mathematical formulas and general text. Hans Schülerin, an experienced LaTeX user, delves into common pitfalls and demonstrates how to achieve professional-looking documents by adhering to established style guides (like APA, Chicago, IEEE, DIN, and ISO). The talk covers detailed aspects of mathematical notation (e.g., multiplication symbols, upright vs. italic text for variables/identifiers, unit representation, handling of special functions), general typographic nitpicks (e.g., proper use of quotation marks, dashes, emphasis, table design, figure placement), and recommends various LaTeX packages that streamline these best practices. The core message emphasizes consistency, readability, and the importance of following specific style guidelines for any given project.

Syntax is Not My Friend: How to Get It Right in LaTeX

• 0:00 Introduction to LaTeX Style Guides: Hans Schülerin introduces the concept of style guides (e.g., APA, Chicago, IEEE, DIN, ISO) as rulebooks for typesetting, especially for mathematical formulas, and aims to provide practical rules for correct LaTeX usage.
• 0:13 Correct Multiplication Symbols: Avoid using * for multiplication; instead, use \cdot (center dot) for clearer mathematical notation, or omit for implicit multiplication.
• 0:30 Variants of Greek Letters: Be aware of variant forms for Greek letters like Theta (\theta vs. \vartheta), Rho (\rho vs. \varrho), and Phi (\phi vs. \varphi), and choose one variant consistently throughout the document.
• 0:30 Proper Operator/Function Formatting: Do not type common mathematical operators or functions (e.g., log, sin) directly; use their dedicated LaTeX commands (\log, \sin) for correct spacing and upright text. Custom operators can be defined using \DeclareMathOperator.
• 0:26 Upright vs. Italic in Math Mode: Variables should be italic (default in math mode), while identifiers, constants, and unit symbols must be upright. Use \mathrm (math roman) for upright text within math mode (e.g., V_{\mathrm{E}}), as it respects the document's math font.
• 0:52 Consistent Vector and Matrix Notation: Define custom commands (e.g., \newcommand{\mat}{...}) for vectors and matrices to allow global changes between styles (e.g., bold or an arrow symbol), ensuring consistency and adherence to field-specific conventions.
• 0:50 Scalable Brackets and Spacing: Use \left(...\right) for automatically scaling brackets to fit content. For manual control or consistent bracket sizes, use commands like \big, \Big. The modify_lr package helps correct inconsistent spacing around \left and \right brackets.
• 1:10 siunitx for Units and Quantities (Highly Recommended): The siunitx package is introduced as essential for typesetting units and quantities correctly. It automatically ensures upright unit symbols, proper spacing between numbers and units, and intelligent formatting for prefixes (e.g., kHz).
• 1:10 Correct Unit Notation in Axes/Labels: Avoid V [m/s] (where brackets signify "unit of"); instead, use V / (\meter\per\second) to clearly indicate a dimensionless quantity on axes or in text.
• 1:10 German Decimal Marker: siunitx allows setting the decimal marker to a comma (e.g., \num{3,14}) to comply with European conventions, preventing LaTeX from interpreting it as a list separator.
• 1:10 Proper Multiplication for Dimensions: For dimensions like "210 mm x 297 mm", use \times for the multiplication symbol, not the letter x. siunitx handles this automatically with \qtyproduct.
• 1:10 Correct Degree Symbols: Use Unicode or siunitx (\qty{36}{\degree}, \qty{36}{\celsius}) for degree and Celsius symbols, ensuring correct spacing and typographic appearance.
• 1:45 Upright Differentials in Integrals: The differential d in integrals (e.g., dx) should be set upright. Recommended packages include physics or diffcoeff, or defining a custom math operator.
• 1:45 Typographically Correct Transpose Symbol: For matrix transpose, use \intercal or \mathrm{T} rather than a simple superscript T for better visual distinction and semantic clarity. Define a custom command for flexibility.
• 1:45 Multi-line Equation Environments: Use LaTeX's align or split environments (from amsmath) for multi-line equations, ensuring proper alignment and a single equation number for a logical block. Avoid $$...$$ (TeX primitive).
• 2:27 Correct Display and Inline Math Environments: Always use \[...\] or \begin{equation}...\end{equation} for display math and $...$ for inline math. $$...$$ bypasses LaTeX's formatting and package functionalities, leading to incorrect spacing and font issues.
• 2:27 Treating Formulas as Sentences: Integrate mathematical formulas seamlessly into the text flow by adding punctuation (e.g., commas, periods) at their end, just as if they were part of a sentence.
• 2:27 Managing Space After Punctuation and Abbreviations: Use .\@ after abbreviations that end a sentence (e.g., Dr.\@ Jones) to prevent LaTeX from adding extra spacing. Conversely, use \@. when an abbreviation doesn't end the sentence.
• 2:27 Unicode and Quotation Marks: Use \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} with PDFLaTeX or xelatex/lualatex for direct Unicode input. For typographically correct quotation marks, use ```...''` (German/English style) or Unicode characters, avoiding straight quotes.
• 2:27 Proper Ellipsis and Dashes: Use \ldots or the Unicode ellipsis character for omissions, as standard ... often formats incorrectly. For dashes, use -- (en dash, –) for ranges and --- (em dash, —) for pauses/breaks, with specific spacing rules for German vs. English.
• 2:27 Language Setting with babel: Always use \usepackage[<language>]{babel} (e.g., ngerman, english) to ensure correct hyphenation, quotation marks, and language-specific formatting.
• 2:27 Text Emphasis: Prefer \textit{word} (italic) or \emph{word} (semantic emphasis, can be globally redefined) over \textbf{word} (bold) for emphasis, as bold text can disrupt reading flow.
• 2:27 Professional Table Design: Avoid default LaTeX table lines (\hline, |); use the booktabs package (\toprule, \midrule, \bottomrule) for visually clean and professional tables without vertical rules. Avoid bold text in tables.
• 2:27 Strategic Figure Placement: Place figures at the top ([t]) or bottom ([b]) of pages, avoiding floating them mid-text. This improves readability by not breaking text flow, establishes clear hierarchy, and gives LaTeX more flexibility for optimal page layout.
• 2:27 Preventing Widows and Orphans: Configure \WidowPenalty and \ClubPenalty (or use nowidows package) to prevent single lines of a paragraph from appearing alone at the top or bottom of a page, ensuring paragraph integrity.
• 2:27 Small Caps and Old Style Numerals: Stylistic choices to enhance typography: \textsc{ABC} for small capitals and \oldstylenums{123} for old-style (varying height) numerals. These are not always standard but can improve aesthetics.
• 3:19 Recommended Packages:
  • tikzplotlib: Generates LaTeX code for Matplotlib plots, making figures searchable, scalable vector graphics that use the document's font.
  • menukeys: For displaying keyboard shortcuts or menu paths cleanly.
  • bitfield: For drawing packet structures (e.g., TCP) with a LaTeX-like syntax.
  • cleverref: Smart referencing package that automatically adds the type of reference (e.g., "Figure 15", "Equation 12") and handles plurals.
  • todonotes: For adding in-document TODO notes that can be listed. Includes \missingfigure for placeholder images.
  • siunitx (advanced): Can also align numbers in tables by decimal point or exponent.
  • New Computer Modern font: A recommended alternative font, thicker than standard Computer Modern, for improved readability and Unicode support.
  • latexindent: An external tool (not a LaTeX package) that automatically indents LaTeX code, improving readability and consistency of source files.
• 3:19 Conclusion: The speaker stresses the importance of asking for and following specific style guides from employers or universities rather than defaulting to personal preferences.
• 3:31 Q&A - Code Formatting: The speaker recommends the listings package for formatting program code within LaTeX documents due to its consistency across different environments, although pygments offers more power but can be harder to manage locally.