From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Matt Lundin Subject: Re: Using Org for a dissertation Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 08:21:33 -0500 Message-ID: <877gw5u0te.fsf@fastmail.fm> References: <87aa1dz2b5.fsf@berkeley.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([208.118.235.92]:37915) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1SWSYO-0007ck-GA for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 21 May 2012 09:21:42 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1SWSYL-0003L5-R0 for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 21 May 2012 09:21:40 -0400 Received: from out1-smtp.messagingengine.com ([66.111.4.25]:57923) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1SWSYL-0003KQ-E2 for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 21 May 2012 09:21:37 -0400 In-Reply-To: <87aa1dz2b5.fsf@berkeley.edu> (Richard Lawrence's message of "Sat, 12 May 2012 11:23:10 -0700") List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: Richard Lawrence Cc: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org Richard Lawrence writes: > I am a graduate student in philosophy, and I am about to begin writing > my dissertation. I am wondering about whether I should write it in Org, > or stick to plain LaTeX. I would recommend LaTeX. In my experience, writing long documents (or Beamer slides) in org-mode creates additional work, insofar as I have to think through two layers of translation: 1) how to get org-mode to translate nicely into LaTeX; and 2) how to get LaTeX to output the final document I desire. In larger documents, "leaky abstractions" can quickly become a problem. I tried writing in org-mode but ended up with a document encrusted with all sorts of hacks (#+LaTeX: lines and the like). IMO, writing in LaTeX/AUCTeX affords greater control over the final document. (Note: the new export engine will give the user greater ability to reduce the number of "leaks".) I would recommend using org-mode if the following apply: 1. You will rely heavily on org-babel. 2. You anticipate having to output to multiple formats (e.g., your dissertation advisor requires you to submit .doc files). 3. Your document structure will be straightforward. I would recommend using LaTeX if the following apply: 1. You have numerous footnotes. (Fontification and export of footnotes in org-mode can be painfully slow when a document contains hundreds of footnotes.) 2. You are using biblatex. (If you are relying heavily on biblatex for citations, then you will need to export to LaTeX to output your final document, thus precluding the possibility of outputting to other formats. Furthermore, AUCTeX offers very helpful syntax highlighting and folding of citations and footnotes, along with excellent reftex integration.) 3. You will be using a many cross-references. My workflow is as follows. I rely on my org-mode files for drafting small segments of a project. I then export the segments to the kill ring with the following function and yank them into the relevant LaTeX file. --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- (defun my-org-export-latex-to-kill-ring () (interactive) (kill-new (org-export-region-as-latex (point) (mark) t 'string))) --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- Best, Matt