LaTeX Tutorial — Lesson 2

Lesson 2: Document Structure in LaTeX 

Now that you’ve written your first LaTeX document, it’s time to bring order to your content.

LaTeX excels at structuring documents. With built-in tools for sections, subsections, paragraphs, lists, and even automated tables of contents, you can quickly organize ideas — whether you’re writing an article, report, or thesis.

Sectioning Commands

LaTeX lets you create hierarchical structure using section commands:  latex Copy Edit 

When compiled, these commands produce numbered headings:

\section{...} → 1. Section Name
\subsection{...} → 1.1 Subsection Name
\subsubsection{...} → 1.1.1 Sub-subsection Name

LaTeX automatically numbers and formats these headings — you don’t need to manage it manually.

Notes:

• In the article document class (which we’re using), \section is the top-level heading.

• Other classes like report and book introduce a higher level: \chapter{...}. We’ll stick to article for now, which is ideal for shorter documents.

Paragraphs and Line Breaks

To create a new paragraph in LaTeX, just leave a blank line in your source code:

By default, LaTeX will indent the first line of each paragraph. If you just hit Enter once, LaTeX treats it as part of the same paragraph.

To break a line without starting a new paragraph, use the \\ command:

123 Main Street\\

This keeps both lines in the same paragraph but places them on separate lines — useful for addresses, poetry, etc.

Creating a Table of Contents

LaTeX can generate a Table of Contents (ToC) automatically based on your sections:

Place this command where you want the ToC to appear — usually right after the title or abstract.

The first compile may not show the full ToC because LaTeX collects structure data during compilation. Just compile again, and it will be updated with page numbers and headings.

Example: A Structured Document with ToC

When compiled, this document produces a table of contents followed by neatly numbered sections.

Bullet Points and Numbered Lists

LaTeX makes it easy to create lists — either bulleted or numbered:

Bullet List (itemize)

Numbered List (enumerate)

LaTeX handles the bullets and numbering automatically.

Nesting Lists

You can nest lists inside each other for sub-items:

LaTeX will switch bullet styles (e.g., dashes or open circles) to visually distinguish nested levels.

Stick with the default formatting for now. You can customize bullets and numbering styles later using packages.

Comments and Organization

Use the percent sign % to add comments in your source code. These are ignored during compilation:

Comments are great for leaving notes to yourself or disabling content temporarily.

Splitting Documents (Advanced)

For large documents, LaTeX allows you to break up content across multiple files:

But for now, it’s easiest to keep everything in one file as you learn.

Recap

In this lesson, you learned how to:

• Structure content with \section, \subsection, and \subsubsection

• Start new paragraphs and insert line breaks

• Generate a Table of Contents automatically

• Create bulleted and numbered lists

• Use comments to keep your source organized

Try building on your document from Lesson 1 by adding a few sections and a list. Watch how LaTeX handles formatting — effortlessly.

What’s Next?

In Lesson 3, we’ll explore one of LaTeX’s biggest strengths: writing math and building tables. These tools are essential for academic writing, reports, and any structured document.

Ready to dive into equations and grids? Let’s go!