# layout

```latex
\setlength{\parindent}{1.5em}           % erstzeileneinzug
\setlength{\parskip}{0.5\baselineskip}  % absatzabstand
```


# packages

```latex
% utf8 assumed as default since 2018
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

% enables hyphenation w/ ümläüts
% sometimes not needed, when other packages already require it
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
```


# makeatletter

in tex "category codes" ("catcodes") specify how characters are handled.
"normal characters" have catcode 11.
`@` has catcode 11 in class and package files and 12 in text files. this is
commonly used to write private macros, which cannot easily be used and
overwritten by users.

```tex
\makeatletter % changes the catcode of @ to 11
can use macro names w/ '@' in their names
\makeatother % changes the catcode of @ back to 12
```


# tools

`rubber` runs latex until indexes are stable, also supports `makeindex`,
`bibtex` and others, produces `dvi` by default.

```sh
# switch output to pdf file
rubber --pdf <file>
# clean intermediate files
rubber --clean <file>
# clean intermediate and target file (pdf)
rubber --clean --pdf <file>
```