JPH01232465A - Numerical formula input editing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the arrangement of formats for a series of calculating formulas consisting of plural numerical formulas by allocating evenly the numerical formulas at the fixed intervals with use of a means which designates the spaces and the direction for even allocation of the numerical formulas supplied to the optional positions. CONSTITUTION:When plural numerical formulas are evenly allocated at desired positions respectively, the subject numerical formulas are designated by a subject designating means. Then the allocating spaces are supplied by the ten keys. Thus a circumscribed rectangle is calculated from the maximum and minimum values of each numerical formula and the even allocating directions (vertical and horizontal) are selected through the matrix display. When the allocating direction is decided, the numerical formulas are successively allocated in the size of the circumscribed rectangle in the order of designation and arranged again with addition of spaces based on a reference numerical formula. These rearranged numerical formulas are displayed in the half luminance based on the result of calculation. These displayed numerical formulas are moved to each desired position via a cursor and the input of a fixed key is performed at each desired position. Thus the numerical formulas are evenly allocated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to document creation devices such as Japanese word processors and personal computers, and particularly to a mathematical expression input and editing method suitable for creating and editing mathematical expressions.

[Conventional technology]

With conventional formula editing functions, if you want to evenly distribute formulas entered at arbitrary positions, you have to specify the formulas individually and move them so that they are evenly distributed according to the reference formula or character string. Also.

If you wanted to move the whole thing, you had to specify all the relevant formulas and move them. No consideration was given to the provision of a function for arranging, spacing, or arranging the appearance of arbitrarily input mathematical formulas with consideration given to the association of the mathematical formulas.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the prior art, the user performs an operation to evenly allocate the formulas using the function of moving the formulas.

For this reason, in the case of formulas input at arbitrary positions, the target formulas must be individually specified and moved, and the operation of positioning the formulas at equal intervals must rely on visual estimation. was there.

An object of the present invention is to provide a function that allows arbitrarily specified mathematical expressions to be evenly allocated based on a reference mathematical expression, and at the same time, to move the allocated state to a desired position. The goal is to simplify the formatting of a series of calculation formulas, etc.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above purpose is a means of specifying a formula to be evenly allocated, and a means of inputting an evenly allocated interval.

A method for finding the circumscribing rectangle of each target formula, a method for specifying the direction of equal allocation (vertical, horizontal), a means for calculating the placement of each formula at specified intervals, and a method for hypothesizing the placement results of each formula. This is achieved by providing means for displaying, means for instructing the moving direction in the tentative display state of each of the equally allocated numerical formulas, and means for determining the equal allocation.

[Effect]

In order to evenly allocate a plurality of formulas and arrange them at desired positions, the target formulas are specified using the target designation means, and then the allocation interval is input using the numeric keys. Once the allocation interval is input, a circumscribed rectangle is calculated from the maximum and minimum values of each formula, and then the direction of uniform allocation (vertical, horizontal) is selected using a matrix display. Once the layout direction has been decided, each formula is rearranged in the specified order based on the formula that serves as the modulus, adding the layout interval to the size of the circumscribed rectangle, and the rearranged formulas based on the calculation results are displayed at half brightness. indicate. The equations displayed in half-brightness are moved to the desired position with the cursor, and when the desired position is reached, the confirmation key is input to complete the equal allocation of the equations.

〔Example〕

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a word processor will be described below with reference to one drawing.

The mathematical formula targeted by the present invention is shown in FIG. 3(a).

The characters that make up a mathematical formula are divided into regular characters and mathematical symbols. A mathematical symbol is a symbol with a special meaning used in mathematics, and in Figure 3(a), it is Σ.

- (fraction bar), j, etc. A mathematical symbol (hereinafter referred to as a function symbol) has a character string attached to it, such as the denominator and numerator 2a in □ in Figure 3(a), and is attached to the function symbol to make sense as a mathematical formula. The character string to be used is called an argument, and the function symbol and its argument are called a function. A number of these functions come together to form a mathematical expression. Also, the above argument may be a simple string, but generally the argument 3(a)
In the figure: 1 k is included and forms a hierarchical structure. The data of these mathematical formulas are stored in the storage device 402, and the format is as shown in FIG. 3(b).
11, Y=Σ is stored in the form of characters such as =1, function symbols, and a delimiter 313 that identifies the hierarchical relationship. However, unlike text strings in documents, formulas are
Since they are arranged in a so-called two-dimensional manner, the data structure cannot be handled without a hierarchical structure. Figure 3(c) is
) shows the hierarchical structure of the formulas in Figure 3(b).When displaying the formulas, it is necessary to expand the formula data in Figure 3(b) according to the hierarchical structure and calculate the size and coordinates of each character string. be.

Next, the hardware configuration of the present invention will be explained. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the equipment configuration of the present invention. The hardware to which the present invention is applied is an input device 401, such as a keyboard, for inputting a single character string, function symbol, etc. Storage device 4029 for storing character codes and function symbols of input character strings Display unit such as a CRT display for displaying character strings [1ff40
3. It is constituted by a control device 404 that controls each of the above-mentioned parts.

Of these, the control device 404 will be explained in detail.

The control device 404 includes a mathematical expression input section 405. Formula display section 40
62 character string specification section 407. It is composed of four mechanisms of the formula editing section 408.

(1) Mathematical formula input section 405 As described above, a mathematical formula is composed of a collection of character strings and functions. A function is formed by a function symbol and arguments, but the number and display position of the attached arguments differ depending on the function symbol. Therefore, the formula input unit 405 has a table (hereinafter simply referred to as an argument table) that summarizes the number of attached arguments for all function symbols.

When the operator inputs a function symbol from the input device 401, the mathematical formula input unit 405 calculates the number of arguments attached to the input function symbol from the argument table, displays the function symbol on the display device 403, and displays the first function symbol. takes the argument input of,
The operator inputs a character string constituting an argument, and inputs a delimiter at the end of the argument to indicate that one argument has ended. The formula input unit 405 takes in input arguments for the number of arguments determined from the argument table. The input character strings, function symbols, and argument 2 delimiters are arranged in one column in the order of input, as shown in FIG. 3(b). The data are arranged and stored in the storage device 402.

(2) Mathematical formula display section 406 In order to display mathematical formulas, a fixed size (character spacing,
Instead of characters with line spacing (line spacing), two-dimensional areas of different sizes should be considered as a basis, and these should be arranged vertically or horizontally depending on the type of function symbol. That is, it is necessary to set the size of an area (hereinafter referred to as an argument area) for each function symbol and argument, and to arrange each argument at a fixed position depending on the type of function symbol.

In this case, the method of arranging each function symbol is stored in the program.

This will be specifically explained using the following formula as an example.

Δ Σ Xi Δ: uninput argument The size of the function symbol and argument area in the above formula is defined as follows.

Σ =4englx, lengthly (function symbol)
i=1...length2x, length2y (first argument) Δ...length3x,, lcngay (
2nd argument) X i -1eng4x, 1eng4y
(Third argument) Also, each argument area has its own horizontal character string reference line (hereinafter referred to as the baseline), and these are set as base, base2, etc. as above. ba
Sea.

Set it to base4.

First, Σ,1=1. The size of the argument area for Δ and Xi is determined from the total width and maximum height of the characters included in each argument. If the argument is not input, the size is fixed (hereinafter referred to as the uninput area).

The baseline differs depending on the type of function symbol, but it is as follows: String: String height Σ: (Length to bottom of Σ/2)
+ (Normal character height/2) Fraction...Numerator 10 Normal character height/2 No input argument...Set as the height of a half-width character.

In the above formula, each baseline is base
:= (length/2) + (normal character height/
2) base2 == 1eng2y basea == lcngay base4 = length4y.

Next, change the above formula to Δ Σ・・・・・・d I:I Xi ・・・・・・b Divide into 2 and calculate the size of each using the following formula.

lengax=max (lenglx, length2
x, length3x) lcngay = length
+ length2y + length3ylengthbx
= length4x lengthby = length4y basea =1eng3y+baselbaseb
= length4y Based on the obtained data of a and b, the position of each argument is set by arranging a and b so that each baseline coincides with the X direction (FIG. 5).

In the above processing, if there is a function among the arguments and the size of the argument cannot be determined, the size of the inner function is determined using the same procedure, and then the size of the argument is calculated.

If the hierarchical structure of the function is deeper, the process is repeated while performing recursive calls until the size of the argument to be determined is determined, and the size and coordinates of the argument are determined.

(3) Character string specification section 407 When a part of the mathematical expression displayed by the mathematical expression display section 406 is specified using the input device 401, the specified character or function symbol is located in the data stored in the storage device 404. Search for

(4) Equation section eastern section 408 Edits the characters or arguments obtained by the character string specification section 407, such as inserting or correcting them.

The input method is the same as the character string input section, and the storage device 4
02, the re-input character string data is inserted into the specified character string position.

Next, in the apparatus consisting of the above mechanism, the specific contents of this embodiment will be explained in the processing flowchart of FIG.
d) Explanation will be given using the equal allocation example shown in the figure.

Equal allocation is an arbitrarily input formula (second (a)
Formula 2-a-1 in the figure, Formula 2-a-2゜ Formula 2-a-3
) in Figure 2(d) as Formula 2-d-1, Formula 2-d-2,
This is a function to allocate them evenly as shown in formula 2-d-3.

The formula equal allocation functions by specifying equal allocation from the input device 401 (steps 101 and 1).
02). Once equal allocation has been specified, first a standard mathematical expression is specified, and then mathematical expressions to be equally allocated are sequentially specified (step 103).The method of designation is to move the cursor to the target mathematical expression and specify the target. In this example, target formulas are displayed with shading so that they can be distinguished from other formulas (Formula 2-b-1, Formula 2-d-2 in Figure 2(b)).
, Equation 2-b-3), but black and white inverted display may be used as long as it can be distinguished from other equations.

Once all formulas for equal allocation have been specified, enter the equal allocation interval using the numeric keys (Step 1)
04). Next, the uniform allocation direction is specified using a matrix display selection method (the direction may be specified by a method such as assigning soft keys) (step 105). This explanatory diagram shows an example of evenly allocating mathematical equations arranged vertically, but in the case of mathematics test forms created at schools, there are examples where N questions are arranged horizontally, so horizontally evenly allocating method is also supported. did.

Once the interval and direction of equal allocation are specified, the input interval is added in the specified direction based on the reference coordinates, maximum value, and minimum value of each formula stored in the formula management unit 311. The placement position is calculated (step 106). Next, as shown in Equation 2-c-1, Equation 2-c-2, and Equation 2-c-3 in Figure 2(C), the equations resulting from the rearrangement are temporarily displayed, and a circumscribed rectangle 2 containing all the target equations is displayed. -c-4 is also displayed (step 107). In the above state, when the cursor keys (←→↑↓) are input, the coordinates of the circumscribed rectangle 2-c-4 are corrected in the cursor direction. It is moved and displayed (steps 108, 109, 110, 107). If the confirmation key is input in step 108, step 1
11, and in step 112, the standard coordinate values of the formula management unit 311 for all of the large number of equal allocation targets are updated to the coordinate values at the time of determination. Next, in step 113, the formulas in the temporary display state are erased, and each formula is redisplayed in the confirmed state after equal allocation.Formula 2-d-1, Formula 2-d-2,
Formula 2-d-3) Finish equal allocation of formulas.

In this embodiment, the method of specifying the interval of equal allocation is used, but a method of specifying the pitch may also be used.

In addition, although the equal allocation order was performed in the order in which the targets were specified,
A method may also be considered in which each formula is rearranged in order based on its relative position.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently perform an operation of evenly allocating and arranging created mathematical formulas at arbitrary positions, which has not been considered in the mathematical formula input/editing device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the present invention, and FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d) are diagrams showing movements on the screen in the implementation state of the present invention. FIG. 3(a) shows an example of a mathematical formula handled by the present invention, FIG. 3(b) shows its data structure, and FIG. 3(c) shows its hierarchical structure. FIG. 4 shows a hardware configuration to which the present invention is applied. Fifth
The diagram is. It shows how to obtain the display coordinates of a mathematical formula in the present invention. 101...Function input step, 102...Equal allocation determination step, 103...Equal allocation target formula designation processing step, 104...Equal allocation interval input step, 105...Equal allocation direction designation step, 106 ... Equal allocation calculation processing step, 108
...Movement direction correction processing step after equal allocation, 1
112...Mathematical data update after equal allocation Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A document creation device that displays document information on a display device and creates, edits and proofreads the document based on instructions from an input device, which creates a hierarchy for each unit of characters or character strings such as mathematical formulas. In a document creation method having a means for inputting related character strings, a means for storing the hierarchical relationship, and a means for editing the mathematical formula input by the input means, a mathematical formula input at an arbitrary position by the said means 1. A mathematical expression input/editing method characterized by providing means for specifying intervals and directions for equally allocating the mathematical expressions, and evenly allocating the mathematical expressions at constant intervals. 2. In the formula input/edit method according to claim 1, means is provided for specifying placement positions for the evenly allocated formulas, and it is also possible to move the input formulas to arbitrary positions with the formulas evenly allocated. A formula input/editing method characterized by the following.