Document Structure in LaTeX
LaTeX documents follow a well-defined structure that makes it easy to organize content in a professional way. Understanding document classes, the preamble, title pages, sections, and page setup is essential for creating polished documents.
Document Classes
Every LaTeX file starts by defining a document class, which sets the overall style and layout of the document. Different classes are suited for different types of documents:
The Preamble
The preamble is the section before \begin{document}. Here you load packages, set document options, and define custom commands. Packages extend LaTeX functionality, for example to handle images, mathematics, or page formatting.
Title Page
You can create a title page using the built-in commands \title, \author, and \date. The command \maketitle generates the formatted title at the start of the document.
Sections and Hierarchy
LaTeX provides a structured way to organize documents into chapters, sections, and smaller subdivisions. The available commands depend on the chosen document class (e.g., \chapter is not available in article class).
Page Setup
LaTeX allows fine control over page layout. You can adjust margins using the geometry package, and customize page numbering styles with \pagenumbering.