Wednesday, July 31, 2013

latexdiff: Excellent tool to view modifications!

It is hard to specifically see the changes in two versions of a paper. It is even harder to spot those changes in the .tex files. To visualize the changes (or differences) between two latex version of a paper, we can use an excellent tool, latexdiff, freely available for linux. It can be installed with a simple command:
  • sudo apt-get install latexdiff 
The output file will have colors and annotations to mark the differences. The name of the output file is derived from the input filenames.

Difference of two local .tex files (latexdiff)

  • latexdiff --flatten --pdf old-file.tex new-file.tex > diffs.tex
(the –flatten argument makes latexdiff recursively operate on any included .tex files.)

Difference of SVN versions (latexdiff-vc)

  • Compare current working copy with earlier version
    • latexdiff-vc --pdf --flatten -r version file.tex > diffs.tex
  • Compare two versions
    • latexdiff-vc --pdf --flatten -r version1 -r version2 file.tex > diffs.tex

A guide to begin work at University of Ottawa

Important Formalities

  1. On the first day you arrive Ottawa, go to City Hall (City of Ottawa) and apply for SIN (Social Insurance Number) and OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan).
    • For SIN, you only need your passport and work permit. Carry your job offer just in case.
    • For OHIP, you need to provide a proof of address. You can carry your lease agreement. 
  2. To be on campus, you need to have medical insurance. Your free insurance (OHIP) only starts after three month. Therefore, you need to apply for private insurance for these three months. You can do that at the HR office. It will cost you around C$171 for three months. Chose the option to pay from your salary.
  3. Come to the department and meet Prof. You need to sign a contract with Prof and submit a to the department office. After approval from the Director, you will get a copy of the contract.
  4. You need to take that copy to the FGPS for registration as postdoctoral researcher.

Other Logistics

Access Card

Go to the department and obtain forms to fill. You need your supervisor to sign those form. You also need to finish WHMIS test before you can get access card. 

Email ID

You will get it automatically after registration.

Staff Card

You will get staff card from HR office.