Decision Guidance ⇒ Texmaker vs. TeXnicCenter

[svend_tveskaeg]

Hi all.

A friend of mine would like to learn to how to use LaTeX.

Can you explain some differences between Texmaker and TeXnicCenter in order for me to have some guidelines when I tell him what a good starting "toolkit" for LaTeX would be?

I am an Emace + ACUTeX (and have never been anything else) and TeX Live user myself.

For distribution I will tell him to install TeX Live but I am totally blank when it comes to advising an editor; Emacs is not for people who has never done any "programming" before, I would say.

Thank you in advance!

[localghost]

[…] Can you explain some differences between Texmaker and TeXnicCenter in order for me to have some guidelines when I tell him what a good starting "toolkit" for LaTeX would be? […]

I would recommend none of them. From my point of view they are quite overloaded with functions that only distract from the working process. TeXworks is already shipped with TeX Live and working out of the box. Finally he has to find out by himself which editor is best for him. So I would not recommend a certain editor in general.


Thorsten

[svend_tveskaeg]

Okay. I will make a proper setup of TeX Live for him and then tell him to use different editors at first and then choose on of them after a while.

[Johannes_B]

Hi,
Thorsten is right. TexWorks doesn't come with anz advanced functions. The user is forced to type in the commands by himself. Texmaker, TeXnicCenter etc. allow clicking together codesnippets. It's also good to know how to compile from command line.

Regards

[localghost]

Okay. I will make a proper setup of TeX Live for him and then tell him to use different editors at first and then choose on of them after a while.

That is a very good idea. He will benefit from a helping hand and the experience of an advanced user. Hence his first steps will not be as frustrating as if he would do them alone.