Matthew Corner wrote:
Hi, I recently started using LyX 1.3.7 and I really like it. Right now I am
using it to do homework and take notes for my math and physics classes. It
is the most useful program I've found for doing this in an easy and
intuitive manner (and it's free!)
From this perspective, I have a few thoughts on what I'd like to see in
future versions of LyX. I looked over the list of features being considered
and I don't think any of them cover the following ideas (but I wasn't sure
what all of them meant so I may be wrong). I am pretty sure none of them
are already implemented either, at least I haven't found anything involving
them.
1. While I like how the math editor has a symbol for the cosine and sine
(cos and sin respectively), it seems like it ought to be easy to allow the
user to define an arbitrary series of characters as a mathematical
symbol--that is you couldn't edit it just like the symbols for cosine and
sine. Right now I don't know of a way to give the math a different font
style like the cosine and sin have, so when my teacher started using "cis"
as an abbreviation for cos x + isinx I was at a bit of a loss. (Maybe this
is a problem related to using the windows version, but when I make a new
"box" for text within the math formula box, I find that whatever I type in
there wether formula or not generates errors during teX conversion).
Well, lyx supports the latex programming/typesetting language.
You can define a \cis in the document preamble, then
you'd be able to type \cis in math. It won't look exactly the same
as sin and cos on screen, but it will look right in print and pdf.
2. Along this lines something that let you make arbitary symbols or at
least input arbitary symbols (perhaps from a bmp or something else) in a
math equation would be great. It would allow a lot more flexibility..I'm
not proposing anything complicated like a square root, more like "letters"
and such; things that are treated as characters.
You have looked through the math panel, and the
multitude of symbols available? And you can insert
a small graphic, bmp or other, if you need more.
3. I am not sure, but I can't seem to have any spaces in my math
box...sometimes this would be nice, such as when I am listed variables that
are within a set or listing coordinates; anything where variables are
separated by commas really.
Look at the math panel, there are spaces of several different sizes there.
Helge Hafting
