[Tex/LaTex] the right order when using \frontmatter, \tableofcontents, \mainmatter, \part, \chapter, \backmatter, \appendix etc

appendicesbook-designfront-mattersectioning

I am using the book documentclass and want to know the correct order when arranging

  • \frontmatter
  • \maketitle or \begin{titlepage}...\end{titlepage}
  • a page that contains copyright, ISBN, edition information
  • a "dedication" page saying "This book is intended to my parents, etc"
  • a "target audience" page
  • an "about author/editor" page
  • \tableofcontents
  • \listoffigures, \listoftables etc
  • \mainmatter
  • \part
  • \include
  • \backmatter
  • \appendix
  • \printindex
\documentclass[twoside,a4paper]{book}
\usepackage{makeidx}
\makeindex

\begin{document}
\frontmatter
        \input{titlepage}% that contains    \begin{titlepage}...\end{titlepage}
        \input{copyright}% that contains copyright, ISBN, etc.
        \input{dedication}% saying "this book is created for my parents..." 
        \input{Target Audience}
        \input{author}% about the author
        \input{editor}% about the editor
        \tableofcontents
        \listoffigures
        \listoftables
        \lstlistoflistings

\mainmatter
        \part{Basic}
                \include{Introduction to PSTricks}
                \include{Commands}
        \part{Advanced}
                \include{Tips and Tricks}
                \include{PostScript Programming}
\backmatter
        \appendix% I am not sure where I should invoke \appendix
        \part{Appendix}
                \include{Installing TeX Distribution}
                \include{Math Review}
                \include{Answer Keys}
                \include{Bibliographies}
                \include{Glossaries}
                \printindex% I am not sure where I should use \printindex
\end{document}

What is the right order ? Is there anything I missed? To be honest I've never used a glossary, index and bibliography.

Best Answer

Prenote: as my answer expands David Hammens's one, read his answer first.

There's only one subject area with a hard-and-fast rule: front-/main-/backmatter and appendix. To recap the behaviour of the standard book class:

  • \frontmatter turns off chapter numbering and uses roman numerals for page numbers;

  • \mainmatter turns on chapter numbering, resets page numbering and uses arabic numerals for page numbers;

  • \appendix resets chapter numbering, uses letters for chapter numbers and doesn't fiddle with page numbering;

  • \backmatter turns off chapter numbering and doesn't fiddle with page numbering.

The hard-and-fast rule: Don't use \appendix after \backmatter, because chapter numbering has already been turned off by \backmatter.

(Note: Probably because Leslie Lamport didn't anticipate sections in \frontmatter and \backmatter, the standard book class doesn't turn off section numbering there.)

Front-/main-/backmatter and appendix influence the numbering of chapters, but aren't chapters themselves. (You may treat them as parts and fiddle with the \part command.) On the other hand, things like the table of contents, the bibliography, the index etc. normally are represented as (unnumbered) chapters. David Hammen has already given a comprehensive answer, so I'll add my suggestions mainly on topics where David was silent (or where I disagree with him):

  • Information about ISBN, edition, copyright etc. is often placed at the back of the title page, i.e. on p. 4 of a book. (Page 1 contains the half-title, p. 2 is empty, p. 3 contains the title.)

  • A dedication and/or a motto is often placed after the information page.

  • For the lists of figures/tables/custom floats there are two placement options: a) immediately after the table of contents b) (if they are really bulky) somewhere in the backmatter.

  • Information about the "target audience" is (in my opinion) well suited as part of a "Preface" chapter (which should be placed immediately before the "Introduction" and the \mainmatter chapters).

  • For the appendix and the backmatter, I suggest the following rule of thumb: Chapters containing additional (but subordinate) information should be placed before chapters that only serve as registers. In particular, the bibliography should always be placed after "supplemental" appendix chapters.

  • In the majority of books I know, the index comes last.

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