[Math] LaTeX tricks that save time in typesetting

big-listlatexsoft-question

In ${\rm\LaTeX}$ typesetting, when we repeat a long and complex formula in long documents, it is appropriate to create a new command that just by calling this new command we get the desired output. For example, I have used the following math expression in my previous document frequently:
$$\{a^1,a^2,\ldots,a^n\}$$
For doing this in usual way, we need to press 22 keys on keyboard (and think about $(\frac{\partial}{\partial x^1}, \cdots,\frac{\partial}{\partial x^n})$ and other terrible formulas). Of course we can do this by copy and paste from similar one in the text. it is much better to define the following new command on preamble

\newcommand{\set}[1]{\setaux#1\relax}
\def\setaux#1#2#3\relax{%
  \{ {#1}#2 1,
  \ifnum\pdfstrcmp{#3}{3}=0
    {#1}#2 2
  \else
    \ldots
  \fi
  , {#1}#2{#3} \}
}

and just by typing \set{a^n} in our text we get the same output.

Question: What are your favorite ${\rm\LaTeX}$ tricks that save your time in long document typesetting?

Best Answer

Related to the question. I showed the following web-pages to a table-neighbor at a conference and literally got the "You just saved 3 days of my life" reaction.

Doi2Bib ISBN2Bib Arxiv2Bib

These web-sites are exactly as described: given say a DOI, it produces the bibtex entry for that particular article. I use this all the time.

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