Re: Org as a publishing toolkit

[Nick Dokos <nicholas.dokos@hp.com>]

Marcelo de Moraes Serpa <celoserpa@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks for the tip Mike. I had no idea about this approach, I'm still
> too naive in TeX/LaTeX. I'll definitely have to get my head around
> both -- but it's reassuring to know that I can write the content in
> orgmode and tweak the LaTeX output it later as I want.
> 

Resist the temptation to tweak (except as an experiment in order to
prove to yourself that something is possible). Go through the whole
production in org (I second Mike's suggestions re. defining LaTeX
classes but it does require some LaTeX knowledge: the best thing to do
is find a class that is oh-so-close and then change it as little as
possible to get what you want). Then figure out what you need to tweak -
go back to the org file and make any changes you can there to produce
what you want.  After you've done that, with much reluctance, tweak the
LaTeX file *once at the very end* and write down exactly what you did
(perhaps in a COMMENT in the original org file) so that you can recreate
it later.

If you make substantive changes to your org file, export, tweak and then
have to do it all over again and again, then unless you automate the
tweaks, you will *lose* time.

> By the way, any book recommendations ? I'd like something that could
> lay down the foundations and not take too much time. Also, not sure if
> I should start with TeX or LaTeX.
> 

You should start with LaTeX - you'll eventually want Lamport's book,
despite the fact that many people hate it - I don't particularly like it
but it *is* indispensable. You can probably start here though:

     http://www.ctan.org/starter.html
     http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/lshort/english/

Nick