% 
% sample.tex
%
%   Save this file as "sample.tex" (not sample.txt).
%   This file is a LaTeX template to get you started with ECS 188
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% author: Phil Rogaway
% date:   January 2004
%
 
\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{0in}
\setlength{\evensidemargin}{0in}
\setlength{\textheight}{9in}
\setlength{\textwidth}{6.5in}
\setlength{\topmargin}{-0.5in}


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\title{Your Title Here!\\[2ex] 
       \normalsize Assignment 0 --- ECS 188 --- Winter 2004}
\author{Phillip Rogaway}

\begin{document}
\maketitle


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Here you will write something beautiful: 
a most \textit{excellent\/} little note. 
Make all of your papers excellent and you will make
me \textbf{happy}.  Don't you want to make me happy?


\paragraph{Creating your output.}
To turn this \texttt{tex} file into a \texttt{dvi} file type \texttt{latex sample.tex}.
The resulting \texttt{sample.dvi} can be looked at 
using a tool like \texttt{xdvi} (on UNIX) or \texttt{yap} (on Windows).
When working under Windows I use \texttt{MiKTeX}
(a distribution of \LaTeX\ and associated programs). 
You can download it for free from any of numerous web sites. 
To make a \texttt{pdf} file try: \texttt{pdflatex~sample.tex}

\bigskip
\noindent
\textsc{Capabilities of the program.}
\LaTeX\ can do lots of things  (or maybe \LaTeX\ can do almost anything).
As a tiny example, if you want to make a list of points you can use
the \texttt{itemize} environment, as shown here.
\begin{itemize}
\item The \texttt{itemize} environment is used to make a list with bullets.
\item The \texttt{enumerate} environment makes a numbered list, instead.
\end{itemize}

\noindent
Beautiful typesetting in \LaTeX\ requires you to learn some tricks (and, of course,
to have good taste).


I won't suggest that becoming good with \LaTeX\ is easy; it isn't.
But essentially all computer scientists use this program
nowadays---and lots
of other scientists and non-scientists do, too.
If you go to graduate school you'll eventually want to learn how to use this 
program reasonably well.
There are numerous good books on \LaTeX.
The most ``standard'' one is 
\textit{LaTeX: A Document Preparation System} (2nd edition), by
Leslie Lamport. 

For this class, you don't need to know anything fancy, just what's in this simple
sample file (try saying that quickly).
You can just type happily away, making sure that
your prose is as elegant in ideas as \LaTeX\ will make it in appearance. 



\end{document}