Help: trying to get latex on my PC

[Mercedes Benzene]

Today, I tried downloading MikTex so I can use LaTeX on my PC. Computers aren't my strong point, so I wanted some help.
I downloaded (what I thought was) MikTeX 2.5 today from the website (miktex.org), installed all the files... and I don't know where to go from here. Here's a screenshot of the program from the start menu.



I can see the viewer... but what do I do now?? I don't know how to set up text files so they can be compiled, and I don't know where I go to compile them.
Please help. Where do I go from here? Do I have to download something else??
I apologize for my incompetence.

[Erasmus00]

In general, you'll need two things to run latex. The first is a nice text editor, the second is the actual latex files/compilers. If you run windows, I think winedt is a pretty nice editor that you can find freeware. You'll type up your actual documents within this text editor. This is the component you'll need, as I think Miktex is simply the compiler and some packages for it.

Then, you have to pass it to the latex compiler. This can be as simple as typing latex (filename) at the command prompt, but several text editors can be set up to run the compiler at the click of a button.
-Will

[Mercedes Benzene]

Thank you! I got it to work!

Now I just need to figure out how to work things. I know the basics, but I'll probably be asking a few questions as I go along so (hopefully) the LaTeX veterans can help me.

Question #1: When I compile my code and view it with WinEdt, I notice that the text is in the middle of the page. Is there any way to make the margins normal. ALl I could find searching around is using \documentstyle[fullpage], but it doesn't make much of a difference. Ideas?

[Erasmus00]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

Question #1: When I compile my code and view it with WinEdt, I notice that the text is in the middle of the page. Is there any way to make the margins normal. ALl I could find searching around is using \documentstyle[fullpage], but it doesn't make much of a difference. Ideas?

What did the beginning of your file look like? Did you assign it a document class? You should start your file with something like

\documentclass{article}

For fun and profit, you should consider googling latex document class. There are all kinds of latex packages out there with different classes. Various journals have their own classes so that the articles have a common formatting/look to them.

After assigning a class, many classes have sub-sections, such as abstracts so before you can start typing in the body of your project you'll need something like
\begin{document}
-Will

[Mercedes Benzene]

\documentclass{article}

For fun and profit, you should consider googling latex document class. There are all kinds of latex packages out there with different classes. Various journals have their own classes so that the articles have a common formatting/look to them.

After assigning a class, many classes have sub-sections, such as abstracts so before you can start typing in the body of your project you'll need something like
\begin{document}

Yeah... I did all that, and I used the {article} format, but I'm still getting strangely large margins.

[Mercedes Benzene]

I've got it.
It seems that I can use /setlength{} to change the individual sizes of the margins.

[Erasmus00]

I recommend developing a standard format you like. After declaring what packages I'm going to use, I always use these standards

\textwidth = 6.5 in
\textheight = 9 in
\oddsidemargin = 0.0 in
\evensidemargin = 0.0 in
\topmargin = 0.0 in
\headheight = 0.0 in
\headsep = 0.0 in
\parskip = 0.2in
\parindent = 0.0in
-Will

[sanctus]

There is a great guide which helps you getting started, I use whenever I get stuck. It has a gret title "The not so short introduction to latex" and below something like "readable in 139 minutes".
Anyway it is almost complete, unless some ams math package details, what is very useful if you have to write long equation as it gives the \begin{align} comand which allows you to say that for example on every line of your equation(s) the = signs have to be aligned...

http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info...ish/lshort.pdf

[Mercedes Benzene]

Thanks for that link sanctus! It's been quite helpful.

One thing I have not been able to find however, is a way to box in text. Let's say I wanted to put a box around some text (like you would an answer to a math problem). How would I go about doing that?

[Erasmus00]

Get the package framed or fancy box. Then use something like

\begin{framed}
Text you want framed
\end{framed}

Is that along the lines of what you are looking for?
-Will