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Re: Re: [Mathematica 6] What happened to the

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  • Subject: [mg75611] Re: [mg75554] Re: [mg75515] [Mathematica 6] What happened to the
  • From: "Barthelet, Luc" <lucb at ea.com>
  • Date: Sun, 6 May 2007 01:57:01 -0400 (EDT)

I am with Murray on this. I have not used the old interface for a long time
now, and yes, at first I complained about not having it. The new one works
fine.
Plus :
1) some of the tutorials are just fantastic!
2) the help system is constantly updating from the online connection so it
gets better and better.
3) the information is usually more relevant

The new philosophy is "search" rather than navigate. I guess it is proven to
work by now.

I agree the old interface provided an easier way to systematically read
everything, so one thing I have done is read all the help notebook one by
one by opening them in the documentation folder. I did it by decreasing
notebook size. 

Once you have done that (it takes days) you will have a good grasp of the
new feature set.

Cheers,

Luc



On 5/5/07 2:57 AM, "Murray Eisenberg" <murray at math.umass.edu> wrote:

> My reaction to the new help system was the same as yours -- initially.
> Yes, the new Documentation Center does take some getting used to, but
> the more I use it the more I like it.  The links seem to be much richer
> than in the old HelpBrowser.  I like the organization of each function's
> "home page".
> 
> To search for something, just type it in the text field at the top of
> the main Documentation Center window and either click the >> button to
> its right, or press Enter.
> 
> If you type the actual (capitalized) name of a built-in object, you will
> be taken to that object's home page.  If you type a term without the
> characteristic capitalization, it will do the same kind of search as was
> done with the MasterIndex in the old HelpBrowser.  For example, "Plot "
> (no quotes) takes you directly to the page for the function Plot,
> whereas "plot" (no quotes) takes you to the first of 1-105 pages (with a
> total of over 1,000 entries) relating to that term, with the most
> relevant first.
> 
> It's really nice NOT having to do the extra step required in the old
> HelpBrowser of first clicking on the desired tab (Built-in Functions,
> Master Index, Demos, etc.).
> 
> Nasser Abbasi wrote:
>> When I click on help in Mathematica 6, the familiar help interface is all
>> gone.
>> 
>> Now one gets a new thing called Documentation center.
>> 
>> I much prefer the old help interface. It was clear, and easy to use. The new
>> one is hard to use and now one does not know where everything else is. There
>> is no place to even enter something to search for. One must start by erasing
>> the string "grid/Mathematica" from the little window at the top to clear it
>> out. Very annoying.  before things where laid out in tabs. Now everything is
>> a link and one must keep clicking on links all the time.
>> 
>> Is there a way to tell Mathematica 6 to use the old help interface (same
>> help as in 5.2)? I looked as some options and such, but none there. I wish
>> they kept the old help system there for those who want to use it.
>> 
>> Nasser
>> 
>> 



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