Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

a compillation from a thread



Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 19:03:46 -0500 (CDT)
From: Joe Darling <jdarling@emh1.otc.cc.mo.us>
Subject: Scientific Word Processors

Would anyone care to recommend a scientific word processor.

The first priority is to be able to efficiently type mathematical
equations with all of the various symbols.

The second priority is to be able to type a few lines of words. I would
gladly sacrifice a lot of the advanced features of the typical word
processor for the ability to readily type mathematical equations.

The third priority is to be able to make lines drawings such as
coordinate systems, possibly augmented with circles, ellipses, parabolas,
etc.

The fourth priority is the ability to import figures or pictures
from other sources.

My objective is to keep my notes in a computer processible format. Now I
write them by hand and keep them in three ring notebooks. I can update
by inserting pages, but revisions and additions are tedious.

I would also appreciate any comments on features I might not have
anticipated.

**************************************************************

Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 19:31:11 -0500 (EST)
From: Delphi High School <pmason@wvec.k12.in.us>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

I just got a version of StudyWorks for science CD. It has Mathcad on it
and looks very versatile. Check it out. Patti Mason

*************************************************************

Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 17:32:13 -0700
From: "Shapiro, Mark" <mshapiro@Exchange.FULLERTON.EDU>
Subject: RE: Scientific Word Processors

The system that does all of that is LaTeX, which is a public
domain word processing and typesetting program that is available for
pretty much any platform.... It does a beautiful job of setting
mathematical symbols, it has its own internal "picture drawing"
environment, and it allows you to import graphics from other programs.

The major drawback is that it is not WYSWG, and the learning
curve is fairly steep.

*****************************************************************

Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 23:06:37 -0400
From: Jerome Epstein <jerepst@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

If you are comfortable with MIcrosoft WORD, then I strongly recommend
MATHTYPE.

It is an extension of the equation editor in WORD (made by the same
folks), it is pretty easy to use, and it allows extremely easy insertion
of equations into a WORD document, thus no need to worry about putting
in text also.

**************************************************************

Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 23:59:11 -0400
From: Hugh Logan <hlogan@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

The word prcessor that has been useful for me is WordPro included with
Lotus SmartSuite97. It has more features than I have used. I was able
to do assignments involving tensors using the equation mode. One can go
back and forth between text and equation mode. The mathematical symbols
appear in red, and they are selected from a palette or typed in in some
cases. They appear in frames, the boundaries of which are usually
hidden. The program is WYSIWYG. Using math symbols can be a little
tricky, because the boundaries of the frames are not always obvious -
but they can be made visible. I don't know how the efficiency of the
math processor compares with that of Microsoft Word, which seems to be
more widely used. WordPro does have a rudimentary drawing program. Line
segments, broken line segments, ovals (with circles as a special case),
and "arcs." Drawings can be imported into WordPro documents, but I am
not sure of the range of possibilities.

I use Lotus WordPro mainly because I used its predecessor, AmiPro 3.1,
and I was able to purchase an OEM version of Lotus SmartSuite97 from a
software dealer in Canada for about $45 a year ago. I think the pros use
LaTex that Mark Shapiro referred to, but, being retired, my needs are
not all that great. Before I retired, I found the similar drawing
program on AmiPro3.0 useful for crude diagrams on handouts. WordPro and
AmiPro also allow tables with an arbitrary number of rows and columns,
etc. to be placed in documents. WordPro is reputed to be slower than
Microsoft Word, but that hasn't been a problem for me using a Pentium
Pro 200 MHz computer. Using WordPro might be a disadvantage if you are
in an environment where everybody uses Microsoft programs.

****************************************************************

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 16:14:51 +1200
From: Derek Chirnside <physdc@cantva.canterbury.ac.nz>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

I use MS Word and equation editor which is part of that. It is WYSIWYG
Menu driven (sadly - I like short cuts) Diagram import is a little clumbsy
at times. I actually used Freehand to draw with, only because I have not
bought Intellidraw for NT. Interfaces directly into Word. I use Paintshop
Pro to handle graphics like GIF TIFF JPEG etc. I can publish directly in
HTML if needed.

I have a number of collaborators who share stuff and MS Word can import
most stuff or export it in other formats. Lots of Nifty things - like
footnotes etc etc

Now: there is advertised an equation editor add on. If it can do more
than the basic EE that is built in (and it is supposed to) it must be
pretty good. Now: LaTeX Used by a lot here. Scientific Word is a Windows
'Front End' LaTeX and many here also use it. LATEX2HTML is a small app
which converts native (NON scientific word) LaTeX files to HTML. LaTeX has
a HUGE learning curve. Search the web and you will find a download.

*****************************************************************
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 02:07:34 -0400
From: Hugh Haskell <hhaskell@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

I bought MathType some years ago and use it with everything on my computer.
Any program that can accept a graphics file can be used with MathType. I
believe that it also links to TeK, but I'm not a user of that system so i
don't knot for wure.

MathType is easy to use, has oodles of things you can do, including logic
symbols and arrays and you can create your own mathematical macros. I
highly recommend it, regardless of which WP you use. It comes in Mac OS and
also a Windoze version for the computationally challenged.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work in html yet, but I understand they're
working on that.

*****************************************************

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 07:51:05 -0500
From: sgrantk@whs.whitko.k12.in.us (Kevin Grant)
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

Just to further muddy the waters, I use WordPerfect and have never found an
equation that I could not write. I use Mathcad for more equation intensive
documents. Both do a fine job. Kevin Grant

*******************************************************************

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 09:43:44 -0400
From: Steve Luzader <sluzader@fre.fsu.umd.edu>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

The equation editor with Word is a subset of a program called Math
Type, as Jerome Epstein notes. Math Type allows much more flexibility
than the stripped down version included with Word, and Math Type can
be used with ANY Windows-compatible word processor. I have used it
with Write (in Windows 3.1) and with Excel to insert equations into
spreadsheets for easy reading. When the department bought its copy,
we got a special "upgrade" price because we already had Word 2.0 (that
was a few years ago...). I don't know if Design Science (they make
Math Type) still offers that kind of deal.

******************************************************************

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 09:25:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Donald E. Simanek" <dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

I, too, use WordPerfect for all of my work, and have never found any
equation I couldn't write, and the results (on a Laserjet) appear as
elegant as those typeset in textbooks. I wasn't thrilled with the equation
editor's interface in version 5.1, but got used to it quickly, and I have
found it is no more difficult than the competition. After an hour or so it
becomes intuitive. But for 98% of my work, I just don't need the equation
editor, since the full symbol set handles most everything. I started using
WP for equations about ten years ago, with version 4.2 I think, on a Sanyo
computer and dot matrix printer. That version allowed you to write your
own printer driver and create your own symbol and font set by mapping the
dots in the matrix as a binary number. So I redefined many of the ASCII
symbols from 127 to 255, as Greek letters, math symbols and pieces of math
symbols and set up handy keyboard macros (control-a for alpha, control-b
for beta, alt-t for upper case tau, control-t for lower case tau, etc.).
At that time I was using a Sanyo 555 and a Tandy 2000, both of which
allowed you to redesign (dot by dot) the characters for your screen. So I
designed screen fonts to match my printer font redesign, and I could do
text and equations with "what you see is what you get" on the screen. That
was before WP had page preview--but I said "Who needs page preview?" Gee,
I miss those days when one could really customize one's personal computer
environment to one's personal needs and prejudices without having to march
to the tune of Bill Gates or Apple. I was the only person in the world
using my math wordprocessor system, and that was just fine with me.
(WordPerfect did add my DMP2100P printer driver to their driver
library at their customer service site).

Equations were done in a monofont type. The keyboard macros worked so well
that I carried them over into later versions of WordPerfect, but used the
math symbols those versions supported (everything one could want,
including bits and pieces to build up large integral signs, summations and
various styles of large brackets). It's no sweat to do the pre-subscripts
and pre-superscripts for nuclide symbols.

I mainly use the equation editor to produce very large type for making
overhead transparencies.

Here's a tip for those using the equation editor for nuclide symbols. Set
up the sub and superscripts as a matrix without brackets.

Now if only they'd get their act together and incorporate math symbol
capability into html.

*****************************************************************

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 09:50:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Tim Sullivan x5830 <sullivan@kenyon.edu>
Subject: RE: Scientific Word Processors

I have found Microsoft Word supplemented with MathType to be quite good.
MathType is the big brother of the equation editor that comes with Word.
Actually one of the most useful features of buying MathType to supplement the
equation editor is getting the manual which details the keyboard shortcuts for
typing math symbols, most all of which work with equation editor as well. For
example, ctrl-g-letter gives you the Greek letter corresponding to letter.
Ctrl-f gives you a fraction template. Ctrl-r a radical. I can type in equations
almost as fast as when I used LaTeX for my thesis. And the output is excellent.
Sometimes it doesn't get the spacing quite right automatically, but it is easy
to adjust spacing to be as you like.

Wolfram Research (of Mathematica fame) is giving away a beta copy of a
scientific word processor they call Publicon. It is to be the front end of
Mathematica. They also have done a pretty good job of thinking about efficient
typing and have come up with a similar scheme to MathType. (Ctrl_ gives
subscripts, for example.) Also, they give away a web browser plug-in so that
others can read Publicon documents on the web. However, I hesitate to get in
bed with Mathematica again as they have a history of prohibitively expensive
pricing.

And, of course, there are free version of LaTeX available that do perfect
documents with equations. They are not really WYSYWYG and it takes some
practice to incorporate figures. But it is free.

********************************************************************

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 09:57:33 -0400
From: Eric Werwa <EWerwa@Otterbein.edu>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors


Scientific Workplace is a software package that provides a WYSIWYG editor
and Latex document formatting. Equation editing is similar to what you find
in Word except that it is built in to the software and can be used for
solving with Maple. (And equation editing always works for me in Scientific
Workplace, unlike the equation editor in my newest version of Word). All
kinds of images are easily inserted into documents, although they must be
kept in separate files that the Latex compiler can find. This has the
benefit of not bloating files, which seems to happen if you import images in
Word (I learned this while writing my thesis).

It is a product of TCI software research and Brooks/Cole Publishing. I think
there is a web site out there with more information on the product, but I
don't know the URL.

*****************************************************************

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 08:52:27 -0800
From: Charles Crummer <ccrummer@cats.ucsc.edu>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

I have to admit Word with the Equation Editor is about as easy to use as
can be expected, considering that math notation can be pretty intricate.
It's also WYSIWYG, making editing MUCH easier than TeX. TeX is MUCH more
versatile though and I think the printed result is superior.

****************************************************************

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 11:20:18 +1200
From: Derek Chirnside <physdc@cantva.canterbury.ac.nz>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

... It is a product of TCI software research and Brooks/Cole Publishing.
I think there is a web site out there with more information on the
product, but I don't know the URL.

I don't use this, but I know the url:

http://www.tcisoft.com/products/ann25.html is on place.

I have a book on Creating Documents with Scientific word and scientific
workplace by Roger Hunter and Susan Bagby. Seems well supported.

*****************************************************************

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 18:46:10 -0500
From: Lawrence L'Hote <llhote@mail.coin.missouri.edu>
Subject: Re: Scientific Word Processors

I use ONLY WP, however, it does have some bugs in its in-line equation
editor. Those of you that use WP try to find and use the in-line editor
and report back what problems you find. When I try to use it I end up
trashing the document as something seems to lock up parts of my
keyboard. The equation editor works great. There was a major change in
the latest version of WP and the editor works a lot like the Word
equation editor.

****************************************************************

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 01:22:23 -0400
From: "William J. Larson" <Bill_Larson@compuserve.com>
Subject: RE: Scientific Word Processors

Message text written by INTERNET:phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu
the keyboard shortcuts for
typing math symbols, most all of which work with equation editor as well.=

For example, ctrl-g-letter gives you the Greek letter corresponding to letter=
=2E Ctrl-f gives you a fraction template. Ctrl-r a radical. <

Great! Very helpful. Could I tease a few more shortcuts out of you? eg
super & sub scripts an integral symbol with limits etc. The more, the better.

********************************************************