Personalized latex macros: hard or easy?

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  • Thread starter strangerep
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In summary: If macros are personalized, then they won't have access to my macros. So if my macros are used in their post, they won't work.
  • #1
strangerep
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When I'm typing latex math (with frequent bras and kets) in the quantum forum, I often put this first:

\def\<\rangle
\def\>\langle

because this is annoyingly ugly: ##<\psi | \phi>,~##
but this: ##\langle\psi | \phi\rangle##
is a pain to type and edit if there's a lot of it.

(There's a few other things, such as abbreviations for oft-used math characters in particular fonts).

So,... umm,... I was just wondering... is it be hard or easy to implement a (modest-sized) set of predefined macros on a per-user basis?
 
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  • #2
It might work to put macros in the signature*. But not all users have signatures. And a bigger problem is that if someone tries to quote something you did on an earlier page or in a different thread, the macros won't be included.

I would guess that the vBulletin developers would have to make a lot of changes to the code to make something like this work smoothly.

*) I tried to test this theory with this post, but I couldn't get any kind of signature to appear.


Note by the way that the | in your bra-ket is too short. Kets can get even uglier when we use other symbols. Example: ##|\uparrow\rangle##. This should probably be typed as \left|\uparrow\right\rangle. ##\left|\uparrow\right\rangle##. The best code I can think of for your bra-ket is this:
Code:
\left\langle\psi\left|\,\phi\right. \right\rangle
Result: $$\left\langle\psi\left|\,\phi\right. \right\rangle$$ But I don't even that is perfect, because the size of the | will now be determined only by the ##\phi##.
 
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  • #3
Fredrik said:
*) I tried to test this theory with this post, but I couldn't get any kind of signature to appear.
You need a signature first, before posts can be configured (!) to show this signature. If you do not have one, all new posts are created with the default setting "do not show signature".

This forum uses MathJax to show formulas, which has nothing to do with vBulletin - and the vBulletin for LaTeX code ignore the author. I doubt that default macros would work without significant coding effort.
 
  • #4
mfb said:
You need a signature first, before posts can be configured (!) to show this signature. If you do not have one, all new posts are created with the default setting "do not show signature".
Ah, you're right. The problem must have been that I created the post and started editing before I created the signature. I had no problem getting a signature to appear when I tried it a minute ago. I tried one with a LaTeX \newcommand. I put the new command in the post, but it wasn't understood by MathJax when I previewed.

mfb said:
This forum uses MathJax to show formulas, which has nothing to do with vBulletin - and the vBulletin for LaTeX code ignore the author. I doubt that default macros would work without significant coding effort.
OK, that makes sense.
 
  • #5
I used to define a macro like

\newcommand\braket[2]{\ensuremath\left\langle #1\vphantom{#2} \mid #2\vphantom{#1} \right\rangle

especially for this. Problem is then you also need a one and three argument variant for [itex]\langle\phi\rangle[/itex] and [itex]\langle \phi \mid \hat A \mid \psi \rangle[/itex] of course.
 
  • #6
I have made a mental note of that vphantom trick. I may have to use it in the future. Thanks.
 
  • #7
Suppose this were possible. I think you'd have a huge issue dealing with quoted posts.

For example, I have probably 100 macros I'd like to define. Things like

\newcommand{\cR}{\mathcal{R}}

for calligraphy letters, and

\DeclareMathOperator{\into}{\raisebox{0.2ex}{\reflectbox{\rotatebox[origin=c]{180}{$\neg$}}}}

for the interior product. I would show you, but it looks like MathJax can't interpret that one correctly.

Anyway, if I type up a post using a bunch of my macros, and then someone quotes it, what code should be displayed in their editing box? If macros are personalized, then they won't have access to my macros. So if my macros are used in their post, they won't work.

OK, but suppose we have the interpreter process my quoted text using my macros. Fine, but the person quoting me might remove my username. Or might try to use one of my macros himself (one way people learn Latex is by quoting one another on here).

OK, so maybe instead of showing him my code as written, it could be pre-processed to expand all macros before it is stored in the database. Then when someone quotes it, it just shows them standard Latex. They can see exactly how everything is done, the software doesn't have to remember who originally posted everything, and they can copy and paste things into their own post, and it will work fine.

Great, but now what if I need to edit one of my own posts? If all my macros get expanded before saving to the database, this will get very tedious. It looks like the only solution is to store 2 copies of every Latex-enabled post, and that is surely not a good solution, as I'm sure PF's storage requirements are already substantial (which is, in fact, why they switched to MathJax instead of their previous method).
 
  • #8
Ben Niehoff said:
Anyway, if I type up a post using a bunch of my macros, and then someone quotes it, what code should be displayed in their editing box? If macros are personalized, then they won't have access to my macros. So if my macros are used in their post, they won't work.
That lead me to an interesting idea. Those macros could be used similar to Wikipedia .css changes: Every user can define his own, but other users can refer to that as well.

As an example, you create "benniehoff.tex" which is stored somewhere on the server (probably in a database and not as a file). Afterwards, it could be included like $$<benniehoff.tex> 1+2$$, where the board replaces <benniehoff.tex> by your macros. Quotes are no problem, and you don't have to re-invent the wheel every time.
 

1. What are personalized latex macros?

Personalized latex macros refer to customized commands or shortcuts that can be defined by the user in latex documents. These macros can be used to input frequently used commands or to simplify complex equations or symbols.

2. Are personalized latex macros difficult to create?

The difficulty level of creating personalized latex macros depends on the complexity of the commands or symbols you want to create. For simple commands or symbols, it can be relatively easy, but for more complex equations or symbols, it may require some knowledge of latex programming.

3. Can personalized latex macros be shared with others?

Yes, personalized latex macros can be shared with others by saving them in a separate file and importing them into the latex document. This allows for easy collaboration and consistency in documents among multiple users.

4. How can I learn to create personalized latex macros?

There are many resources available online that can help you learn how to create personalized latex macros. You can also refer to latex documentation or join online communities to get guidance and tips from experienced users.

5. Are personalized latex macros useful for all types of documents?

Personalized latex macros can be useful for a wide range of documents, including academic papers, presentations, reports, and more. They can save time and improve the overall appearance and consistency of your documents.

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