<p class="Head1"><help:to-be-embedded Eid="main0503"><help:link Id="67294">Functionality of <help:productname>%PRODUCTNAME</help:productname> <help:productversion>%PRODUCTVERSION</help:productversion> Math</help:link></help:to-be-embedded></p>
<p class="Paragraph">An overview of some of the important functions and capabilities that <help:productname>%PRODUCTNAME</help:productname> Math offers can be found in this section.</p>
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<p class="Paragraph"><help:productname xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">%PRODUCTNAME</help:productname> Math provides numerous operators, functions and formatting assistants to help you create your formula. These are all clearly ordered in a selection window and you only need to click on the required element with the mouse to insert the object into your work. Furthermore there is an exhaustive <help:link Id="67326" Eid="referenz" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">reference</help:link> list and numerous <help:link Id="67332" Eid="beispiele" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">samples</help:link> contained in the Help.</p>
<p class="Head3">Creating a Formula</p>
<p class="Paragraph">You create formulas in much the same way you do charts or images; usually as objects within a document. <help:productname xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">%PRODUCTNAME</help:productname> Math is automatically started when you want to insert a formula into another document. Create, edit and format the formula using a large selection of pre-defined symbols and functions.</p>
<p class="Head3">Entering a Formula Directly</p>
<p class="Paragraph">Once you have become more familiar with the <help:productname xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">%PRODUCTNAME</help:productname> Math language, you can also enter a formula directly. For example, write out the formula in a text document: "a sup 2 + b sup 2 = c sup 2". After you select this text and choose the appropriate command, the text will be converted into a formatted formula.</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:key-word value="formula editor; in %PRODUCTNAME Math" tag="kw67294_1" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>By the way, formulas cannot be calculated here because this is only a formula editor (for writing and showing formulas), not a calculation program. Use spreadsheets to calculate formulas, or for simple calculations use the text document calculation function.</p>
<p class="Head3">Creating a Formula in the Commands Window</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:help-id value="HID_SMA_COMMAND_WIN_EDIT" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:help-text value="visible" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">Use the <help:productname>%PRODUCTNAME</help:productname> Math Commands window to describe and edit the description of a formula. As you make entries in the Commands window you see them in the text.</help:help-text> To maintain an overview when creating long and complicated formulas, use the formula cursor on the main toolbar. It shows you in the text window, where in the Commands window you are in the formula and vice versa. If you click a specific location in either one of the windows, you will see it in the other one.</p>
<p class="Head3">Individual Symbols</p>
<p class="Paragraph">You can create your own symbols and adopt characters from other fonts. You can add any number of new symbols to the basic catalog of <help:productname xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">%PRODUCTNAME</help:productname> Math symbols, or create your own special catalogs. Numerous special characters are also available.</p>
<p class="Head3">Formulas in Context</p>
<p class="Paragraph">To make working with formulas easier use the context menus which can be called up with a right mouse click. This applies especially to the Command window. Not only does this context menu contain all the commands that are found in the Selection window but also many more possibilities. The context menu also contains operators, etc. which can be inserted into your formula by mouse click without having to key them into the Command window.</p>
