Documentation/OOoAuthors User Manual/Getting Started/Formula layout

Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 2.x

Chapter 11: Getting Started with Math

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• Entering a formula
• Customizations
• Formula layout
• Common problem areas

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Formula layout

The most difficult part of using OOoMath comes when writing complicated equations. This section provides some advice about writing complex formulas.

Brackets are your friends

OOoMath knows nothing about order of operation. You must use brackets to state order of operations explicitly. Consider the following example:

	Markup	Result
	2 over x + 1	inline:Object34.png
	2 over {x + 1}	inline:Object35.png

Equations over more than one line

Suppose you want to type an equation covering more than one line. For example: inline:Object36.png

Your first reaction would be to simply press the Enter key. However, if you press the Enter key, though the markup goes to a new line, the resulting equation does not. You must type the newline command explicitly. This is illustrated in the table below.

	Markup	Result
	x = 3 y = 1	inline:Object37.png
	x = 3 newline y = 1	inline:Object38.png