Re: org-mode to latex, again!

[Marcin Borkowski <mbork@wmi.amu.edu.pl>]

On 2015-03-31, at 12:26, Sharon Kimble <boudiccas@skimble.plus.com> wrote:

> I am attempting again to write a latex document with org-mode. The
> org-mode part is no problem, but the latex part is awkward. This is
> the first few line of my org-mode document -
>
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> #+TITLE:     The history of custard pies.
> #+AUTHOR:    Sharon Kimble
> #+EMAIL:     boudiccas@skimble.plus.com
> #+DATE:      01-04-2015
> #+LATEX:     \usepackage{~/texmf/tex/latex/commonstuff/mysty}
> # #+Latex_Class: mysty
> #+DESCRIPTION:
> #+KEYWORDS:
> #+LANGUAGE:  en
>
> * Blargh
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
> The latex file "mysty" is actually "mysty.sty" and contains all the
> latex files that I want to use, but it doesn't appear to be loading,
> and I can't see why? My idea of having *all* the latex packages in
> one file is so that I hope to be able to have it in its own
> directory and then symlink it to each projects main org-mode file so
> that I would have a known working setup, right from the start!

1. Then, why not put your customizations in a custom LaTeX class (based
on an existing one)?  Currently, you have a package/class mix (see
below).  See clsguide.pdf in your TeX distro for details about how to do
it (see e.g. section "Example: a newsletter class")

2. And no need to symlink it anywhere.  If you have it in e.g.
~/texmf/tex/latex/mystuff/myclass.cls, run mktexlsr (assuming you are on
TeXlive) and then just \usepackage{mypackage} or
\documentclass{myclass}.  It is only necessary to run mktexlsr again in
case of a change in the directory under ~/texmf, so e.g. new files or
filename changes, but not just updating the file itself.

> The first few lines of "mysty.sty" are
>
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> \NeedsTeXFormat{LaTeX2e}
> \ProvidesClass{mysty}[31-03-2015]

For .sty, this ^^ should be \ProvidesPackage.  Again, see clsguide.pdf.

> \RequirePackage[l2tabu,orthodox]{nag}

Probably a good idea.

> \RequirePackage{fixltx2e}
> \documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}
> % \documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{book}
> % \documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{report} 
> % \documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{memoir} NO
> % \documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{scrbook}
> %%\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{scrreprt}

This should be \LoadClass (or similar, like \LoadClassWithOptions) in
a class file.

> \usepackage{morewrites}
> \usepackage{tocloft}
> \usepackage[stretch=10]{microtype}
> \setlength\parindent{0pt} % sets indent to zero
> \setlength{\parskip}{5pt} % changes vertical space between paragraphs

Tsk, tsk.  What about \usepackage{parskip}?

> \setcounter{tocdepth}{1}
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
> Any ideas please?
>
> Thanks
> Sharon.

Hth,

-- 
Marcin Borkowski
http://octd.wmi.amu.edu.pl/en/Marcin_Borkowski
Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
Adam Mickiewicz University