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I'm writing my PhD thesis using LaTeX. The text is becoming bigger and I'd like to know the LaTeX experts' opinion. What's the best way to deal with a big document and why? A single .tex file (thesis.tex) or divide the document in smaller .tex files, like introduction.tex, materials.tex, results.tex, etc. and compile with something like:

\documentclass[<options>]{<document type>}
\usepackage{<packages used>}
\begin{document}
\input{introduction}
\input{materials}
\input{results}
\end{document}
Bernard
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Daniel Valencia C.
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    Would that be the LaTeX expert's opinion or the LaTeX experts' opinions? Note that questions which ask primarily for opinions or whose answers can only be of this kind are off-topic for this site. In this non-expert's opinion, you should use \include so that \includeonly is available. – cfr Sep 04 '17 at 23:20
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    I think this question has been asked on this site before, let's find the duplicate questions. – ShreevatsaR Sep 04 '17 at 23:22
  • @ShreevatsaR I was looking for them. I'm sure it has been answered multiple times, in fact .... – cfr Sep 04 '17 at 23:27
  • This question, https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/142417/what-are-your-best-practices-to-compile-only-a-part-of-the-document-or-presentat?rq=1, and the ones linked in it, seem pretty relevant. – Peter LeFanu Lumsdaine Sep 04 '17 at 23:29
  • For example Splitting a large document into several files asks why split a large file into separate files (though personally I find neither of the two answers is convincing). So I guess we can say that's the recommendation, there's no new question here. – ShreevatsaR Sep 04 '17 at 23:30
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    one could do worse than follow the recommendations in this book: "Using LaTeX to Write a PhD Thesis" – barbara beeton Sep 05 '17 at 01:05
  • Additionally if you use bibliography engine and have to use a lot of cross-references, invoking biber, makeindex, makeglossaries and such, aside from pdflatex/xelatex, I would suggest to use a latexmk script that can save a lot of time during compilation by skipping unnecessary steps in your build chain. – andselisk Sep 05 '17 at 01:07
  • @andselisk Only if you otherwise invoke the whole chain ;). For most people, it increases compilation time because latexmk thinks they need a new index or whatever, when they really don't. At least, this is why I avoid it. – cfr Sep 05 '17 at 23:50
  • @barbarabeeton Can we close a question as a duplicate of a book? – cfr Sep 05 '17 at 23:51
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    @cfr -- don't know the answer to your question, but i think the original question calls for an opinion and would be closable on that ground. (and my comment gives my opinion.) i don't think the "duplicate" really answers the original question though; it just applies an opinion assumed by those who voted to close. – barbara beeton Sep 06 '17 at 02:15
  • @barbarabeeton Indeed. Although it may be a matter of opinion where matters of opinion end and best practices begin. – cfr Sep 06 '17 at 02:50

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