Troubleshooting Latex Errors on Forums

[mlearner]

Hi,

I don't know if it's some mistake that I've been committing without realising it, but the Latex facility provided by this forum has given me no end of trouble. The following are two major problems I've faced:

1) Post preview generates a database error if there is too much latex in one post, instead showing the preview result (I can't quantify how much is "too much", but what works is splitting the post into multiple posts and previewing each segment individually, which is why I believe it has something to do with the amount of Latex in the post).

2) Even when it works, the result contains seemingly random errors... again, I haven't spotted the exact pattern of what is going wrong, but either code is interpreted incorrectly, and/or changes that I make to the code do not reflect in previews and/or appear in the wrong place, etc.
This is easiest to explain by an example: I'm posting a captured image with some Latex code and the corresponding preview generated so you can see for yourself.

I hope someone can help me resolve these problems (assuming it's something to do with me rather than the system) as they have rendered these virtually forums unusable to me.

Thanks!

PS I don't know whether the result would be correct if I finally posted the message (instead of previewing). I've done this to prevent a totally muddled up post, in case the same problems remain.

 

[cristo]

$$\bar{A}$$ $$\bar{\bar{A}}$$

Seems to work for me. Try just making that post, and see if it's still incorrect there as well as in the preview feature.

Edit: To answer your other question, yes, there is a known error when previewing a lot of latex. Also, try using the [noparse][itex] [/itex][/noparse] brackets in order to format inline latex.

 

[George Jones]

1) Post preview generates a database error if there is too much latex in one post, instead showing the preview result (I can't quantify how much is "too much", but what works is splitting the post into multiple posts and previewing each segment individually, which is why I believe it has something to do with the amount of Latex in the post).

If I write a post that has a lot a latex in in it, I get a database error even when I post without previewing. The post, howver, does show up in the thread. So, I put "under construction" at the top of the post, and edit until it looks right, at which time I remove "under construction." After each (series of) edit(s), I post without previewing.

2) ... and/or changes that I make to the code do not reflect in previews and/or appear in the wrong place, etc.

After making a change, the post will appear, but I find that (sometimes, but not always) I have to refresh the page in order to see the change.

 

[mlearner]

Edit: To answer your other question, yes, there is a known error when previewing a lot of latex. Also, try using the [noparse][itex] [/itex][/noparse] brackets in order to format inline latex.

I was originally using [noparse][itex][/itex][/noparse], but sometimes its effect ran off the end of the closing tag and "latexified" text outside the tags. I think (at least part of) the problem seems to be that subsequent changes and corrections to the Latex code in the post are not properly incorporated by the previewing function... I have a hunch that if I typed in all my formulae correctly the first time, these errors would not occur (however that sort of defeats the purpose of the preview function).

 

[Gokul43201]

After making a change, the post will appear, but I find that (sometimes, but not always) I have to refresh the page in order to see the change.

Refreshing the page also helps with previewing correctly. If you made a change to the latex that doesn't show up in the preview, try refreshing the page.

 

[Gokul43201]

I was originally using [noparse][itex][/itex][/noparse], but sometimes its effect ran off the end of the closing tag and "latexified" text outside the tags.

I've never had that problem unless I accidentally put in the wrong slash in the closing tag. Refreshing might fix the preview problem.

 

[stevebd1]

I find that using the safari browser (though I'm not mac) gives the best results when using LaTeX, you don't have to constantly refresh or clear your cache in order to see the correct LaTeX images.

Steve