Should I make a package or class for my usual preamble, or include it in every document?
This TeX.SE thread is a good resource for how to make your usual preamble into a package or document class. I would like to know why I should do that. What are the pros and cons of doing so, as compared with just leaving the preamble in every document you write?
Here's how I see it:
Pros of leaving the preamble in every document
Easy to edit it if necessary
If I forget how I defined something, I can just scroll up and look
Only one file to keep track of per document
If I send my document to someone else, they can compile it immediately, without any fussing over where to put my package/class file
Progressive changes to my preamble don't cause an accumulation of files that can never be moved lest all old documents break
Cons of leaving the preamble in every document
Takes up more room on the computer
You have to scroll down a bit more before getting to start writing in your document
(the pros and cons of making a package or class being exactly dual)
To me, this comes down heavily against making a package or class. Am I missing considerations that would tip the balance the other way? Perhaps for certain documents, one choice is better than the other?
This TeX.SE thread is a good resource for how to make your usual preamble into a package or document class. I would like to know why I should do that. What are the pros and cons of doing so, as compared with just leaving the preamble in every document you write?
Here's how I see it:
Pros of leaving the preamble in every document
Easy to edit it if necessary
If I forget how I defined something, I can just scroll up and look
Only one file to keep track of per document
If I send my document to someone else, they can compile it immediately, without any fussing over where to put my package/class file
Progressive changes to my preamble don't cause an accumulation of files that can never be moved lest all old documents break
Cons of leaving the preamble in every document
Takes up more room on the computer
You have to scroll down a bit more before getting to start writing in your document
(the pros and cons of making a package or class being exactly dual)
To me, this comes down heavily against making a package or class. Am I missing considerations that would tip the balance the other way? Perhaps for certain documents, one choice is better than the other?
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