Scientific Notebook wiki

From Software Informer

Scientific WorkPlace (often abbreviated to SWP) is a software package for scientific word processing on Microsoft Windows. It is shipped as a WYSIWYG LaTeX-based word processor, together with the LaTeX document preparation system and an optional computer algebra system. Scientific WorkPlace is designed to create, edit, and typeset mathematical and scientific text easily. The software is based on a word processor that integrates writing mathematics and text in the same environment. With the built-in computer algebra system (Maple in earlier versions and/or MuPAD in later version), one can perform computations from inside the editor. The data is stored as a LaTeX file. The document can be viewed and printed using either SWP's "native" text formatting system, by processing the file via the enclosed external "True TeX" and associated binaries (BibTeX, MakeIndex, ...), as well as by any other standard LaTeX implementation. That way SWP provides the superior quality of LaTeX typesetting without requiring users to learn the LaTeX language. All formula layout and entering special characters can be mouse controlled, while the experienced user can also do this via keyboard shortcuts, or even edit the LaTeX file manually. Many document shells (i.e., templates) are included to meet the typesetting styles of specific professional journals and institutions. These shells use the corresponding LaTeX style files; however, the LaTeX code generated for including graphics is nonstandard, and some hand editing of the LaTeX file may be needed to meet some requirements. Subsets of these functionalities are available as Scientific Word (no computer algebra) and Scientific Notebook (limited LaTeX import/export, no LaTeX typesetting). Scientific WorkPlace combines the ease of entering and editing mathematics in natural mathematical notation with the ability to compute with the built-in computer algebra engine. In this integrated working environment, the user can enter mathematics and perform computations without having to think or work in a programming language: An interface permits use of natural mathematical notation, with subscripts, exponents as superscripts, etc. SWP contains an "Exam Builder" to construct exams algorithmically and to generate, grade, and record quizzes on a web server. SWP also provides tools for creating 2-D and 3-D plots in many styles and coordinate systems with colored backgrounds, grid lines, and plot labels in specified locations and orientations. SWP can open many existing LaTeX files, in particular those without custom macros, and also many with macro definitions not created in Scientific WorkPlace. The program also includes support for pdfTeX and the Hyperref package, to produce PDF documents that are fully hyperlinked, with links in the table of contents and with hierarchical bookmarks corresponding to the structure of your document. The software comes with an extensive online help system and a series of reference manuals. Scientific WorkPlace can import text (.txt) and Rich Text Format (.rtf) files, and the user can copy content to the clipboard for export as text or graphics to other applications. It can create .dvi, .htm, .pdf, or .rtf files from the documents, or generate portable LaTeX output for transfer to different LaTeX installations. Scientific WorkPlace has a built-in link to the World Wide Web. If the user has Internet access, he can open a file at any URL address from inside the program, and he can deliver content via the Web. The software supports hypertext links, allowing the reader to navigate easily through a series of related documents. There is a "read only" version of the program, called Scientific Viewer, available at no cost from the vendors, which only allows to view and print documents.

[edit] See also

• LyX - An open source alternative with similar functionality