How do I change the `enumerate` list format to use letters instead of the default Arabic numerals?

Question

I've seen documentation whereby an \alph command is put around the \begin{enumerate} somewhere, but I'm not entirely sure how that operates...

Answer 1

I don't really understand the question as applied to itemize, which doesn't use numbers, but for enumerate:

Without package you could do it by redefining the command theenumi for formatting the enumi counter. (Also enumii, etc., for nested lists.)

\renewcommand{\theenumi}{\Alph{enumi}}

inside the environment.... Or better, you could use a package like enumitem which allows, e.g.,

\begin{enumerate}[label=\Alph*]
\item this is item a
\item another item
\end{enumerate}

Use \alph for lowercase letters, \Alph for uppercase, etc. See the package documentation for more info.

Answer 2

\usepackage{enumerate}
.
.
.
\begin{enumerate}[(a)] % (a), (b), (c), ...
\item
\end{enumerate}
.
.
.
\begin{enumerate}[a)] % a), b), c), ...
\item
\end{enumerate}