June 2019

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

1. Version 6.0.30:    Here's the list of changes, updates and improvements in v6.0.30:
   
   
   • Set increment for plot sizing to .1 (match what had previously been done for graphics sizes)
   • Added some text to the help system about the sidebars and update the graphics
   • Changed help system text to use macOS instead of OS X as the name of the Macintosh operating system
   • Fixed some broken links in the help table of contents
   • Changed typeset options for REVT_eX4-1 to show titlepage option is now the default
   • Fixed operation of View, Sidebars, View sidebar on left and View, Sidebars, View sidebar on right
   • Fixed a help topic where subsections were incorrectly tagged as sections
   • Updated text and graphics in help system to include symbol toolbar buttons that were missing
   • Updated help text to add "Return to prior section" links (otherwise only toc could be used to go up a level)
   • Updated help text to add text to describe clicking on a tag in the Status bar to select the text marked by that tag
   • Updated help file graphics so all toolbar icons are active
   • Fixed a problem where exp t was not being plotted correctly
   • Updated lists of available fonts in Document format dialog: added Times to maths fonts and alphabetized other lists
   • Implemented preferences for matrix defaults
   • Implemented bracketed matrices
   • Fixed a problem where filled circles was always used when creating point plots
   • Allowed using semicolon along with comma to separate function parameters
   • Updated preferences text when generating T_eX on automatic save to help improve intent and also update corresponding help system graphic
   • Fixed a problem where an incorrect factor was returned when a fraction was part of the expression
   • Fixed a problem where the erf function was not being used correctly for plotting
   • Fixed an XML parsing error when importing \hbox inside a cases environment
   • Updated help text to clarify adding captions to graphics
   • Updated help text to remove references to a Compute menu item that does not exist
   • Updated help text when creating a point plot
   • Fixed a problem where an error dialog would appear when trying to select properties of imagecaption
   • Made changes to cache the licensing information to avoid a problem where licence information was lost before the program was exited
   • Changed dialogs so using Enter with Okay active does not insert doubled objects into the main window. Solved for Windows, but Macintosh solution still needed
   • Removed unnecessary http:// from URLs, and changed the URL for MathJax when saving for web
   • Fixed problem displaying result of a certain solve exact
   • Added mathtools as a package that is always declared, since it is required for most of the matrix forms
   • Fixed issues when using hyperlinks
   • Removed references to Osaka font
   • Fixed a problem that removed the first space in the Link text field when revising a hyperlink
   • Changed newline object to create \newline instead of \\ in the generated L^aT_eX
   • Updated About dialog to show current employees
   • Added shell and support files for REVT_eX4-2
   • Deleted some unneeded breaks in welcome documents to avoid unwanted empty paragraphs when invisibles on
   • Fixed problems where backspacing after entering a certain subscript or deleting a prime in a superscript would cause an invalid-markup
   • Fixed a problem where deleting a superscript to a superscript would do the deletion, but change the superscript to be on the main line
   • Fixed a problem where the cursor would disappear when backspacing through subscripts and superscripts
   • Added FALSE as a possible outcome to definiteness test
   • Fixed a problem with Arabic environment in setting direction for ltr languages
   • Added an error message for the wrong number of arguments for assume
   • Changed to have assume and additionally to have only a single argument where two arguments were required
   • Updated a couple of menu items where "Scientific Workplace" was used instead of "Scientific WorkPlace"
   • Updated help system to remove some text regarding ASCII import that had already been removed from the print version
   • Fixed a problem where null was returned when using Compute, Simplex, Dual for certain matrices
   • Updated watermark.frg so it requests two L^aT_eX passes
   • Updated REVT_eX4-1 and REVT_eX4-2 shell documents to use \footnote instead of \thanks, as needed by the typesetting specification
   • Updated REVT_eX4-1 and REVT_eX4-2 shell documents to add definitions for \@acolr and \@acoll to avoid a compile error caused by a conflict with the tabulary package that can be added automatically to a document
   • Fixed a problem when using Tag, Advanced to change font didn't change line spacing caused by location of braces in the generated T_eX
   • Changed behaviour of text tags to allow containing msibr objects and front matter tags; this reduces the fragmenting of text tags
   • Changed generated L^aT_eX to force use of fontspec package whenever xelatex or lualatex is used
   • Fixed a problem where undoing a removeEnvironment can delete text
   • Fixed a problem where a text tag (for example, bold) could not be applied to cross references and certain other typeset objects
   • Fixed a problem where new definitions could be lost if document closed before automatic save was done
   • Fixed a problem where the approximate symbol returned by a computation was preventing subsequent computations from being made on the same line
   • Fixed a problem where results for approximate integrals were not being shown
   • Fixed a problem where the Compute, Vector calculus, Set basis variables dialog was not available




2. Read this first:    Version 6.0.30 installs smoothly on Windows, even on Windows Vista. On a Mac, you may get a message like this the first time you open v6.0.30, where "Learn more" takes you here. Don't worry, it's in hand!
   
   We have, however, seen occasional unusual behaviour in v6.0.30. For example, if you change to maths mode to type exp(-t), after you enter the minus sign and are about to enter the t it might look like this (the cursor is in the wrong position). We've also had it reported that PDF preview can generate the PDF correctly but then fail to call Acrobat Reader (or whatever is the default external program for viewing PDF files). MacKichan Software have said such problems are due to the installation not cleaning the profile sufficiently between versions (ie. Scientific Word/WorkPlace is confused as to whether it's running v6.0.29 or v6.0.30).
   The solution is to remove the Profiles folder and profiles.ini, in order to secure a fresh installation of the software, as in the second part of our May 2017 mailing Item 7. In other words, delete the entire contents of:
   
   
   • c:\Users\[Name]\AppData\Roaming\SW[P]\   (Windows) or
   • ~/Library/Application Support/SW[P]/   (Mac)
   
   before Activating Scientific Word/WorkPlace again with your serial number. You will then need to reset choices like:
   
   
   • Tools – Preferences – TeX Typesetting – Expert – Use default program for viewing PDF files (to open PDFs in Acrobat), and
   • Tools – Preferences – General Start-up shell. (Note that the radio buttons on this tab do not yet work, but default to 'The shell document chosen above'.)
   
   These steps will give you a new, clean installation of v6.0.30. You do not need to have removed the Profile before installing v6.0.30 – we recommend installing v6.0.30 in the usual way, and keeping this option available in case you experience any unusual behaviour.
   Removing the Profile will not affect your documents; but always keep multiple backups of your documents in any case.




3. Auto substitutions:    This will be of interest to those of you who type quickly, and don't much like using the mouse. Barry MacKichan writes:

   We support JavaScript, and autosubstitute has been extended so that you can replace the pattern with text, or run a bit of Javascript. This is not documented well yet, and we haven’t exploited it much except quite a few of the symbol entries are actually entered with JavaScript.

   For example, while typing away in Scientific Word/WorkPlace, try entering .latex. or .tex. (including the full stops either side of the word). Or .lorem., or .preview. etc. The full list of substitutions can be seen at Tools – Automatic substitution – Keystrokes (dropdown).
   Feeling brave? Why not use one of the existing automatic substitutions as a template to create your own? For example, try using the definition of .ol. (numbered/ordered list) to create a new substitution .bullet. for an unnumbered/bullet list – and then use it in a document. Did it work? If not, compare your definition with the substitution already provided for .ul..
   If you prefer to use the mouse, then Lists are available from the second dropdown, the paragraph/list tags. Don't forget you need two Carriage Returns in a list for the next list item – the first Carriage Return gives you the second paragraph of the current list item.




4. v5.5 ToC:    As you know, Scientific Word generates the Table of Content, List of Figures, List of Tables etc. automatically in response to commands in the Typeset – Front Matter.
   Someone Emailed a few weeks ago to ask for help because their Table of Contents wasn't showing in the Typeset – PreviewPDF. Their .tex file looked to have been written by hand (ie. not using Scientific Word): to generate the Table of Contents it had a TeX Field \tableofcontents in the body of the document. The problem was that, since this TeX Field was Encapsulated, Scientific Word was passing the command to LaTeX without interpreting it – and so was not realising that the document required 3 passes of the compiler in order to generate, include and typeset the Table of Contents.
   There are at least three possible solutions to this problem (in addition to using Scientific Word's own Front Matter interface):
   
   
   1. Manually increase the number of passes to 3 when the compiler starts
   2. Un-Encapsulate the TeX Field, which will then be assimilated into the .tex file the next time the document is closed and re-opened. Scientific Word will subsequently interpret the command correctly as requiring 3 passes of the compiler
   3. Follow the instructions in our October 2013 mailing Item 4 to use the old .aux file (this requires that the .tex file has no spaces or full stops in its name).
   
   Best practice, of course, if to use Scientific Word's own Front Matter commands.




5. Centring equations:    Another v5.5 user Emailed to ask how to number an equation centred on the line. We replied:

   To write an equation centred on the line you should put it inside a Display (Ctrl-D, or Insert – Display); if you have View – Helper Lines turned on then you will see a green box to indicate the Display.
   To number the equation, double-click to the right of the Display and change the numbering from “None” to “Auto”. The # symbol appear to the right, which becomes the number of the equation when Typeset.

   To number an equation in v6.0, right-click to the right of the Display and then select Properties – Equation array properties.




6. Maxima and minima:    There's a wealth of Computational capabilities on the Scientific WorkPlace (and Scientific Notebook) Compute menu – although the functionality is not yet perfect, even in v6.0.30.
   To reproduce the sample here you will need to replace your current file C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\MacKichan\SWP\swfcns.mu with the updated swfcns.mu here (always keep a backup of the original separately). Then in maths mode, write the expression (eg. sin x) and, with the cursor in the expression, click on Compute – Calculus – Find Extrema. You can also plot the curve using Compute – Plot 2D – Rectangular.
   You will note that:
   
   
   1. Scientific WorkPlace correctly finds the minimum of x²; but only the maximum of sin x; only the maximum of cos x; only the minimum of sin² x
   2. Periodic functions do not yet have repeating maxima and minima shown.
   
   We await the development in future versions of Scientific WorkPlace with interest...




7. A Training Day?    A long-term user at one of our campus-wide academic sites (with us since v2.0 in 1995) was upgrading to a new laptop recently. He saw that Scientific Word v6.0 had a different look and feel – and asked how to continue using the v5.5 he knew and loved! We replied:

   Short Answer: <snip> University is on the Annual Maintenance scheme, one of the benefits is:

   • Premier Technical Support – usually within a couple of hours – including for version 5.5 even beyond June 2017

   Why not just download Scientific Word v5.5 from our download page, get the v5.5 installation instructions and install/Register v5.5 using your v6.0 serial number (acknowledging the prompt that you have a v5.5 program with a v6.0 serial number)
   
   Longer Answer: The best answer for the medium/longer term would be that at your convenience you should arrange our live Two-Day Training Course to learn how to use v6.0... Another of the benefits of the Annual Maintenance scheme is:

   • Live Training 75% discount, limited to small groups of four

   There would be nothing to stop you, in the interim, using v5.5 for your work while also having v6.0 on your machine to experiment with at your leisure.

   His response:

   I will have a go at the ‘short answer’ method. (Having retired a few years ago I really don’t feel like doing a ‘training day’, sorry!)

   reminded us of the Pirate sketch from the Million Pound Radio Show. If you don't know it, do click the link: four minutes of pure delight...