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At a Glance

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Maths menu

The Maths command leads to the Maths submenu.

Many of these commands can also be accessed by clicking on a button in the Math tool pane.

Operators

The Operators command leads to the Operators submenu.

Integral
Sum
Product
Union
Intersection

This set of commands draws operators with limits. The size of the operator and the position of the limits depends on the operator and its context.

For example a summation on the baseline of a displayed equation is drawn:

and as an in-line expression

Integrals

Closed line ‰

Closed area

Closed volume

These commands insert the closed line, area or volume integrals at the same size as the normal integral. Limits are not created automatically but can be added if required using the Subscript and Superscript commands (or Above and Below).

Superscript
Subscript

These commands work differently depending whether they are used in text or maths, the reason being that in text you can only have one level of superscript or subscript, but in maths several levels. In text superscript and subscript are mutually exclusive, (pressing subscript ends any superscript). In maths subscripts and superscripts can be nested and mixed to any reasonable depth. Note that in text the button stay 'pushed in' indicating that clicking them again will end the superscript or subscript. In Maths they 'pop out' immediately they are released, indicating that hey can be used again.

Text

• If no selection is made, choosing the command moves the caret to the position indicated by the command and reduces the size of any text or expression that is subsequently typed. To return to the baseline choose or click on Superscript or Subscript again, or choose Plain to remove all emphasis including superscript or subscript.
• If a selection has been made, choosing the command moves the selection to the position indicated by the command and reduces its size. Use the arrow keys, or click, to move out of the selection.

Maths

If no selection is made, choosing the command moves the caret to the position indicated by the command and reduces the size of any text or expression that is subsequently typed.

1. Press Return to return to the baseline.
2. Choose or click on Superscript or Subscript to add another level of superscript or subscript. i.e. or
3. Choose or click on Subscript to subscript the superscript or vice versa. i.e.

If a selection has been made, choosing the command moves the selection to the position indicated by the command and reduces its size. The caret is automatically restored to its former position and the size to its former value.

Above
Below

These commands can be used in two ways:

• If no selection is made, choosing Above or Below moves the caret to the position indicated by the command and reduces the size of any text or expression that is subsequently typed. Pressing Return restores the the size to its former value and positions the caret to the right on the original baseline.
• If a selection has been made, choosing the command moves the selection to the position indicated by the command and reduces its size. The caret is automatically restored to its former position and the size to its former value.

Fraction

The Fraction command can be used in two ways:

• If no selection is made, choosing the command causes TechWriter to draw a fraction line and position the caret above it, in the numerator position. The fraction line is automatically adjusted in length and by default both the numerator and denominator are centred. Pressing Return in the numerator moves the caret to the denominator. Pressing Return in the denominator completes the fraction.
• If a selection has been made, choosing the command moves the selection into the numerator of the fraction. The caret is automatically moved to the denominator.

Root

The Root command can be used in two ways:

If no selection is made, choosing the command causes TechWriter to draw a root symbol and position the caret inside it. The root symbol is automatically adjusted in length. Pressing Return completes the root.

If a selection has been made, choosing the command moves the selection into the root. The caret is automatically moved to the right of the root.

Powers

Press Tab to move into, and out of, the power position of the root. Or move the pointer and click.

Delimiters

The Delimiter command is used to enclose expressions in a variety of matched or unmatched symbols. Delimiters grow dynamically to enclose their contents. Typing the opening (left) symbol causes the corresponding closing (right) symbol to be entered automatically - it can be removed by selecting it and typing a full stop or space.

Changing a delimiter

A delimiter can be changed by selecting it and typing a new delimiter, or by deleting it and typing the new delimiter.

A special kind of delimiter is the elastic integral which grows dynamically according to the size of the expression on its right.

The following characters can be used:

...

The Delimiter command can be used in two ways:

• If no selection is made, choosing the command causes TechWriter to draw two grey rectangles and wait for a valid delimiter to be typed.
• If a selection has been made, choosing the command causes TechWriter to draw two grey rectangles around the selection and wait for a valid delimiter to be typed.

Command summary

Choose Delimiter (Ctrl-D) and type:

See Keyboard shortcuts for a complete summary.

Matrix

The Matrix command leads to the following submenu:

It enables the construction of matrices whose size is only limited by the page size. Elements are automatically spaced and, by default, centred in the column containing them although this can be overridden by clicking on the justification icons.

Columns and rows are adjusted in size to fit the largest element in the row and column. Elements can be complex expressions (even other matrices) and can be typed or pasted.

New matrix

Choose New Matrix (Ctrl-O) to start a new matrix. An empty, single cell matrix, will be created with the caret positioned in it. Type or paste the contents of the cell.

Adding a new column

If there are no columns to the right of the caret press Tab, otherwise choose Add column from the Matrix menu and choose On left or On right to add a column to the left or right of the column containing the caret.

Adding a new row

If there are no rows below the caret press Return, otherwise choose Add row from the Matrix menu and choose Above or Below to add a row above or below the row containing the caret.

Span

Choose Span to open the Span dialogue where you can give the cell containing the caret the property of spanning over more than one column.

Delimiters

To enclose a matrix in delimiters either issue the Delimiter command before choosing Matrix or select the matrix and then issue the Delimiter command.

Deleting rows and columns

Rows and columns can be removed by selecting them and pressing Delete.

Moving a row or column

Rows and columns can be moved by cutting and pasting.

1. Select the target row/column and remove it using Cut from the Edit menu.
2. Create the destination row/column using Add row/column from the Matrix menu.
3. Select the destination row/column then choose Paste from the Edit menu.

It is important to make sure that the destination selection corresponds to the selection on the Clipboard. For example pasting a column without first selecting a destination would insert the column into the cell containing the caret. See Chapter two Cookbook for more information about matrices.

Expression

The Expression command has two functions:

• In a line of text it starts an equation.
• Inside an equation it starts a group.

It can be chosen by clicking Adjust on the Equation button.

Equation

In a line of text the Expression command (Ctrl-[) tells TechWriter that you have started typing maths. Any characters you type will be assumed to be variables and will be automatically italicised. Dashes will be turned into minus signs, apostrophes into primes, and so on, until you issue the End equation command (Ctrl-]) to return to normal text. The caret will change colour to green to indicate that an expression is being typed.

Group

The Expression command is used to make a group of characters or an expression into a single unit or group. This facilitates superscripting or subscripting the group or applying Above or Below to it.

Function

The Function command (Ctrl-K) is used before typing a function name such as 'sin' or 'lim'. It automatically turns the function into a group and sets the typeface to Roman. The command is terminated by pressing Return.

Text

The Text (Ctrl-T) command is used to insert text into an equation. After the Text command has been issued TechWriter treats the characters as normal text, no longer makes them italic, and spaces them accordingly. The command is terminated by pressing Return.

Set alignment

The Set alignment (Ctrl-J) command is used to align a specified point in a series of equations.

It is only active when the caret is on the baseline. When the caret is anywhere inside a series of aligned equations, a vertical line is drawn showing the point of alignment.

To set an alignment:

1. Type the first equation. Move the caret to the point of alignment and choose Set alignment, or

1. Type the equation choosing Set alignment (Ctrl-J) as you get to the point of alignment.
2. Press Return to start the next equation and set the alignment as above.

You can move the alignment point at any time by clicking in the line and re-issuing the Set alignment command.

Unset alignment

After an alignment has been set and the caret is positioned on the alignment point the command changes to Unset alignment.

Breaking an alignment

To follow one series of aligned equations with another series, each having its own alignment, end the first series with End equation and start a new series by choosing Equation again.

Grouping aligned equations

Equations that have been created one after the other by pressing Return are treated as belonging to the same alignment group. If two or more equations need to be aligned that were not created in this way (perhaps they were pasted into the document), they need to be temporarily joined, then split. This is done by clicking at the start of the second equation and joining it to the first using Delete, then Return to split them again. Alignment points are copied to and from the clipboard.

Equation number

The Equation number command moves the caret to the right or left depending on the setting in the Maths style dialogue.

Press Tab to return to the equation.

Size

The Size command leads to the Size submenu:

This command can be used to override TechWriter's choice of sizes.

The following examples will demonstrate some of the effects of the size command.

Display size is used on the baseline whenever you issue the Equation command. You will see that some displayed equations are formatted differently from their smaller counterparts.

Text size is used on the baseline whenever you create an in-line expression by issuing the Expression command inside text. It is also the size used for fraction numerators and denominators in Display size.

Script size is used for first order superscripts and limits.

Script script size is used for second order, and higher, superscripts and limits.

Kern

The Kern command leads to a submenu:

It is used to move the characters on either side of the caret Together (Ctrl- -) or Apart (Ctrl-\) in increments of half a point.