[OS X TeX] Standard preamble

[Alain Schremmer]

Alain Schremmer wrote:

> Chris Goedde wrote:
>
>> On Jul 18, 2006, at 10:26 AM, Alain Schremmer wrote:
>>
>>> As I am working on the "magnum opus", because my knowledge of LaTeX 
>>> is extremely limited, I keep modifying the preamble. But because the 
>>> magnum opus is made of more and more files, I am having an 
>>> increasingly terrible time keeping all the preambles the same.
>>>
>>> Is there a way each file could have a minimum preamble, say with 
>>> just a command to use the stuff in a "central" file which would then 
>>> be the only file I would modify?
>>>
>>
>> An alternative to the previous suggestions is to put your preamble in 
>> a style file (i.e. mypreamble.sty) and then include it via the 
>> \usepackage{} command (i.e. \usepackage{mypreamble}). I think that 
>> this is much cleaner than using \input or \include. You can stick the 
>> style file in a place where TeX will find it (mine is in 
>> ~/Library/texmf/tex/latex) and then you can use it for anything you TeX.
>
>
> It does indeed look cleaner and I certainly would not have thought of 
> /that/.
>
>> (Note, you might have to make some slight changes in your preamble if 
>> you make it a style file and you used some tricky TeX. By default, @ 
>> is treated differently in a style file than in a plain TeX file.)
>
>
> The trouble is that I may indeed be using some "Tricky TeX" without 
> even knowing it since I did not understand all of the suggestions from 
> this list that I used with a lot of success.
>
> To atone, though, I shall try, with my eyes closed and my fingers 
> crossed. Tightly.

I tried on one part of the Magnum Opus.
After I uncrossed my fingers and opened my eyes, the output was there.

Voisin is definitely wrong: I definitely wouldn't even dream of trying 
to write a custom class. However, I am grateful for the high, if 
unwarranted opinion he has of my LaTeX capabilities.

So, at least for the time being, style sheet is the way I will do it.

Very grateful regards to all.
--schremmer
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