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Jared Hess
Legend
November 19, 2008
Question

Support for mathematical formulas?

  • November 19, 2008
  • 4 replies
  • 4016 views
Anyone use mathematical formulas in help files? Does RoboHelp provide a way or support a way of adding these into into HTML Help topics? How do you folks do this?
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    4 replies

    Jared Hess
    Legend
    July 17, 2009

    Well, looking some more at this, I found a javascript solution that functions with a free MathPlayer (needed for IE and therefore for CHM outputs--For FireFox you don't need the MathPlayer).

    Steps to get this working:

    1. Download the ASCIIMathML.js file from here and place it into your project's directory:

      http://mathcs.chapman.edu/~jipsen/mathml/asciimathdownload.html

    2. Download and install the MathPlayer executable from here:

      http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathplayer/download.htm

    3. Opened up the topic inside of RH, and using the HTML editor, in the header of the .htm, add a reference to the ASCIIMathML.js file. Something like this:

      <script type="text/javascript" src="ASCIIMathML.js"></script>

    4. Type in the formula in the body of the .htm again using the HTML editor. For example, something like this:

      <p>`PC% = 100.0 / (Cp)`</p>

      Note: Formulas must be bounded by the left accent character (the one on the top left of your keyboard with the tilde on it).

    5. Add ASCIIMathML.js as a baggage file using RH's Project Manager.

    6. Compile the CHM and test the topic. The MathPlayer will correctly display the formula dynamically.

    The one downside is that customers will have to have the MathPlayer installed on their systems. Since I'm not sure if it's freely distributable, they may need to download it from the above site.

    It'd be nice if RH had their own solution, but anyway, I hope this helps someone out there. Good luck!

    Jared

    (Using the latest RH 7)

    Participating Frequently
    December 6, 2008
    We've had the exact same problem and have resorted to PNG files created form equation editor in Word. It's a real PITA that I'd like to get rid of.

    Has anyone looked at the new MathType 6.5?
    RoboColum_n_
    Legend
    November 20, 2008
    HI Jared. We ended up adopting a similar approach to Pet3689 for our statistical fit application which ended up with lots of image files that we could import into our RH topics.
    Inspiring
    November 21, 2008
    If it is any help (or just more discouraging news), we also went with images and used Word's equation editor add-on to create them. So it is sounding like many have tried without success to write equations in HTML.

    John
    RoboColum_n_
    Legend
    November 21, 2008
    How about we all add an item to the wish list. It sounds like we have a pressure group out there
    November 19, 2008
    We tried a number of different options, and money is not an issue.

    We could never get HTML-based equations to work right. It should work, but it doesn't.

    We then tried Active-X-based equations, with no luck.

    Finally, we just went back to (PNG) image-based equations that we create in an equation editor. This editor allows us to save the original equations to a (XML) file, and to export them to PNG images.

    Good luck with your search, and let us know if you can find anything.