Why I love LaTeX

Donnerstag, 12. Januar 2012, 00:44 Uhr von Felix

I am not tied to an operating system; it works everywhere.

I can use my favorite text editor to write, namely vim or gedit.

I can use other powerful tools that I am already familiar with, e.g., grep and wc.

I can structure my document into different files and folders, as many as I want.

I can easily put my files under source control, experiment and collaborate with others.

I will still be able to read the files in 30 years time. After all, LaTeX files are just flat text files.

I can focus on content instead of presentation and use semantic markup.

I can stand on the shoulders of giants when I need to create, e.g., a glossary.

I can rely on the insights of far more able typesetters but am still able to control the details if it is necessary.

I can write once and compile to PDF, DVI or whatever I feel like that day.

I can automate tasks by integrating LaTeX into scripts or build tools.

I may even be able to recompile the document in 30 years time.

I do not even have to pay for it.

I love it.