Thread: Idea for board feature

  1. #1
    Registered User VirtualAce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    9,607

    Idea for board feature

    Since math and comp sci are so closely related, would it be possible to implement the following on this board?

    1. Superscripts (for exponents)
    2. Subscripts (for variable notation)
    3. Derivative symbol
    4. Summation symbol
    5. Integral symbol


    I'm sure you can already do this via PHP here, but perhaps we could have an eaiser method.

    Right now it is very difficult to write out an equation on here.

  2. #2
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Out of scope
    Posts
    4,079
    Some of that could be very difficult to implement, particually the integral and summation symbol if you're going to need upper and lower bound numbers, derivative should be easy enough without any help, I would just use f'(x), superscript you can use ^, and subscript, of course, you could use the subscript operator. Other than that, I just break out my MS Paint or GIMP and draw up a quick pic of whatever I want to show. It's not too hard.
    Sent from my iPadŽ

  3. #3
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9,613
    Well I think Bubba is on to something. :P There are notations for this stuff, I'm not saying that we should be able to write it (as in without some third party piece to generate it) on the board but maybe we could support something like MathML.

    Or TeX. I forgot about that... thought I'd mention it now.

    So it looks nice, and you would be able to put equations in context instead of lumped at the bottom with an image. Look at how civil and smart that is.

    -shiftily looks around- ...I'm not saying this is a terribly easy idea.
    Last edited by whiteflags; 08-08-2006 at 11:35 PM.

  4. #4
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Out of scope
    Posts
    4,079
    I think it would also be difficult to ask people to learn the syntax required to properly use those tools. Leaving aside the fact that it may be very difficult and very hazzardous to implement. Have you ever seen a forum support these utilities?
    Sent from my iPadŽ

  5. #5
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    9,613
    > Have you ever seen a forum support these utilities?
    No.
    > Leaving aside the fact that it may be very difficult and very hazzardous to implement.
    Hazardous is a spooky word. I don't think it's all that 'dangerous', especially since we're only discussing some way of writing math on the board. The most dangerous thing that happens is probably you don't have the right font, and you get some nice boxes instead of math symbols.

    Other than that I really don't know who would use it. I just thought it's a nice, possible idea.

  6. #6
    Yes, my avatar is stolen anonytmouse's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Posts
    2,544
    >> Have you ever seen a forum support these utilities? <<

    Physics Forums support LaTeX. The syntax (pdf) can be pretty complex. Extension.
    Last edited by anonytmouse; 08-09-2006 at 12:45 AM.

  7. #7
    Anti-Poster
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    1,401
    This site will convert LaTeX into images. You can always create the image and then upload it into your post.
    If I did your homework for you, then you might pass your class without learning how to write a program like this. Then you might graduate and get your degree without learning how to write a program like this. You might become a professional programmer without knowing how to write a program like this. Someday you might work on a project with me without knowing how to write a program like this. Then I would have to do you serious bodily harm. - Jack Klein

  8. #8
    The Right Honourable psychopath's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Where circles begin.
    Posts
    1,071
    [offtopic] pianorain, the link in your sig is broken. [/offtopic]
    M.Eng Computer Engineering Candidate
    B.Sc Computer Science

    Robotics and graphics enthusiast.

  9. #9
    Anti-Poster
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    1,401
    Does that fix it?
    If I did your homework for you, then you might pass your class without learning how to write a program like this. Then you might graduate and get your degree without learning how to write a program like this. You might become a professional programmer without knowing how to write a program like this. Someday you might work on a project with me without knowing how to write a program like this. Then I would have to do you serious bodily harm. - Jack Klein

  10. #10
    Supermassive black hole cboard_member's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    1,709
    Yes.
    Good class architecture is not like a Swiss Army Knife; it should be more like a well balanced throwing knife.

    - Mike McShaffry

  11. #11
    Crazy Fool Perspective's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    2,640
    You mean ∑ and ∫ ?

    edit: and ∂

  12. #12
    Dump Truck Internet valis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    357
    I think it's a great idea bubba, I prefer tex over not tex and I like the idea of stuffing it right in a post.

  13. #13
    Moderately Rabid Decrypt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    Posts
    300
    Does that fix it?
    Not for me. Apparently I'm not cool enough. I don't have the correct privileges to see the fancy whatever-you-linked-to.
    There is a difference between tedious and difficult.

  14. #14
    The superhaterodyne twomers's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Ireland
    Posts
    2,273
    Quote Originally Posted by Perspective
    You mean ∑ and ∫ ?

    edit: and ∂
    Oh, what's the ? one for?

    Just go into MS word, or whatever, screenshot your equation and IMG it into the thread. Simple!



    EDIT - Example given in next page
    Last edited by twomers; 08-09-2006 at 03:49 PM.

  15. #15
    Dump Truck Internet valis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    357
    I assume your font isn't cool enough to display the either the summation, integration, or whatever that stylish backwards 6 I'm not familiar with is. Bitstream displays all three.

    edit: here's a mod that adds a [latex][/latex] bbtag http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showt...ighlight=latex
    Last edited by valis; 08-09-2006 at 03:51 PM.

Popular pages Recent additions subscribe to a feed

Similar Threads

  1. Terrain engine idea
    By VirtualAce in forum Game Programming
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 04-03-2004, 01:30 AM
  2. New idea on conveting byte to bits/bits to byte
    By megablue in forum C Programming
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 10-26-2003, 01:16 AM
  3. IDEA: Text Summarization
    By Perspective in forum Contests Board
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 07-27-2003, 12:35 PM
  4. An Idea I have...
    By TechWins in forum Tech Board
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 07-25-2003, 05:49 AM
  5. Tutorial Idea
    By sean in forum A Brief History of Cprogramming.com
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 03-30-2002, 11:26 PM