mailing-list for TeXmacs Users

[Todd Wilson <address@hidden>]

spitters wrote:
> On Saturday 31 March 2007 20:40:36 Todd Wilson wrote:
> > I'm using TeXmacs version 1.0.6.9.  Sometimes, when I cut and paste math
> > formulas, everything works fine, but other times, what I get when I
> > paste is a "semi-sourced" version of the formula, with things like
> > <Gamma> and <alpha> in red, 
>
> This happens when you cut and paste only the \Gamma, not the surrounding math 
> mode ($).
>
> I hope this helps.

I'm not sure :-).  Here is what I imagine to be the optimal behavior 
with respect to cutting and pasting math:

1.  If the cut text begins and ends inside of a single math environment, 
and then is pasted inside a math environment, then there should be no 
change to the text.  If the math text is pasted within regular text 
(i.e., outside a math environment), then a new math environment should 
be created that contains only the pasted text.

2.  If you try to make a cut that includes both regular text and *part* 
of a math environment, then the cut text should actually be made to 
include all of the math environment or none of it (maybe giving the user 
a configuration option to choose which is the default behavior).  Better 
yet, it should be impossible to make a selection (red box) that includes 
both regular text and only part of a math environment.

3.  If a cut that includes both regular and math text (and thus, by 2, 
entire math environments) is pasted inside regular text, then the 
obvious thing should happen.  However, if such a cut is pasted within a 
math environment, then the "boxing" of the text should be reversed: the 
included math environments should be opened ("emptied"), and the maximal 
strings of surrounding regular text should become text environments 
within the math.

In particular, I can't see *any* use for the current behavior of 
TeXmacs, which I described in the quote above, since I'm always left 
with useless text.  If TeXmacs followed 1, 2, and 3 above, at least it 
would leave the paste in the most usable form for its context.

Todd Wilson