verbatim (LaTeX2e unofficial reference manual (November 2018))

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### 8.27 `verbatim`

Synopsis:

    \begin{verbatim}
    literal-text
    \end{verbatim}

A paragraph-making environment in which LaTeX produces as output exactly what you type as input. For instance inside literal-text the backslash `\` character does not start commands, it produces a printed ‘`\`’, and carriage returns and blanks are taken literally. The output appears in a monospaced typewriter-like font (`\tt`).

    \begin{verbatim}
    Symbol swearing: %&$#?!.
    \end{verbatim}

The only restriction on `literal-text` is that it cannot include the string `\end{verbatim}`.

You cannot use the verbatim environment in the argument to macros, for instance in the argument to a `\section`. This is not the same as commands being fragile (see \protect), instead it just cannot appear there. (But the `cprotect` package can help with this.)

One common use of verbatim input is to typeset computer code. There are packages that are an improvement the `verbatim` environment. For instance, one improvement is to allow the verbatim inclusion of external files, or parts of those files. Such packages include `listings`, and `minted`.

A package that provides many more options for verbatim environments is `fancyvrb`. Another is `verbatimbox`.

For a list of all the relevant packages, see CTAN.

Unofficial LaTeX2e reference manual