April 2012

From: Dr Christopher Mabb, Scientific Word Ltd.
To: Our Scientific Word/WorkPlace/Notebook Technical Typesetting list

1. Defining functions:     (Scientific WorkPlace and Scientific Notebook only) Someone from France asked us:

   "what i do for define a function?"

   We replied:

   To set a definition, put the cursor in the expression and click on Compute – Definitions – Set Definition. You can check by clicking on Compute – Definitions – Show Definitions. Then you can use Compute – Evaluate to work out f(x) – see the document attached.
       Hope this is helpful. Further technical support is available from the distributor who sold the software to you, on production of your serial number.
       If you wish to consider the possibility of buying our expert Consultancy time, please go to https://www.sciword.co.uk/consult.htm for further details.

   Please try it yourself with the sample document we sent him.



2. Chinese typesetting:    Did you realise that Scientific Word and Scientific WorkPlace can typeset in a combination of English and Chinese, using XeTeX? Unfortunately the standard font used for English is not very attractive, and so we have created our own shell documents for Chinese (see attached – Section 3 for the Chinese text). We'd be happy to make the shell document available to our registered users – please Email us for the TeXLive 2011 installation instructions and Traditional Chinese shell document.



3. Packages disappearing:     A very experienced user with Scientific Word v5.5 reported that:

   "A serious problem has arisen with my copy of SciWord 5.5.
   <snip>
   Unfortunately then when I compile the file two things started to happen.
   The file would refuse to compile, because all of the "packages in use" (in the options and packages dialogue) had disappeared. If I add them back in, one by one, I can then compile but (a) the chapter head no longer appears as it should and (b) sciword now closes itself when I try to open (previously non-corrupt) documents and (c) the packages disappear again."

   Our initial suggestions were to use the Repair utility (see the July 2010 mailing, Item 2) and the automatic backup (.bak) files. However, it turned out that the problem was that the documents in question were all subdocuments of a master document he had renamed. He (rightly) commented:

   "It seems also that I'm not entirely to blame! A sub-document knows the name of its master-document, but it seems that if the master document cannot be found (because I have re-named it or moved it) sciword does not issue a warning message..."

   Hopefully this note will help prevent others who use master and subdocuments from experiencing the same problem.



4. Lost CDs:    We've had several requests about re-installing on replacement machines from people who have mislaid the original CDs. It might be helpful for us to give you the following links for the program files and dictionary folders:

   Version 5.5

   • Scientific WorkPlace (95Mb)
   • Scientific Word (73Mb)
   • Scientific Notebook (43Mb)
   • The dictionary folder

   Version 5.0

   • Scientific WorkPlace (63Mb)
   • Scientific Word (57Mb)
   • Scientific Notebook (25Mb)
   • The dictionary folder

   PDF installation instructions are available at version 5.5 and version 5.0 .



5. Graphs without units:     We received a message several weeks ago from our webpage at http://www.scientific-workplace.com/ asking us:

   "I'm Michael. When using Workplace 5.5, I wonder whether there is a possibility to plot 2d or 3d graphs without units or numbers at the axes. The axes should be there, but more general.
   Thanks for your answer"

   Our reply assumed he meant something like the attached. Why not download it yourself, right-click on the graph and then select Properties – Axes to see how this is achieved? Note that this is related to July 2010 (Item 4) and December 2011 (Item 4).



6. Version 6.0:     Fine-tuning of version 6.0 continues day by day: after waiting this long, MacKichan Software are determined not to release this major development while any bugs remain. Be assured that – however long it takes – our promise of last time (Item 6) will hold good.



7. Even a rocket scientist...     can't always make TeX work right. We came across this old web page at http://www.aeonix.com/pagelay.htm which aims to compare various page layout programs (click the link and scroll to the bottom for the rocket scientist quote!). The author doesn't mention Scientific Word and Scientific WorkPlace as a WYSIWYG interface by name, but is plainly not a fan of the intricacies of writing LaTeX code by hand. Our point exactly...  ; - )