# LaTeX-Assistant - LaTeX Realtime Editor

Enclose TeX-Code with dollar signs: $$at the beginning and$$ at the end.

Output:

### Shortcodes

Use shortcodes to quickly insert LaTeX code into the editor. For Example: ##f is replaced by \frac{}{}.

##ca ≈
##f \frac{}{}
##lim \lim_{x\to\infty}
##log \log_{}{}
##mat \begin{pmatrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{pmatrix}
##prod \prod_{n=0}^{\infty}{n}
##r \sqrt{}
##R \sqrt[]{}
##sub x_{1,2}
##sum \sum_{n=0}^{\infty}{n}
##sup x^{y}
##t \text{}
##vec \begin{pmatrix} x\\y\\z \\end{pmatrix}

### Frequent LaTeX-Codes / LaTeX-Inputs

Click with the mouse on a code and it is added into the editor above.

Fraction: \frac{x}{2} Square root: \sqrt{x} n-th root: \sqrt[a]{x} Power to (superscript): {x}^{2} or x^{2} Logarithm: \log_{a}{x} Vector: \vec{x} Subscript: {x}_{1,2} Times sign: \cdot Divide sign: \div Plus Minus: \pm Infinity: \infty
Integral: \int_{0}^{\infty} Limit: \lim_{x\to\infty} Sum: \sum_{n=0}^{\infty}{n} Product: \prod_{n=0}^{\infty}{n} Greater-than-or-equal sign: \geq Less-than-or-equal sign: \leq Unequal: \neq Approximately: \approx Element in: \in Column vector: \begin{pmatrix} x\\y\\z \end{pmatrix} Matrix: \begin{pmatrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{pmatrix}

### LaTeX Tips

1. Instead of dollar signs $$TeX$$ you can set inline text: $$TeX$$
2. Line breaks can be set manually with \\. The padding of the lines can be increased by \\[50pt].
3. A whitespace can be created by \quad. A double whitespace with \qquad. For a small whitespace you can set \, or \;. Alternatively you can use \phantom{x}, whereby arbitrary characters can be set for x. Those characters will be hidden by the renderer and the empty space will persist.
4. Align TeX to the left with \begin{align} TEX \end{align}, you have to add & in each line for the alignment orientation. For example, having all equal signs below each other:
\begin{align} 2x &= 6 \\ x &= 3 \end{align}
5. Colored backgrounds can be created with \bbox[#e1ffc1,5px]{…}: $$\bbox[#e1ffc1,5px]{ \frac{1}{2} }$$
6. Most often used formulas can be found here (German): Häufige Formeln in TeX (Sammlung TeX-Vorlagen)
7. All imporant math symbols with TeX-Codes can be found here (German): Mathe-Zeichen (mit TeX)
8. German Umlaute like ä ö ü cannot by rendered correctly by Latex, another font is used instead. Solution: Set both dots onto the standard letter with \ddot{}. It is not perfect, and you cannot use it within \text{}, but it is one workaround.
9. To render LaTeX within the browser we use MathJax. An overview of all TeX symbols you can find here: TEX Commands available in MathJax

### TeX-Help for Beginners

TeX-Code is new for you?

1. Then use at first the visual formula editor with LaTeX output.
2. Watch the tutorial video (German): What is TeX. Advantages of TeX. How to insert TeX. An introduction for beginners.
3. Use the TeX-Reference (PDF) to learn the commands. You also find at the Wikipedia a comprehensive TeX help.
4. Install the script "TeX Writing Assistant", and insert TeX using shortcodes in all your Windows programs.

### What is TeX? What is LaTeX?

Simply put, "TeX" is a notation for mathematical symbols/characters. Also called a text setting system. The input takes place with keyboard, whereby formattings and mathematical symbols are entered as pure text, and get rendered later on. The input of e. g. a ≤ b - β is in TeX like this: $$a \leq b - \beta$$. The TeX-Code is then rendered to: $$a \leq b - \beta$$

A LaTeX software on the computer - or like on this website the Javascript library MathJax - does the rendering. In a narrow sense, TeX is a program that converts plain text to mathematical graphics. That is why the terms "TeX" and "LaTeX" are now used equally. By the way, TeX is not a new invention, it was developed by Donald E. Knuth within 9 years and completed in 1986.

### Difference between TeX and LaTeX

According to "What is the difference between TeX and LaTeX?" TeX is both: A software that deals with the typesetting, and a format (plain text) that gets converted to mathematical notations. TeX is the foundation for it. Whereas LaTeX consists of macros (functionalities) that save us work. Instead of setting/programming sections, page titles and bibliographies in TeX, we can use those LaTeX macros.

### Pronunciation of TeX

Again and again one hears the discussions, how to pronounce "TeX" the right way. Basically the pronuncation is open. Germans pronounce the "X" as "x", because it looks like a capitalized X. However, if you know that "TeX" represents three Greek letters (T - Tau Τ, e - Epsilon ε and X - Chi χ), and you master the pronuncication of Chi, then 'TeX' resp. 'Τεχ' will be pronounced very differently. Here is an example of the correct pronunciation of TeX (mp3).