“Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it.” [Donald E. Knuth]
Abstract
This is a short introduction to TeX. My approach:
- Install MiKTeX.
- Let ChatGPT create a first TeX version.
- Correct and complete this version manually.
Installing MiKTeX
Download MiKTeX from (external link!) https://miktex.org/download and install it on your computer.
Creating the First Version with ChatGPT
Open the page (external link!) https://chatgpt.com/ in your web browser and enter:
Translate the following Markdown code into MiKTeX source code:
+++
title = "Book Leather Care"
description = "How to Care for Book Leather"
date = 2024-04-23T19:31:00+01:00
author = "Bernd Plumhoff"
+++
**"A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age." [Robertson Davies]**
## Abstract
Leather bookbinding is sensitive. If not properly cared for, it dries out, becomes brittle, and cracks.
Every 4 years, it should be treated with a suitable leather care product.
The recipe presented here can be made at any pharmacy. It comes from a librarian of a library in Göttingen.
## Ingredients
---
| Ingredient | Amount |
|:----------------------------------|-------:|
| Thymol | 5.5 g |
| Hoof Oil (oleum pedum tauri) | 100 ml |
| Beeswax (cera flava) | 30 g |
---
## Production as an Ointment
All information is without guarantee.
Please read my [Disclaimer](https://www.sulprobil.de/about/disclaimer_en/ "Disclaimer").
First, 5.5 g of powdered thymol are measured and placed in a beaker on a balance.
Then, 100 ml of hoof oil is added (bringing the total weight to 105.5 g).
Meanwhile, the small beeswax chips (30 g) are separately heated in a separate container.
To help the thymol-hoof oil mixture combine better,
the beaker is placed in a hot water bath and stirred continuously.
The beeswax must be added at the same temperature as the other mixture to ensure it mixes well.
A thermometer is placed in both containers, and at 60°C, the liquid beeswax is poured into the beaker.
During this process, the mixture is stirred to ensure it combines properly.
Finally, the liquid ointment is poured into two small (100 ml) jars.
Now, the mixture must cool down and solidify a bit.
While the ointment is cooling, the labels for the jars can be written.
## Download
Please read my [Disclaimer](https://www.sulprobil.de/about/disclaimer_en/ "Disclaimer").
This article as PDF document:
[Plumhoff_Book_Leather_Care.pdf](/Plumhoff_Book_Leather_Care.pdf) [64 KB PDF file, open and use at your own risk]
ChatGPT outputs: “Here’s the equivalent MiKTeX (LaTeX) source code for the provided Markdown content. This version is compatible with the standard article document class and uses packages such as hyperref, booktabs, and geometry for a clean, structured result.”
\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{parskip}
\geometry{margin=2.5cm}
\title{Book Leather Care}
\author{Bernd Plumhoff}
\date{April 23, 2024}
\begin{document}
\maketitle
\begin{quote}
\textbf{A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age.} \\
\emph{-- Robertson Davies}
\end{quote}
\section*{Abstract}
Leather bookbinding is sensitive. If not properly cared for, it dries out, becomes brittle, and cracks. \\
Every 4 years, it should be treated with a suitable leather care product. \\
The recipe presented here can be made at any pharmacy. It comes from a librarian of a library in Göttingen.
\section*{Ingredients}
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{@{}p{8cm}r@{}}
\toprule
\textbf{Ingredient} & \textbf{Amount} \\
\midrule
Thymol & 5.5 g \\
Hoof Oil (oleum pedum tauri) & 100 ml \\
Beeswax (cera flava) & 30 g \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
\section*{Production as an Ointment}
All information is without guarantee. \\
Please read my \href{https://example.com/about/disclaimer_en.md}{Disclaimer}.
First, 5.5 g of powdered thymol are measured and placed in a beaker on a balance. \\
Then, 100 ml of hoof oil is added (bringing the total weight to 105.5 g). \\
Meanwhile, the small beeswax chips (30 g) are separately heated in a separate container.
To help the thymol-hoof oil mixture combine better, \\
the beaker is placed in a hot water bath and stirred continuously. \\
The beeswax must be added at the same temperature as the other mixture to ensure it mixes well.
A thermometer is placed in both containers, and at 60\textdegree{}C, the liquid beeswax is poured into the beaker. \\
During this process, the mixture is stirred to ensure it combines properly.
Finally, the liquid ointment is poured into two small (100 ml) jars. \\
Now, the mixture must cool down and solidify a bit. \\
While the ointment is cooling, the labels for the jars can be written.
\section*{Download}
Please read my \href{https://example.com/about/disclaimer_en.md}{Disclaimer}.
This article as a PDF document: \\
\href{https://example.com/Plumhoff_Book_Leather_Care.pdf}{Plumhoff\_Book\_Leather\_Care.pdf} [64 KB PDF file, open and use at your own risk]
\end{document}
Double-clicking the filename starts MiKTeX. Pressing CTRL + t creates a PDF output file, which is shown alongside the input file. This makes it easy to make changes and quickly see how they affect the output by pressing CTRL + t again.
Manual Correction and Completion
I changed the MiKTeX file as follows:
Rows 27, 28, 49, 50, 53, 54, 57, 60, 61 - Delete double blackslashes at end of row.
Row 48 - Delete whole row:
Please read my \href{https://example.com/about/disclaimer_en.md}{Disclaimer}.
Row 65 until document end - Replace section Download by new section Example Sources for Materials:
\section*{Example Sources for Materials}
Please note that these are just example sources. They were researched at the time this article was written.
\begin{itemize}
\item Thymol \href{https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/de/thymol.html}{17,79 € (100g) + 12,00 € shipment}
\item Hoof Oil \href{https://www.apatina-restaurierungsbedarf-chemikalien-online-kaufen.at/p/klauenoel-lederoel-1-l}{16,00 € (1 L) + 12,50 € shipment}
\item Beeswax \href{https://www.distrebution.com/kosmetik/emulgator/bienenwachs-kosmetisch-cera-flava-gelb-pastillen-d10009.4?number=D10009.9}{15,48 € (500g) + 4,50 € shipment}
\end{itemize}
\end{document}
The final result as a PDF file can be found - updated further - at Book Leather Care.