Switching an existing document to memoir. How much trouble is it?

Question

I'm really growing fond of the memoir package. I have a large document in which I use the report documentclass. How much trouble would it be to switch to memoir; i.e. what would I 'probably' need to change based on common dissertation, or scientific writing? I understand that the question is a bit open, but all I'm asking for is general assumptions and solutions.

Answer 1

It should convert very easy, but as some of the comments mentioned, you will need to have a check in your preamble for problems. The other consideration is that memoir has a lot of in-built commands and you will need to invest more time in order to utilize it to its full potential. Straight out of the box, it will probably improve the report class.

Here is a MWE which runs either on memoir or the report or the book class. It will also run with no faults using octavo, thesis or tufte-book.

\documentclass[oldfontcommands]{memoir}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\title{My thesis}
\begin{document}
\maketitle
\chapter{One}
This is a foreign word {\it inter alia}.
\lipsum[1]
\section{Two}
\lipsum[1-7]
\chapter{Two}
\lipsum[1]
\end{document}

If your document is structured, you can use this minimal to input a couple of chapters and see what problems you are facing. Read the memoir manual and if what you are looking is not available, start adding packages as you need. Or you can go big bang and try it on the full document.

Answer 2

In order to switch from report to memoir, the following changes had to be done for the document to compile without error:

1. Remove \usepackage{arabtex}
2. Remove \usepackage{utf8}
3. Remove any redifitions, such as \renewcommand{\bibname}{References}

... and then it compiled with no problems.

\documentclass[a4paper,oneside,12pt,openright,final]{memoir}
\usepackage[bindingoffset=5mm]{geometry}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{caption}
\captionsetup{font=small,labelfont=bf}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{float}
\setcounter{secnumdepth}{3}
\usepackage{fixltx2e}
\usepackage{paralist}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\hypersetup{pdftex,linktocpage=true,bookmarks=true,colorlinks=true,citecolor=blue,filecolor=black,linkcolor=blue,
urlcolor=black,pdfauthor={Ayman Elmasry}, pdftitle={Algorithmic Form Generation: A Thermal Building
Envelope Design Approach}}
\usepackage[all]{hypcap}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}

\pagenumbering{roman}

\chapter*{Acknowledgements}
\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Acknowledgements}

\begin{abstract}

\end{abstract}

\chapter*{Introduction}
\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Introduction}

\tableofcontents
\listoffigures
\listoftables


\chapter{1}
\pagenumbering{arabic}
\section{Introduction}
\lipsum[1-4]
\chapter{2}
\lipsum[1-5]
\end{document}

There are differences in the output of course;

1. the automatically generated header,
2. TOC LOF and LOT are all accounted for in the index and the table of contents,
3. no \newpage is automatically generated before the \abstract command or the TOC, LOF or LOT, they are instead shown at the same pages when possible.
4. The page number is in the upper right part of the header in all pages except for the first page of the chapter where no header is present, it is then centred in the bottom.
5. The \abstract command produces a different look with the title centred and much smaller than chapter titles.