Learn how to create LaTeX styles?

Question

Hi

How can I learn how to create LaTeX styles?

The normal way when creating a LaTeX document is to start with something like.

\documentclass[a4paper]{report}
\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\documentclass[a4paper]{letter}

And that seems to call a .cls (and a .sty) file like letter.cls, that is controlling the actual layout of the document.

Is there a good way to learn how to create this type of "latex style files"? Has someone created a howto, step-by-step or simply a good manual on the topic?

Thanks Johan

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update:

I guess that tex.stackexchange.com is the answer on how to continue learning LaTeX. With questions like this: http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/528/style-class-tutorials

Answer 1

There are two good papers in the PracTeX journal:

• Minutes in Less Than Hours: Using LaTeX Resources by Jim Hefferon,
• Rolling your own Document Class by Peter Flynn.

A very useful resource is LATEX2e for class and package writers.

This question is also discussed here: Style/class tutorials. You are kindly invited to use the links there and perhaps join the discussion there if you like.

Answer 2

This isn't a direct answer to your question, but may give you a better return on the time invested, depending on how you see your future use of LaTeX.

Memoir for documents, Beamer for presentations.

"All the LaTeX styles you'll ever need!"