mirror of https://github.com/texmacs/doc.git
80 lines
3.7 KiB
Tcl
80 lines
3.7 KiB
Tcl
<TeXmacs|1.0.7.9>
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<style|tmdoc>
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<\body>
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<tmdoc-title|Semantic editing facilities>
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Starting with version 1.0.7.10, <TeXmacs> incorporates several features for
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the ``semantic'' editing of mathematical formulas. When used appropriately,
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this allows you to write documents in which all formulas are at least
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correct from a syntactical point of view. For instance, in the formulas
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<math|a+b>, the computer will understand that <math|+> is an operator which
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applies to the arguments <math|a> and <math|b>. Notice that our
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``semantics'' does not go any further: <TeXmacs> is unaware of the
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mathematical nature of addition.
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Semantic editing does require additional efforts from the user, at least a
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little adaptation. For instance, it is the user's job to enter
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multiplications using the shortcut <key|*> and function applications using
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<key|space>. Indeed, from the graphical point of view, these operations
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cannot be distinguished, since they are both printed as invisible
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whitespace. However, the semantics of these operations is clearly very
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different.
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Although semantically correct documents are usually not very different from
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informal presentation-oriented documents as far as typesetting is
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concerned, the additional user effort may pay off for several reasons:
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<\itemize>
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<item>Documents with more semantics are for instance useful when using
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formulas as inputs for a computer algebra system.
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<item>Syntactically correct documents are less likely to contain
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``typos'' or more intricate mathematical errors.
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<item>For certain editing operations, such as cut and paste, one may
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directly select subformulas which are meaningful from the syntactical
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point of view.
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<item>It reduces the risk of using non standard notations, which will be
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difficult to understand for potential readers of your work.
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</itemize>
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Furthermore, other semantic facilities might be integrated in the feature,
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such as semantic search and replace, or semantic search on the web.
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In order to activate the semantic editing facilities, please toggle
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<menu|Edit|Preferences|Mathematics|Semantic editing>. In the semantic
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editing mode, several of the structured editing features of <TeXmacs> apply
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to the syntactic structure of the formula, rather than the visual structure
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of the document. For instance, the <em|semantic
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focus><label|semantic-focus> is usually a subformula of the <hlink|current
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focus|../../text/man-structure.en.tm>. Similarly, only syntactically
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meaningful subformulas can be selected when making a selection.
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The semantic focus is useful for several reasons. First of all, it is
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displayed in green if the formula is syntactically correct and in red if
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you made an error. This allows to quickly notice any typos while entering a
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formula. Secondly, if you have any doubt on the precedence of a
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mathematical operator or relation, then the semantic focus will inform you
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on the default interpretation: by putting your cursor right next to your
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operator, the subexpression to which the operator applies will be
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highlighted. In the case of an addition, or a more general associative
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operator, all summands are highlighted.
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<tmdoc-copyright|2010|Joris van der Hoeven>
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<tmdoc-license|Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
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document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
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or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
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Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
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Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free
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Documentation License".>
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</body>
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<\initial>
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<\collection>
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<associate|language|english>
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</collection>
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</initial> |