How do you insert mathematical symbols in browser windows using the Firefox add-on abcTajpu?

Answer 1

While the Firefox add-on abcTajpu was created to help use foreign languages it can be used to insert mathematical symbols into text windows. This is particularly useful when answering questions on message boards. For example.. • Using the add-on it only takes one extra key press to write the Kinetic Energy formula in the form Ek=½mv² rather than in the less clear form Ek=1/2mV^2. • It only take two key presses to insert the integral symbol, ∫. • You can insert each of the Greek symbols with two key presses. α β θ λ ect • You can also easily insert commonly used phases and equations. ------------------ The name of the add-on is abcTajpu and its link can be found in the related links section below this window…

Below are the instructions to set it up quickly. • After loading the add-on and restarting Firefox, go to Tools in the menu then abcTajpu and Options. • Then copy and paste the following text in the Text window that pops up. Delete the sample text that is already in it. IMPORTANT: Because of the way the text below is displayed in this window, after pasting it you will have to delete the blank lines that have been inadvertently created. A single space will also be created after the last character pasted. You will want to delete that single space also.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX < Don't include this. i=∫|s=√|√=√[]|I=∞|P=∂|S=Σ|O=Ω|F=Φ| a=α|b=β|g=γ|t=θ|l=λ|m=μ|p=π|r=ρ|f=φ|y=ψ|o=ω| α=β|β=γ|γ=δ|δ=ε|ε=ζ|ζ=η|η=θ|θ=ι|ι=κ|κ=λ|λ=μ|μ=ν|ν=ξ|ξ=ο|ο=π|π=ρ| ρ=σ|σ=τ|τ=υ|υ=φ|φ=χ|χ=ψ|ψ=ω|ω=α| D=Δ|Δ=°|°=Σ|Σ=Φ|Φ=Ψ|Ψ=Ω|Ω=Δ| 0=°|1=¹|¹=₁|₁=×10¹|2=²|²=₂|₂=×10²|3=³|³=₃|₃=×10³| 4=°| 8=°| -=°| 12/=½|13/=⅓|14/=¼|0=°| A=↑|↑=↓|↓=→|→=←|←=↔|↔=°| %u003D=≈|≈=≠|≠=°|°=≡|≡=≥|≥=≤|≤=%u003D| 0=°| C=©|©=÷|÷=-|-=×|×=©| ,=•| Ek.=Ek%u003D½mv²| dcv.=d %u003D d° + vt| vca.=v %u003D v° + at| dca.=d %u003D d° + v°t + ½at²| wwe.=Wikipedia.org, "The World's Encyclopedia"| fgfa.=For the great Firefox add-on used to insert the mathematical symbols in this answer, and detailed instructions, go to this link in WikiAnswers http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_can_you_insert_mathematical_symbols_in_browsers_windows_using_the_Firefox_add-on_abcTajpu&updated=1&waNoAnsSet=1| XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX < Don't include this. The above cut and paste section has been temperarly altered by the original author due to an oversite.°

•Click the Insert option at the bottom of the page. (Click F1 if using the insert key does not suit you) •Uncheck the "Add Accent" keys in the middle of the screen…Alt-F1,Alt-F5, ect….

I've created the above text for my own use but it should suit the general user. Below is an explanation of the syntax. The general format used by the add-on is... InputCharacterOrCharacters=OutputCharacterOrCharacters| It must end with the vertical bar '|' Any character can be expressed using its Unicode number in the form %u1234 Be careful not to put a hidden spaces behind the vertical bar. Any of the Input and Output characters may be expressed using its 4 digit Unicode number in the form %u1D3F (To find the Unicode number of a given symbol... In Microsoft Word, first type the character then highlight it and then press Alt+x. You can also find the symbol associated with a given Unicode number using the same method. )

Once the add-on is installed and set up, when you are in a text field on any website you type the input character then press the insert key and it is changed to the output character.

Below is the interpretation of the first line of the text that I've created... i=∫|s=√|√=√[]|I=∞|P=∂|S=Σ|O=Ω|F=Φ|

i>∫ (Integral symbol) s>√ (The first time you type 's' and then press the insert key you get √) √>√[] (The second time you press the insert key you get √ plus square brackets) I>∞ (Capital i is changed to the infinity symbol) P>∂ (Capital P for "Partial" is changed to the partial integration symbol) S>Σ (Capital S to Capital Sigma) O>Ω (Ohms) F>Φ (Φ is the uppercase Greek Phi symbol pronounced "Fy")

Next set of lines of the text... a=α|b=β|g=γ|t=θ|l=λ|m=μ|n=ν|p=π| r=ρ|f=φ|y=ψ|o=ω|

These are some of the common lower case Greek letters a=α| (Alpha) b=β| (Beta) g=γ| (Gamma) e=ε| (Epsilon) t=θ| (Theta) k=κ| (Kappa) l=λ| (Lambda) m=μ| (mu) p=π| (Pi) r=ρ| (Rho) g=σ| (Sigma, Lower case s was used) f=φ| (Lower case Phi symbol, pronounced fy) y=ψ| (Lower case Psi symbol pronounced sy ('s' symbol was already used)) o=ω| (Omega)

Next set of lines of text... α=β|β=γ|γ=δ|δ=ε|ε=ζ|ζ=η|η=θ|θ=ι|ι=κ|κ=λ|λ=μ|μ=ν|ν=ξ|ξ=ο|ο=π|π=ρ| ρ=σ|σ=τ|τ=υ|υ=φ|φ=χ|χ=ψ|ψ=ω|ω=α|

This line of text lets you print any of the lower Greek letters by first creating one that you know and then repeatedly pressing the insert key until you get to the one you want.

Next line of text... D=Δ|Δ=∇|∇=Σ|Σ=Φ|Φ=Ψ|Ψ=Ω|Ω=Δ|

The capital D symbol gives you the capital Greek Delta symbol, pressing insert again gives you the del symbol ∇ used for divergence, curl and the Laplacian. Note: You can access all of the Greek letters and many other symbols by right clicking in the text field of the webpage your on and going to abcTajpu in the context menu.

Next set of lines of text... 0=⁰|⁰=₀|₀=×10⁰|1=¹|¹=₁|₁=×10¹|2=²|²=₂|₂=×10²|3=³|³=₃|₃=×10³| 4=⁴|⁴=₄|₄=×10⁴|5=⁵|⁵=₅|₅=×10⁵|6=⁶|⁶=₆|₆=×10⁶|7=⁷|⁷=₇|₇=×10⁷| 8=⁸|⁸=₈|₈=×10⁸|9=⁹|⁹=₉|₉=×10⁹| -=⁻|⁻=₋|₋=⁺|⁺=₊|₊=∓|∓=±|±=⁻|n=ⁿ|

The part ⇒ 0=⁰|⁰=₀|₀=x10⁰| lets you type 0 then press Insert to get a superscripted 0 then press insert again to get a subscripted zero and then again to raise it to the power of ten. It is the same for the numbers 1 through to 9 (Unfortunately the font that many text windows use does not result in superscripts and subscripts which are very easy to read. In fact, in general the font is not a fantastic font for the mathematical Unicode symbols all around.)

The part ⇒ -=⁻|⁻=₋|₋=⁺|⁺=₊|₊=∓|∓=±|±=⁻| gives you the superscripted plus and negative symbols (⁻ ₋ ⁺ ₊ ) as well as the plus and negative symbols together (∓±). Type the negative symbol - and then the insert key repeatedly. Finally, ⇒ n=ⁿ| , the letter 'n' can be superscripted.

Next set of lines of text... 12/=½|13/=⅓|14/=¼|15/=⅕|16/=⅙|23/=⅔|34/=¾|25/=⅖|35/=⅗|45/=⅘|

To get a fraction, type the numerator and denominator and then the forward slash, then the Insert key. Note: The slash comes after the numerator and denominator and there is a good reason for that.

Next line of text... A=↑|↑=↓|↓=→|→=←|←=↔|↔=⇒|⇒=⇔|⇔=↑| Type 'A' then the Insert key repeatedly, to get a selection of arrows Next line of text... %u003D=≈|≈=≠|≠=∝|∝=≡|≡=≥|≥=≤|≤=%u003D| Type the equal sign '=' then the Insert key repeatedly to get the selection of equivalency symbols. "003D" is the Unicode for the equal sign.

Next line of text... E=∈|∈=∅|∅=⊂|⊂=⊆|⊆=∪|∪=∩|∩=∈| Type 'E' then the Insert key repeatedly to get the selection of symbols use in set notation.

Next line of text... C=©|©=÷|÷=-|-=×|×=©| Type 'C' then the Insert key repeatedly to go through a selection of odds and ends.

Next line of text... h=ℎ|ℎ=ℏ|ℏ=ħ|ħ=h|,=•| These are odds and ends. h>ℎ>ℏ>ħ (Typing 'h' and pressing the insert key repeatedly takes you through several versions of Plank's constant) The add-on can also be used to quickly insert commonly used equations, phases or even paragraphs. Note that if you want to start a new paragraph in your comment you have to use the Carriage Return Unicode 000D and write "%u000D"

I've included a few of the comments and equations that I use. Note: I've chosen to end all InputCharacter sets that output a sentence with the period "." This turns out to be useful.

Ek.=Ek%u003D½mv²| (This is the Kinetic Energy formula, Ek=½mv², you have to use the Unicode number for the equal sign) dca.=d%u003Dd₀+v₀t+½at² (Distance with Constant Acceleration formula) wwe.= Wikipedia.org, "The World's Encyclopedia"| fgfa.=For the great Firefox add-on used to insert the mathematical symbols in this answer, and detailed instructions, go to this link in WikiAnswers http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_can_you_insert_mathematical_symbols_in_browsers_windows_using_the_Firefox_add-on_abcTajpu&updated=1&waNoAnsSet=1|

Notes: • The add-on's help instructions talk about needing to hold down the Ctrl+Shift+Alt keys while pressing the insert key, that was not my experience. • When writing code the add-on is sensitive to misplaced spaces and the like. Keep the code tight. Do not allow empty lines.

• When the add-on reaches a point in the code at which it does not recognize the syntax it will just stops interpreting at that point.

•If you have any corrections, comments or formulas that you would like to share with me and others, add the comments to the bottom of this page. I will be notified by email and will look into incorporating them.

•If you think the instructions can be improved, please leave a specific comment about your difficulty.

•If you use the add-on and want to know of any over sights I've made or of any good suggestions that come up, click the Get Updates link to your right. When you return here, refer to the Discussion Page

Answer 2

You can insert mathematical symbols in browser windows. It could be done via on-screen desktop easily.