[Scilab-users] New constant %chars to get sets of symbols

[Antoine Monmayrant]

On 31/12/2020 15:43, Samuel Gougeon wrote:
> Le 31/12/2020 à 15:27, Antoine Monmayrant a écrit :
>> .../...
>>>
>>> I am not sure that implementing the Julia solution with LaTeX would 
>>> improve a lot the situation:
>>>
>>>   * first, we still have to remember a code, the latex one ; this is
>>>     simple for common characters, but get harder and harder for less
>>>     frequent ones. While a selection among displayed/rendered
>>>     characters do not need to remember any code. I have written 700
>>>     pages in LaTeX without wysiwym software like LyX, and hopefully
>>>     i had always a hand on "A Guide to LaTeX-2e"  and its tables of
>>>     illustrated codes to get the right one.
>>>   * Moreover, we can put in %chars some characters that have no
>>>     LaTeX code.
>>>   * Finally, implementing a LaTeX shortcut could not be used when
>>>     editing the documentation out of the console and Scinotes,
>>>     except to render the character in order to then, anyway,
>>>     copy/paste it wherever needed.
>>>
>>> So, to me, the main purposes are
>>>
>>>   * to stop having to remember any code for the -- say 500 or 1000
>>>     -- most used characters, when no complex expression is required.
>>>
>> Well, I don't see how this should work then.
>> How do I select λ in your proposed solution? Should I have to 
>> visually scan a 500-symbol long list?
>> I think I missed something in your proposal.
>>
> We enter and display
> --> %chars   // (OK not here. See the proposed documentation for the 
> full display)
>
> or for a chosen class
>
> --> %chars.greek
>  ans  =
>   lower = "αβδεϵζηθικλμνξοπρστυφϕχψωάϐέήϑίϊϰόϱςύϋΰϖώ"
>   upper = "ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘϴΙΪΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΫΦΧΨΩ KΩ℧"
OK, I see better what you propose.
But you are trading remembering a code (ie \lambda for λ) for 
remembering which class the symbol you are looking for belongs to...
Again, for some of them, it might be obvious (ie \lambda is easy, so is 
%chars.greek for a Greek symbol) but for some others it's far from obvious.
Like where would you put your \Diamond or \vdash?
I've used my share of LaTeX IDEs and all the symbols assistants failed 
me in the same way: they give you easy and obvious access to symbols you 
already know by heart (ie \alpha is in Greek, top first element) but are 
a useless mess when looking for more obscure symbols (why is \bigstar in 
Misc-Math, between \blacklozenge and \spadsuit ?)
>
>
> Then we select λ, and copy/paste it where needed.
>>>
>>>   * to stop having to search in an external document when working
>>>     with Scilab
>>>   * and possibly, to present classes of characters, what can help
>>>     finding the required one.
>>>
>>> Beyong this current topic and the trivial implementation of %chars, 
>>> it could then even be useful to have an easy way to get the LaTeX 
>>> code from a selected character, instead of the opposite!
>>>
>> Well, here is my assumption (that might be wrong): most of the people 
>> trying to use λ or ∆ might be aware that they are called lambda and 
>> Delta and from there, the LaTeX naming convention is usually quite 
>> sensible: \lambda, \Delta.
>>
>
> Yes, these are the frequent easy characters to remember.
>
>> I think there is quite a difference between remembering 
>> Ctrl+Maj+Alt+u+03BB and remembering \lambda+Tab to get λ!
>> For me, the second solution is way more user friendly... :-)
>>
> For sure, but, still, i won't remember \Diamond (why with a capital?), 
> \diamondsuit (all in lowercases), \vdash, etc etc codes without 
> _/first/ sawing_ them rendered.
>
>
>
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