<!-- .slide: data-background="#E6F7FF" --> # Thesis Helper <!-- .element: class="r-fit-text" --> Tips for writing your thesis <!-- .element: class="r-fit-text" -->

### Why check it? (1/2) Writing a final thesis is new to most students - Projects of >6 months duration become more complex than you think - Without proper documentation you will spend hours and hours trying to figure out what you already did

### Why check it? (2/2) Documentation and organization is important throughout the project - Literature: What did I read? What was important? - Thoughts: What ideas did come up? Which showed potential, which did not? - Coding: What did I change over time? Which version did work properly? - Results: Which code version did produce the results? Are they flawless?

## Contents - [LaTeX](#/02_LaTeX): Tips for scientific writing - [Management](#/03_Management): Tips for time management & tools - [Tools](#/05_tools): Tips for time management & tools If coding is relevant to you, check [this]() presentation

<!-- .slide: data-background="#E6F7FF" --> # LaTeX <!-- .element: class="r-fit-text" --> Some tips for using latex <!-- .element: class="r-fit-text" -->

## Which editor to choose? _Use a proper IDE: [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) > [TexMaker](https://www.xm1math.net/texmaker/)_ <br> - handling is smoother in an IDE you know - integration of Git - better suggestions for citations - easy integration of plugins (e.g. VIM)

## Use Git - for back up and versioning - undo unwanted changes - show current changes - push your work to Gitlab/Github as backup - write each sentence in a separate line - this helps to better keep track of changes

## Adding Structure (1/2) ### `\input{file.tex}` - is like copying all text from `file.tex` into the current file - helps to introduce structure ### `\include{file.tex}` - speed up: changes can be regenerated separately without needing to recompile everything - can't be nested

## Adding Structure (2/2) - Use `include` for bigger chunks, suchs as chapters and - use `input` for "deeper" structuring (see [StackExchange](https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/250))

## Other - Use Glossary - Use BibTex

## Use commands Why do it? - Changing a macro is one line and everything else is handled automatically - much easier than finding the perfect `regex` Where to use it? - Definition of frequently used words, variables and formulas - Definition of own environments, colors, etc

## Define your own commands It is easy to define [own commands](https://www.overleaf.com/learn/latex/Commands) in LaTeX: ```latex \newcommand{\howToCallCommand}{what will be displayed} % Later in document, just use it This is \howToCallCommand. ``` Which will result in ```markdown This is what will be displayed. ```

## To-Do Markers (1/3) Visual reminders of what remains - to do - to check - to refine - to think through (new ideas) - .... help you to structure your work and to keep track of the open tasks

## To-Do Markers (2/3) <img src="assets/slides/thesis-helper/latex_marker.JPG">

### To-Do Markers (3/3) ```latex % Create 'todo' marker (called by \todo{TEXT}) \newcommand{\margtodo} {\marginpar{\textbf{\textcolor{blue}{ToDo}}}{}} \newcommand{\todo}[1] {\textbf{\textcolor{blue}{(\margtodo{}#1)}}{}} % Create 'important todo' marker (called by \imp{TEXT}) \newcommand{\margmajortodo} {\marginpar{\textbf{\textcolor{red}{ToDo}}}{}} \newcommand{\imp}[1] {\textbf{\textcolor{red}{(\margmajortodo{}#1)}}{}} % Create 'to-check' marker (called by \tocheck{TEXT}) \newcommand{\margidea} {\marginpar{\textbf{\textcolor{green}{Check}}}{}} \newcommand{\tocheck}[1] {\textbf{\textcolor{green}{(\margidea{}#1)}}{}} % Create 'idea' marker (called by \idea{TEXT}) \newcommand{\margtocheck} {\marginpar{\textbf{\textcolor{cyan}{Idea}}}{}} \newcommand{\idea}[1] {\textbf{\textcolor{cyan}{(\margtocheck{}#1)}}{}} ```

## Private Comments (1/3) Working copy of your thesis is not perfect ! notes help organizing and supplement the ongoing work. Comments that are only visible to you, not your supervisor, allow you to - Provide more detailed information to some calculations or proofs, e.g. to facilitate proofreading - Note down additional information that might be incorporated at a later stage - Add references to further literature regarding the current topic - Add information that needs to be reviewed - ...

## Private Comments (2/3) <img src="assets/slides/thesis-helper/latex_private_comments.JPG">

### Private Comments (3/3) ```latex % Switch: Hide or show comments \newif\ifshowcomments \showcommentstrue % show comments %\showcommentsfalse % hide comments % Definition of environments \definecolor{mygrey}{gray}{0.65} % Detailed comments \ifshowcomments % Display comments in a specified environment \newenvironment{bcomment}[1][] {~\\~\\ \begin{color}{mygrey}\begin{small}\noindent\textbf{COMMENT: #1}~\\} {\end{small}\end{color}~\\~\\} \else % Hide comments \newenvironment{bcomment}[1][] {\iffalse #1 \fi} {} \fi % Inline-Comments \ifshowcomments \newcommand{\scomment}[1]{\color{mygrey} [#1]} % small comments within lines \else \newcommand{\scomment}[1]{\iffalse #1 \fi} \fi ```

## Use TikZ (1/2) The usage of the LaTeX package TikZ instead of Matlab, MS PowerPoint or MS Visio has the following advantages: - **Easy to use**: Many templates online and always precise - **Very flexible**: Changing ranges, legend and the whole look without opening a second program - **Professional look**: One font (instead of two or three) in the entire document, vectorized graphics

## Use TikZ (2/2) <img src="assets/slides/thesis-helper/latex_tikz.JPG">

## Miscellaneous - be sure to use a consistent - language (British vs American English) - style (image-based vs image based) - for spacing after abbreviations like `e.g.`, but also after text marcros - use `\\` to get a regular space

## Credits and further reading - I enjoyed reading and was inspired by [Writing Beautifully in LaTeX](https://www.gleave.me/post/latex-design-patterns/) by Adam Gleave - for more details, definitely check it out. - Noah Snavely posted a very good [style guide](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zXXtti9JgcTERvIZXNwSRncw2T1dUC8dt6PJlYSH-2g/) on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jimantha/status/1232703884113711104) that focuses on papers not thesis

<!-- .slide: data-background="#E6F7FF" --> # Management <!-- .element: class="r-fit-text" --> Tips for management of time and stuff <!-- .element: class="r-fit-text" -->

## Citation Management - Zotero - Mendeley - Citavi

## Note-Taking - Joplin - Notion - OneNote - Miro

## Cloud - Nextcloud: BW Sync

## VIM

<!-- .slide: data-background="#E6F7FF" --> # Tools <!-- .element: class="r-fit-text" --> Some other tools that might be useful <!-- .element: class="r-fit-text" -->

## Useful tools - [Diff PDF](https://vslavik.github.io/diff-pdf/): Great tool for last minute checks, when you don't trust latex anymore and you want to be sure, that only your last changed was made and other formatting stayed the same. - [CompArXiv](https://pypi.org/project/comparxiv/): Quick and easy comparison of different arXiv versions.