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Document Structure

Every LaTeX document follows a specific structure that separates content from formatting. Understanding this structure is essential for creating well-organized documents.

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Basic Document Structure

A LaTeX document consists of two main parts:

\documentclass{article}  % Preamble starts here

% Package imports
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{amsmath}

% Document settings
\title{My Document}
\author{Your Name}

\begin{document}        % Document body starts here

\maketitle

Your content goes here...

\end{document}

The preamble (before \begin{document}) contains global settings, package imports, and definitions. The document body (between \begin{document} and \end{document}) contains your actual content.

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Document Classes

The document class determines the overall layout and available commands:

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Standard Classes

\documentclass[options]{class}
ClassPurposeKey Features
articleShort documents, papersNo chapters, sections start at 1
reportTechnical reports, thesesChapters available, new chapter starts new page
bookBooks, long documentsTwo-sided by default, chapters, parts
letterCorrespondenceSpecial letter commands
beamerPresentationsSlides, overlays, themes

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Class Options

Common options for document classes:

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper,twocolumn]{article}

% Available sizes
\documentclass[10pt]{article}   % Default
\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\documentclass[12pt]{article}

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Document Organization

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Title Information

% In preamble
\title{Document Title}
\author{First Author \and Second Author}
\date{\today}  % or \date{January 2024}

% In document
\begin{document}
\maketitle  % Creates title block

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Abstract

For articles and reports:

\begin{abstract}
This is a brief summary of the document's contents,
typically 150-250 words.
\end{abstract}

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Sectioning Commands

LaTeX provides hierarchical sectioning:

% Book/Report class
\part{Part Title}
\chapter{Chapter Title}
\section{Section Title}
\subsection{Subsection Title}
\subsubsection{Subsubsection Title}
\paragraph{Paragraph Title}
\subparagraph{Subparagraph Title}

% Article class (no \chapter)
\part{Part Title}
\section{Section Title}
\subsection{Subsection Title}
% ... continues same as above

Use starred versions for unnumbered sections: \section*{Introduction}

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Table of Contents

\tableofcontents  % Generates TOC
\listoffigures    % List of figures
\listoftables     % List of tables

% Control TOC depth
\setcounter{tocdepth}{2}  % Show up to subsections

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Page Layout

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Margins and Geometry

Using the geometry package:

\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{
    a4paper,
    left=2.5cm,
    right=2.5cm,
    top=3cm,
    bottom=3cm
}

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Headers and Footers

Basic page numbering:

\pagestyle{plain}    % Page number at bottom center
\pagestyle{empty}    % No headers or footers
\pagestyle{headings} % Chapter/section in header

Custom headers with fancyhdr:

\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\pagestyle{fancy}
\fancyhf{}  % Clear all
\fancyhead[L]{Left Header}
\fancyhead[C]{Center Header}
\fancyhead[R]{Right Header}
\fancyfoot[C]{\thepage}

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Multi-file Documents

For large documents, split content into multiple files:

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Main File (thesis.tex)

\documentclass{report}
\usepackage{...}

\begin{document}

\include{chapters/introduction}
\include{chapters/methodology}
\include{chapters/results}
\include{chapters/conclusion}

\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{references}

\end{document}

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Chapter File (chapters/introduction.tex)

\chapter{Introduction}

This chapter introduces...

\section{Background}
Content...

\include vs \input:

  • \include{file} - Starts new page, allows \includeonly
  • \input{file} - Inserts content inline, no page break

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Appendices

\appendix  % Switch to appendix mode

\chapter{Additional Data}  % Becomes "Appendix A"
Content...

\chapter{Source Code}      % Becomes "Appendix B"
Content...

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Front Matter and Back Matter

For books and reports:

\begin{document}

\frontmatter  % Roman numerals, no chapter numbers
\maketitle
\tableofcontents
\listoffigures

\mainmatter   % Arabic numerals, normal numbering
\chapter{Introduction}
% Main content...

\backmatter   % No chapter numbers
\bibliography{refs}
\printindex

\end{document}

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Best Practices

Document structure tips:

  1. Use consistent sectioning - Don’t skip levels
  2. Organize with files - One chapter per file for large documents
  3. Comment your preamble - Document package purposes
  4. Use logical labels - \label{sec:intro} not \label{s1}
  5. Keep preamble clean - Move custom commands to separate file

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Common Patterns

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Academic Article

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{amsmath,graphicx,hyperref}

\title{Research Title}
\author{Author Name\\Institution}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}
\maketitle
\begin{abstract}
Summary...
\end{abstract}

\section{Introduction}
\section{Methodology}
\section{Results}
\section{Conclusion}

\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{references}
\end{document}

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Technical Report

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{report}
\usepackage{geometry,fancyhdr,graphicx}

\begin{document}
\frontmatter
\maketitle
\tableofcontents

\mainmatter
\chapter{Executive Summary}
\chapter{Technical Details}
\chapter{Implementation}

\appendix
\chapter{Additional Information}

\backmatter
\bibliography{refs}
\end{document}

Next: Explore Text Formatting commands or learn about Math Mode for mathematical content.