Sample LaTeX thesis

In this example, the author has typed up the text of her document in the following 7 separate files. In a large document it may make sense to put each chapter and appendix into a separate file like this, but she could have put everything into one big file, or divided up the contents differently.

Mythesis.tex the ``master'' file, it orders and organizes the other LaTeX files

macros.tex contains the LaTeX macros the author defined just for this thesis

refs.bib bibliographic database, in a form used with bibtex

ch1.tex contents of Chapter 1

ch2.tex contents of Chapter 2

appA.tex contents of Appendix A

appB.tex contents of Appendix B

`Mythesis.tex`	the ``master'' file, it orders and organizes the other LaTeX files
`macros.tex`	contains the LaTeX macros the author defined just for this thesis
`refs.bib`	bibliographic database, in a form used with `bibtex`
`ch1.tex`	contents of Chapter 1
`ch2.tex`	contents of Chapter 2
`appA.tex`	contents of Appendix A
`appB.tex`	contents of Appendix B

In addition, the author has the following PostScript files (all in subdirectory ``figures''), each one an image to be incorporated into the document; bigtable.eps, comb.eps, pyr.ps, tableD.ps, tube.eps.

The author compiles the document using the commands below, depending on whether she wishes to preview it (view it on her own computer), print it, or put it on the Web as a PDF file.

typed Unix commands: what it does: resulting file:

(1) latex Mythesis.tex compiles the .tex files (first pass),
notes location of each reference
and citation Mythesis.dvi
(also Mythesis.log
and Mythesis.aux)

(2) bibtex Mythesis selects and compiles
bibliographic information. Mythesis.bbl

(3) latex Mythesis.tex latex Mythesis.tex pass 2: completes the links for
all cross-references.
pass 3: inserts correct numbers for all
cross-references, footnotes, etc.
Mythesis.dvi

dvips -Ppdf -o Mythesis.ps Mythesis.dvi creates PostScript file Mythesis.ps

dvips -Ppdf -pp 13-13 -o Page13.ps Mythesis.dvi creates PostScript file
of page 13 only Page13.ps

dvipdf Mythesis.dvi or ps2pdf Mythesis.ps creates PDF file Mythesis.pdf

pdflatex Mythesis.tex creates PDF file directly
(also use bibtex, and repeat) Mythesis.pdf

typed Unix commands:	what it does:	resulting file:
(1) `latex Mythesis.tex`	compiles the .tex files (first pass), notes location of each reference and citation	`Mythesis.dvi` (also `Mythesis.log` and `Mythesis.aux`)
(2) `bibtex Mythesis`	selects and compiles bibliographic information.	`Mythesis.bbl`
(3) `latex Mythesis.tex latex Mythesis.tex`	pass 2: completes the links for all cross-references. pass 3: inserts correct numbers for all cross-references, footnotes, etc.	`Mythesis.dvi`
`dvips -Ppdf -o Mythesis.ps Mythesis.dvi`	creates PostScript file	`Mythesis.ps`
`dvips -Ppdf -pp 13-13 -o Page13.ps Mythesis.dvi`	creates PostScript file of page 13 only	`Page13.ps`
`dvipdf Mythesis.dvi or ps2pdf Mythesis.ps`	creates PDF file	`Mythesis.pdf`
`pdflatex Mythesis.tex`	creates PDF file directly (also use bibtex, and repeat)	`Mythesis.pdf`