Formula editor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A formula editor is a name for a computer program that is used to typeset mathematical works or formulae. Often nowadays, formula editors are not always dedicated to typesetting, but often provide calculation and symbolic mathematics functionality. Mathematica is one such system.
However, such dedicated formula editors do exist. TeX is a free mathematical and general typesetting system that has become ubiquitous amongst many mathematicians (and non-mathematicians). Many TeX systems are generally agreed to produce print-quality and device independent output. TeX's greatest drawback is seen to be its relative lack of WYSIWYG input, although, WYSIWYG add ons to TeX are available.
WYSIWYG formula editors often have a palette of mathematical symbols, often buttons, to which the user clicks, creating that symbol on the screen. The software will automatically format and align these symbols to composit a typical symbolic expression.
Microsoft Office 2007's built-in equation editor includes both WYSIWYG and linear TeX-like support based on Unicode.
[edit] Examples
- Equation Editor in Office 2007 - Microsoft Office's Unicode Plain Text Encoding of Mathematics manual
- Microsoft Equation Editor 3.0
- MathType, a professional version of the above.
- OpenOffice.org Math
- KFormula
- MathMagic
