Re: Using Text Cells
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg36882] Re: Using Text Cells
- From: Jens-Peer Kuska <kuska at informatik.uni-leipzig.de>
- Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2002 04:44:59 -0400 (EDT)
- Organization: Universitaet Leipzig
- References: <an68nb$th$1@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: kuska at informatik.uni-leipzig.de
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Hi, just one comment: the meaning of the Alt-7 key depend on the style sheet that is in use. The TMJ style use Alt-8 for text and one has to learn new key short-cuts for every style sheet ! Regards Jens David Park wrote: > > In receiving notebooks from many different people I have noticed that > beginners often do not know how to use Text cells and write all of their > comments as Input cells. I have even run across some extremely advanced > users who did not know the easy method for entering Text cells. A good > notebook is usually a blend of Text cells, Input/Output cells and graphics > cells. Text cells are very useful for documenting what you are doing and > passing information to other people. Since many people do not know how to > use Text cells, I thought I would write a little explanation for beginners > who are followers of MathGroup. > > The very easiest method for entering a Text cell is to put the insertion > point where you want the new cell to be (at the end of the notebook or > between two existing cells) and then type Alt-7. Then just start typing and > you will have a Text cell. > > Alternatively you can use Menu\Format\Style\Text to start a new Text cell. > > Often, it is useful to put the ToolBar at the top of the notebook. Use > Menu\Format\Show ToolBar. The drop-down menu on the ToolBar has the various > kinds of cells available for the current style of the notebook. You can > select Text (or any other style) from there. > > Some users may hesitate to use Text cells because they want to include a > mathematical expression in the comments. However, that is also very easy. > Just use an Inline cell within the text cell. At the point within the text > cell where you want to include a mathematical expression, start an Inline > cell by typing Ctrl-(. A selection placeholder will appear on a pink > background. You can type a Mathematica expression there just as in an Input > cell. Use Ctrl-) to complete the Inline cell, or Shift-Space. You can even > select an Inline cell and evaluate it with Shift-Ctrl-Enter. > > Putting comments in Text cells is far better than using Input cells (or cell > group header cells). Mathematica won't try to evaluate Text cells, the text > will wrap properly and adjust better to the notebook width if you change it. > You can also check the spelling of words by putting the cursor after a word > and using Ctrl-K. (In an Input cell Mathematica doesn't use the dictionary, > but uses the table of symbols instead and hence it won't check spelling.) > > David Park > djmp at earthlink.net > http://home.earthlink.net/~djmp/