Understanding Double Line in LaTeX to Using // for Line Breaks

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the use of line breaks in LaTeX, specifically addressing the confusion surrounding the correct commands for creating double line breaks and the behavior of different line break commands. Participants explore various methods and their effects on document formatting.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about the correct usage of double line breaks in LaTeX, specifically questioning the use of "//" versus "\\".
  • One participant mentions that "\\" is the correct command for line breaks, while "//" is not accepted by the compiler.
  • Another participant notes that after rebooting their machine, "\\" began to work for multiple line breaks, suggesting potential issues with the compiler or environment.
  • There is a discussion about the difference between "\\" and "\\*" regarding paragraph breaks, with some asserting that "\\" does not start a new paragraph.
  • Participants express skepticism about using multiple "\\" for styling, with one suggesting that it may lead to warnings like "underfull hbox".
  • Alternatives such as \bigskip, \medskip, and \smallskip are proposed for creating vertical space in a more flexible manner.
  • One participant questions the reliability of a referenced website, suggesting that it may have inaccuracies due to translation issues.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best practices for line breaks in LaTeX, with multiple competing views on the effectiveness and appropriateness of various commands and methods.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note that the behavior of line break commands may depend on the specific LaTeX environment or document class being used, which could affect the outcomes discussed.

Bachelier
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What is double line in ##LaTex?## I tried ##"//"## twice, but the compiler does not accept it.

The old ##" /linebreak[2] "## command does not work neither?

Thanks
 
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Bachelier said:
What is double line in ##LaTex?## I tried ##"//"## twice, but the compiler does not accept it.

The old ##" /linebreak[2] "## command does not work neither?

Thanks

Hi Bachelier! :smile:

Which double line do you mean in ##\LaTeX##?
Is it:
Code:
||   //   \backslash\backslash   \lVert   or   \parallel
These render as:
$$\quad || \quad // \quad \backslash\backslash \quad \lVert \quad \text{ or }\quad \parallel$$

In latex you can use \\ for a linebreak, although on this site it only works in a \begin{something} environment.
For instance:
Code:
\begin{aligned} a = b+1 \\ c = b-1 \end{aligned}
which renders as:
$$\begin{aligned} a = b+1 \\ c = b-1 \end{aligned}$$
 
Forgot to add the word "break" in my title. sorry.

Yeah I meant: "Doubleline breaks and more line breaks" to control the structure of one's document.

Thank you
 
Edgardo said:
You have to use "\\" and not "//" if you want a linebreak.
See here: http://www.personal.ceu.hu/tex/breaking.htm

That is what I meant. I was using "\\" but my compiler did not take it.
However the funny thing is that after rebooting my machine, now "\\" works for as many line breaks as I want.

Thanks for that doc. I tried "\\" but it just seems to give me a line break. It does not start a new paragraph like the website claims. \\* gives the same result.
 
I like Serena said:
Hi Bachelier! :smile:

On a different note my friends, to get line breaks (like 3 or 4) for styling the ##\LaTeX## document, is it a good modus operandi to use "\\" and "\\*"?
 
Bachelier said:
Thanks for that doc. I tried "\\" but it just seems to give me a line break. It does not start a new paragraph like the website claims. \\* gives the same result.
The website is wrong. (Given the .hu, maybe it lost something in translation from hungarian to english). The whole point of \\ is that it DOESN'T start a new paragraph (and therefore you don't get paragraph indentation, automatic extra space adjustment between paragraphs, etc).

Bachelier said:
On a different note my friends, to get line breaks (like 3 or 4) for styling the ##\LaTeX## document, is it a good modus operandi to use "\\" and "\\*"?

Probably not. I'm surprised several \\ in succession works at all. Actually I just tried it and it did work, but gave an "underfull hbox" warning. I expected to get an error message like "There's no line here to end" or something similar.

If you want one big gap, do \\[24pt] or whatever size you need.

Or better, use \bigskip \medskip or \smallskip. Those vertical spaces are "stretchy" so they adjust a bit to fill up the page correctly/ They also disappear if they happen to be at the end of a page, which is probably what you wanted.
 
AlephZero said:
Or better, use \bigskip \medskip or \smallskip. Those vertical spaces are "stretchy" so they adjust a bit to fill up the page correctly/ They also disappear if they happen to be at the end of a page, which is probably what you wanted.

Thank you ##|\mathbb{Z}_{>0}|##

BTW, what is your favorite command for paragraph breaks (i.e. to begin new paragraphs in the document)?
 

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