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Re: More powerful text processing

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg125583] Re: More powerful text processing
  • From: Alexei Boulbitch <Alexei.Boulbitch at iee.lu>
  • Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:19:08 -0500 (EST)
  • Delivered-to: l-mathgroup@mail-archive0.wolfram.com

The Mathematica has big power for create useful interactive documents. But usually I spend a lot of time for create support functions, that help me in realization that power. I hope that in the future Mathematica will have more friendly graphic user interface for notebooks control. If I look at some other systems or MS Word I can immediately find instruments for work with graphics and text. But in Mathematica I have to create such tools.

What do you think about this?

Mikhail Cherkasskii


Hi, Mikhail,

On one hand you are right. There is a lack of tools, if under tools one understands something like in say, MS Word. For example, I would like to have back the tools once existed in Mathematica to create large documents, such as books, their lists of contents (AuthorTools, I if I remember right).

I regularly write  articles with the help of Mathematica, some of them are interactive, some are not, but all are richly supplied by illustrations that I make or at least work over and enhance within Mathematica. In addition they have several numbered objects: formulas, images, references, Sections, Subsections and so on. I would say that in general I am satisfied with the results and with the tools Mathematica offers, though these tools are what one calls "tools" in MS Word or PowerPoint.

The main difference (in my personal opinion) is that the above programs off er you very professional very well-made, but standard set of tools. Everybody use these tools today, and your presentation or text done with the Power Point or MS Word inevitably looks boring standard. OK, it is not bad, of course, and sometimes it is even an asset. Sometimes, however, it is not.

The tools Mathematica offers you (such as the graphics primitives, or some built-in interactive routines like Manipulate, Checkbox and so on) enable one to construct custom illustrations or custom interactive demonstration that are original and unique. In addition, since you did it yourself, I would assume that it will exactly hit the target you need, better than could be achieved by combining standard templates of MS. This is the strong feature of Mathematica. On the other hand, it may take you somewhat more time, this may be regarded as its drawback. It is up to each of us to decide, what do we need more, speed or originality.

Now, what you could do to improve the situation? I will tell you, what do I do for that purpose. Over years I make files where I save successful Mathematica solutions obtained by myself and those I learned from this site, that seem me useful for one or another purpose I could imagine I will have in future. This includes Mathematica publishing, of course. Having started making  such files you will be able to simply copy-paste the necessary fragment of a code astonishingly soon. That would help you to fast make the job and keep it always original and unique.

Have fun, Alexei  


Alexei BOULBITCH, Dr., habil.
IEE S.A.
ZAE Weiergewan,
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Office phone :  +352-2454-2566
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e-mail: alexei.boulbitch at iee.lu







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