I am about writing a book and i would like to know the best software to use, something that would enable me include images, graphs and figures and finally generate a PDF. Pls Microsoft Word is excluded.
What software would you use to write this?
1–10 of 12 posts
Re: What software would you use to write this?
#2Dreadfully low tech, but I would use a wiki, then export to a single HTML page and use htmldoc. At least, that's what I did.
I look forward to seeing other people's answers.
Re: What software would you use to write this?
#3Academics from mathematical fields tend to use LaTeX. One way to compile a PDF is with pdflatex, which can import .png, .jpg, and .pdf images. This means you’d need to be able to get your vector images into .pdf format conveniently. This tends to be easy on traditional Unixy systems. I believe on osx too(?).
Many theses and textbooks are typeset with LaTeX. I used it for my PhD thesis. Advantages include: a plain text source file, which can be edited in your favorite editor; easy cross-referencing that automatically updates; high-quality typesetting. Some things that are very easy in Word are harder to do in LaTeX: for example, it can be tricky to select fonts or customize other aspects of a standard style file.
Re: What software would you use to write this?
#4I think LaTeX, http://www.latex-project.org/, would be a good choice, been using it for a bunch of papers for computer science. It is pretty easy to get started with a simple template.
I can recommend MiKTeX as an editor for windows
Re: What software would you use to write this?
#5Reading the other comments and responding, much of TeX (I don't know LaTeX - my Ph.D. was written in plain TeX) and HTML are interconvertable, depending on what you're doing. It depends a lot on the kind of book you're writing, whether you need equations, fancy layout, etc. If it were, say, a novel, I'd still go for the wiki. Then put tags for the linear arc through the narrative, and side pages for notes to yourself.
On the other hand, if it's a technical work then you might need something more high-powered. My book was quite technical, but I still used a wiki and embedded images from MimeTex for the equations. Exporting to HTML and using htmldoc worked a treat.
I'm technical, I did a lot of support work, I didn't use a tool "out of the box," but I could tweak it to do some unusual stuff.
YMWV. How much customisation are you willing to do?
Re: What software would you use to write this?
#6LaTeX is the 'best' way to go. If you on Linux try the Kile , a excellent gui interface tool to LaTeX which does not impose any special structures onto
your project. You are still free to arrange you LaTeX files as you wish.
Get yourself a decent intro to LaTeX book, Lamport's is the 'standard' , but other titles are very good as well.
LaTeX user guide and reference ( 2nd edition) : Leslie Lamport
LaTeX Notes, practical tips for preparing technical documents : J.Kenneth Shultis
LaTeX for everybody : Jane Hahn
are all useful reference to have handy.
BTW: I've used Tex & LaTeX since 1989 across various platforms, and have shifted all my projects without any 'conversion' problems because all LaTeX files are plain text. Most , if not all, other document handling tools use their own file formats.
Remember TeX is a document language so you have to write your text as plain text and it is 'compiled' into you printed document, it is not like using Word or OpenOffice. But once learnt Tex/LaTeX will prove useful forever !
Re: What software would you use to write this?
#7Academics from mathematical fields tend to use LaTeX. One way to compile a PDF is with pdflatex, which can import .png, .jpg, and .pdf images. This means you’d need to be able to get your vector images into .pdf format conveniently. This tends to be easy on traditional Unixy systems. I believe on osx too(?). Many theses and textbooks are typeset with LaTeX. I used it for my PhD thesis. Advantages include: a plain tex…
Yes, I use Latex on my Mac Book Pro (Snow Tiger). Works very well.
Re: What software would you use to write this?
#8If you find Latex too daunting, take a look at Lyx. It works more like a WYSIWYG word proc without changing the Lyx/Latex concept of writing what you mean.
One huge win with Latex is that if your publication is formatted to, say ACM guidelines, and it gets rejected, it takes less than a day to convert to IEEE transactions guidelines. With a WYSIWYG word proc, even with extensive use of styles, it would take many days to achieve the same level of transformation.
Re: What software would you use to write this?
#9Open Office. It gives you everything you may need while writing and also option for exporting file to Pdf format.
Main advantage its free(Open Source).
Re: What software would you use to write this?
#10Open Office. It gives you everything you may need while writing and also option for exporting file to Pdf format. Main advantage its free(Open Source).
Like Word, it probably isn’t the best tool for something book length. It’s really designed for letters and short reports. It can be done; I know brave souls who have written theses with Open Office. I just wouldn’t personally give up the stability and neatness of working with plain-text source.