I'm adding Marc's answers submitted to me via email:
MvD: I have been keeping an eye on it but I don't like learning from the source files. There is some documentation but the language is still changing.
MvD: I like the idea and I think LaTeX3 is much cleaner than LaTeX2e. I hope there will be more support for defining nice page styles with non-standard float placement. (I'm aware there's an xcoffins package but I haven't studied it yet.) Another problem is time, which reminds me I still have to put some time in learning plain TeX.
MvD: However, TikZ is nicely integrated with TeX, which makes it possible to use styles that depend on package options, positioning relative to the page, and scaling pictures without scaling the text and line styles. These, in my opinion are the greatest advantages and asymptote cannot help you here.
MvD: I suppose any LaTeX book will do but I think the apprentice should read the book before they start.
MvD: If the novice doesn't have a favourite book, I recommend
LaTeX and Friends :-) When I wrote the book, I wanted to present a collection of integrated techniques that can be used to present a book, thesis, article, and computer presentation. I also wanted to present techniques that are compatible: any combination should work. The book is very popular with graduate students in our department and I'm running a voluntary course that uses the book.
MvD:
LaTeX and Friends has a different approach than other books. It starts by showing how to produce plain text, how to cross-reference, how to cite, how to create one or several bibliographies, how to create indices, and so on.
MvD: Next the book shows how to present basic text, math, diagrams, tables, and data plots. Rather than showing all possibilities it shows a minimal core and how to use it wisely. Most books show everything, including examples with tables with colour, tables with all possible combinations of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal rules.
MvD: I think this is why many LaTeX-produced tables have double horizontal and vertical rules: it's because such tables are in all LaTeX books and the reader thinks this is how tables should be presented. (Yes, I have also sinned.) Most books show what is possible, but they don't spend any time on discussing the advantages and disadvantages.
MvD:
LaTeX and Friends is different. It presents arguments in favour of simple, uncluttered, well-organised tables.The book also spends some time on explaining a little typography. The main reason for doing this is related to the table example. If the user isn't familiar with the basic typography, they will resort to
any form of presentation. Usually this results in a poor and ineffective presentation.
MvD: Finally, the book has some chapters for people who like programming, implementing class and style files, and OpenType fonts. I only decided to include the chapter about fonts at a later stage. The main reason for doing it is because I had learnt something that I thought could be of use to others.
MvD: As an aside, the book was written using beamerarticle so I could switch from book to presentation mode. The page design is my own and it's inspired by some techniques presented by Robert Bringhurst, the author of Elements of Typographic Style. One of the most useful techniques I learnt was using a sans serif typeface for the captions. With a proper typeface this really lets you put more text in the captions. The page design was not for on line reading.
MvD: Many novices start using LaTeX because they have to write a thesis. The dedicated users will read the Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX2e or a couple of chapters from a LaTeX book. When they get the hang of it they want to show off what they can do with the tool that is called LaTeX.
MvD: What you end up with are documents with tables that look like sudoku grids and that are coloured in all colours of the rainbow, with pie charts, with non-letterspaced uppercase abbreviations, and mathematics that disrupt the interline spacing. (Say no to stretch!)
MvD: I think there's a better way to learn writing documents with LaTeX. In my opinion each novice should start by reading a book on typography. I recommend Robert Bringhurst's
Elements of Typographic Style. (It's a pitty I only started reading such books at a later stage.)
MvD: Once they know the typography, the novice should read their favourite LaTeX book. Doing it this way, they will recognise the commands are useful for presenting a good text. Also they will learn to recognise the bad ones. Only
then they should start using LaTeX. If they haven't got a favourite LaTeX book, I recommend
LaTeX and Friends.
MvD: Not because I wrote it, and because it provides some advice on typography, but also because all solutions are compatible. The last thing you need is learning about a package clash just before the submission deadline.
TeXtalk - Interviews
TeXtalk - Interviews