latex-report-writing

This skill guides the creation of professional LaTeX reports. It prioritizes typographic quality, correct scientific structuring, and the use of modern packages over outdated ones.

The user provides the report topic or content. They may include context about the target audience (academic, business, technical) or specific formatting constraints.

Report Strategy

Before writing code, establish the report's foundation:

• Structure: Use the standard IMRAD flow (Introduction, Methods, Results, And Discussion) unless a specific template is requested.
• Tone: Maintain an objective, precise, and active voice. Avoid passive voice where possible.
• Clarity: Prioritize readability. Use consistent terminology and distinct sectioning.
• Precision: Ensure all cross-references, citations, and units are programmatically handled, not hard-coded.

LaTeX Technical Guidelines

Implement the report using these best practices:

1. Document Setup & Typography

• Class: Use article for short reports or report for longer, chapter-based documents.
• Packages:
  • Always load microtype for improved spacing and kerning.
  • Use geometry to set professional margins (e.g., margin=1in or 2.5cm) rather than the default wide margins.
  • Use babel or polyglossia for correct language hyphenation.
• Fonts: Prefer vector fonts. Use mathptmx (Times) or palatino for a more polished look than standard Computer Modern if appropriate.

2. Mathematics & Units

• Packages: Load amsmath, amssymb, and mathtools.
• Units: NEVER hard-code units (e.g., 5 kg). Always use the siunitx package: \qty{5}{\kilo\gram}. This ensures correct spacing and formatting.
• Equations: Use \begin{equation} for numbered math and \[ ... \] for unnumbered display math. Avoid $$...$$ as it is deprecated in LaTeX.

3. Figures & Tables

• Tables: Use booktabs. NEVER use vertical lines (|) in tables. Use \toprule, \midrule, and \bottomrule for professional spacing.
• Figures: Use vector formats (PDF, EPS) where possible. For raster images, use high-resolution PNGs.
• Floats: Always use \centering inside floats, not the center environment (which adds extra vertical space).
• Captions: Use the caption and subcaption packages for better control.

4. References & Bibliography

• Cross-referencing: Use cleveref. Write \cref{fig:graph} instead of Figure \ref{fig:graph}. This automates the label name (e.g., "Figure", "Table").
• Citations: Use biblatex with biber backend for modern bibliography management. Avoid the outdated BibTeX if possible.

Negative Constraints (What to Avoid)

• No Hard-coding: Never manually type section numbers ("1. Introduction"). Let LaTeX handle numbering.
• No Vertical Lines: Do not use vertical rules in tables. It looks unprofessional.
• No Deprecated Commands: Avoid \bf or \it. Use \textbf{} and \textit{}.
• No Rasterized Math: Never use images for equations. Always write them in LaTeX syntax.
• No "Here" Placement: Avoid forcing figures with [h!] unless absolutely necessary. Let the float engine place them for optimal flow.

IMPORTANT: A good LaTeX report looks uniform. Consistency in fonts, spacing, and citation styles is more important than flashy formatting.