Insert itex tags: Quick Symbols & Advanced Editing

[LCKurtz]

I like the addition of the Quick Symbols box to the right of the advanced editing box. I would also find it very handy if there was an "Insert itex tags around selection" button above the edit box along with the other similar buttons. A control-key combination would also be very nice.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I like the addition of the Quick Symbols box to the right of the advanced editing box. I would also find it very handy if there was an "Insert itex tags around selection" button above the edit box along with the other similar buttons. A control-key combination would also be very nice.

Anyone else?

 

[I like Serena]

Yes, I'd also like such a feature.

It happens often that I type my post including a number of equations first, and then have to add the itex tags in the appropriate places, which can't be simply copied and pasted since the closing tags are different.

 

[LCKurtz]

And if (when ) you do it, please do include the control-key access to it.

 

[S_Happens]

I have been thinking the same thing, and kept looking for this option before this thread. But I'm still new to posting equations, so I had assumed I would figure out an easier way to do it after some practice.

I didn't initially post in the thread when I first saw it for the same reason. I wanted more experienced responses first thinking maybe they would offer an already available solution.

 

[spamiam]

I'd like a button for itex tags, too. Maybe tex tags as well?

 

[Fredrik]

I think it's a good idea. Both itex and tex tags.

What about the simplified LaTeX delimiters that were discussed in the MathJax thread? (The simplest suggestion that seems to be acceptable to everyone was ££ for itex and $$ for tex). Did you decide that you don't want them implemented at PF? (Not meant as criticism. I'm just curious).

 

[spamiam]

(The simplest suggestion that seems to be acceptable to everyone was ££ for itex and $$ for tex).

Except for those of us without a key for the pounds symbol! My keyboard doesn't have one, and neither do most American keyboards. But I suppose Brits might not have a dollar sign...

 

[Fredrik]

Except for those of us without a key for the pounds symbol! My keyboard doesn't have one, and neither do most American keyboards.

Oops, I forgot about that...again...

I had another look a the keyboard layout page. I had forgotten that ££ is a bad option for people with a US keyboard. $is better for them. But most of the rest of the world should prefer ££ (based on the location on the keyboard), so here's a third option:$...## or ££...££ for itex
$$...$$ for tex

Here's a more complicated option:

££...££, $...$, §§...§§, ··...·· for itex.
$$...$$, ¢¢...¢¢ for tex.

The §,· and ¢ characters are minor improvements for Germans, Spaniards, and French Canadians respectively. The only advantage it has for them is that it allows them to use either Shift+3 for itex and Shift+4 for tex, or Alt Gr+3 for itex and Alt Gr+4 for tex, instead of e.g. Alt Gr+3 for itex and Shift+4 for tex.

Keyboard layouts at Wikipedia.

 

[spamiam]

Oops, I forgot about that...again...

Here's a more complicated option:

Now that you mention it, I had forgotten I could use Alt to make one of these: £.

 

[LCKurtz]

Much as I would like the button, I really wish there was a control-key option that would immediately place the tags for both itex and tex, like ctrl-I does italics.

 

[Fredrik]

Much as I would like the button, I really wish there was a control-key option that would immediately place the tags for both itex and tex, like ctrl-I does italics.

What the... How long has that feature been available? I always used Alt Gr+I to insert "i" tags, but that stopped working at the software upgrade a few weeks ago. I don't recall if I have ever tried Ctrl+I. I don't think I've ever seen anyone mention that before.

In my opinion, buttons is a good idea, but keyboard shortcuts would be more useful, and simplified delimiters would be even more useful than that. Maybe we can have all three.

 

[LCKurtz]

So how about it Greg? Maybe ctrl-t for itex tags and ctrl-T for tex tags, and you could forget the buttons? It's what I want for Christmas, only 5 shopping days left...

[Edit] Well maybe not ctrl-t since I just discovered that opens a new tab in my browser. But there are other choices.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

So how about it Greg? Maybe ctrl-t for itex tags and ctrl-T for tex tags, and you could forget the buttons? It's what I want for Christmas, only 5 shopping days left...

I'm afraid the quick controls are hard coded javascript so that won't happen. I will look into the alternate tag though.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

$$ inline and ## for regular is now working

 

[I like Serena]

$Yay!$

 

[micromass]

$$ inline and ## for regular is now working

Can we switch this around?? I prefer $$ for regular since it coincides with normal LaTeX.

 

[Fredrik]

Can we switch this around?? I prefer $$ for regular since it coincides with normal LaTeX.

I would prefer this as well, for the same reason.

 

[LCKurtz]

$\cos\theta$ and$$\frac a b$$

Hmm. Not working for me.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Can we switch this around?? I prefer $$ for regular since it coincides with normal LaTeX.

I would prefer this as well, for the same reason.

ok fixed

 

[LCKurtz]

Out of curiosity I brought this page up in Explorer instead of firefox and it displays properly. But not with Firefox.

 

[I like Serena]

Firefox in Ubuntu works fine.

 

[LCKurtz]

It's more of a curiosity to me than anything. Firefox works for all but the new addition, which, by the way, I like. Thanks Greg. But I can easily switch to Explorer for PF.

 

[spamiam]

Thanks Greg!

 

[LCKurtz]

It's more of a curiosity to me than anything. Firefox works for all but the new addition, which, by the way, I like. Thanks Greg. But I can easily switch to Explorer for PF.

Well, it apparently isn't so easy. I often open PF via an email link to some thread response. To have Thunderbird use Explorer for html links I have to set it as my default browser, which I don't want to do. So I still have a problem, which is: Why won't Firefox display TeX using the new $$ or ## delimiters when it works fine with the ordinary tex and itex tags? Any ideas Greg? Or anyone else?

 

[Borek]

Opera is not working for new delimiters as well.

Not that I feel surprised.

Edit: refreshing helped, perhaps it is a matter of the MathJax code being cached?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Opera is not working for new delimiters as well.

Not that I feel surprised.

Edit: refreshing helped, perhaps it is a matter of the MathJax code being cached?

Yes that should be why

 

[LCKurtz]

Today it's working in Firefox for me. Go figure. Maybe it only fails on the 3rd Monday of the month.