LyX ⇒ Several Questions about Lyx

[Incantator]

Hello. I've been searching for a suitable word processor which is capable of inserting mathematical equation efficiently, and found Lyx a few days ago. I've read up to tutorial, read other manuals whenever I need them, got the general idea but still there are several questions that I cannot find corresponding information on manuals (too huge to digest all of them..).

1. Fine-tuning: In 'Book' document class with two-dolumn document, 'Chapter' environment does the following things; (1) It terminates current page and goes to the next page on the top (2) It is numbered. (3) It ignores two-column and use the whole line it is written. It's good. But what if I want to remove the word 'Chaper' and just want a plain numbering instead? What if I want it to be more close to the top? (with the current margin setting). What if I want to change the font into something else? What if I want to make a whole new document class? I tried manuals, searched with fine-tuning or whatever but the contents were just so spread all over the place and I couldn't find a way to do this. I know Lyx seems rather limited in freedom for new users but I think this is rather a basic thing.
The only thing I found out is the indentation and numbering. Fonts, I just couldn't understand what to do with it.

2. Shortcut Customization: What I got is that there are functions for each Lyx functionality so you can bind the shortcuts for each function as you want. But say, I want to make a shortcut for insert-special character-symbol. I searched for words like 'insert', 'symbol' but I couldn't find the corresponding function. What should I do?

3. Math Equations: Is there any way to use a seperate screen to insert math equations? I sometimes mistakenly use backspace to cancel the math display and it's quite annoying for me. Abiword has one (doesn't show the result as I write, though) and it's incredibly useful.



Simple things, tried my best but kept confusing me for the last few days. Thanks in advance.

[Johannes_B]

Hi and welcome,

unfortunately, we are a bit short on LyX supporters, so i have to jump the gun and try to help with my best knowledge (which is very limited concerning LyX).

The book-class was developed in the very beginnings of LaTeX, some minor fixes have been made since. The layout is fixed, completely. If you want to change stuff, you have to redefine or patch parts, there is no mechanism for changes.
On the other hand, there are classes like scrbook of the KOMA-bundle, or memoir. Those classes are built with flexibility in mind. Here a few examples from scrbook:

Code: Select all

\KOMAoption{chapterprefix}{false}
\addtokomafont{chapter}{\itshape}
\renewcommand{\chapterheadstartvskip}{}

This removes the word chapter on its own line, prints the chapter title in italics and removes the vertical space above chapters completely.

Similar commands do exist for memoir.

You can use both classes with LyX as well, but i don't know how acces thos features via a graphical interface. You might need to come back down to the base level and do it by hand.


You can build your own class, completely by hand, if you want to have things as fixed as in book (which still is quite some qork) or you can build a wrapper around a KOMA-class and still use the nice features. Why invent the wheel another time?


You want to insert some symbols, but i don't know how to do that in LyX, sorry.
Equation entering, don't know that either. I am quite satisfied with my standard LaTeX inputting.

Last word of advice, one of the LyX developers said that LyX is a system for LaTeX users with a working knowledge, so before diving into LyX, i suggest to read LaTeX for complete novices.

[Incantator]

Thanks. I thought Lyx was a kind of frontend for LaTeX so thought it would be better to start off with Lyx (I only know how to insert mathematical equations in LaTeX). Maybe I'm wrong. Thanks for the answer and reference! I'll start with the reference.

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi Incantator,

welcome to the forum!

I support the advice to learn LaTeX together with LyX. Sure, it's possible to just use the LyX user interface, as long as you work with common standard things. If a higher level of customization is needed, then we need to insert some LaTeX. So it's good to know some LaTeX syntax, generally it's a great benefit to understand the LaTeX philosophy.

LyX is good

• for new users who get a quick start with supported common standards regarding classes and packages.
• for the power user who uses LyX for rapid writing and LaTeX for additional customization.

Stefan

[Incantator]

I've read the reference overall, and I've got the general idea. Haven't practiced a lot but I think I can do what I need if it's not too complicated by looking at the reference from time to time. Though I think the reference is not that great to be honest; full of too many useless contents (for novice) from the start and just focusing on several specific packages, not the overall structure of it. Kind of annoying. Lyx was better on this IIRC. Nonetheless it was helpful. Still got questions!

(1) So I'm not a native English speaker, and Lyx is trying hard to translate menus into my first language, whose translation is a bit awkward unfortunately. I just backed up the file in resources/locale related to my first language and it now works fine!(because I just prefer English words listed on the menu screen to avoid confusion at the moment). But it would be really grateful if I can just use the file in resources/locale related to my first language without putting the file into somewhere else and stop Lyx from translating.

[Edited] (2) Pdflatex wouldn't work with letters in my language. At first it recommended me to change encoding to utf-8. I just chose settings-language to my first language, and the error message is that

I wasn't able to read the size data for this font,
so I will ignore the font specification.
[Wizards can fix TFM files using TFtoPL/PLtoTF.]
You might try inserting a different font spec;
e.g., type `I\font<same font id>=<substitute font name>'

The problem is, how do I know what the font I'm using and where do I have to type this in? I'm using KOMA-script Book (for practice and writing something down). Viewing through HTML works though.

(3) Ctrl+L enables you to use TeX code. But what I want is to view the whole thing into LaTeX so that I can understand the whole structure better and practice with LaTeX at the same time (and probably it would make me easier to solve (2))

(4) Now I can understand what Johannes_B suggested for me, and I'm assuming I have to write down the codes in settings-preamble, right?

(5) scrbook=KOMA-Script book?

[Stefan Kottwitz]

(5) Yes, scrbook is KOMA-Script-Book.

(4) Yes, such global settings go to the preamble (LyX document properties menu)

(3) You can export to LaTeX (pdfLaTeX) in the main / file menu of LyX. This can be compiled with LaTeX and also read and understood with LaTeX in mind. Also we non-LyX-users could work with that.

(2) XeLaTeX may work, I just don't know about configuring in LyX.

Stefan

[StarValkyrie]

3. View>Source Pane. It appears at the bottom of the window but you have to drag it up to resize enough to see the LaTeX. Then at the right hand side is a pulldown which reads "Current Paragraph" by default - change that to "Complete Source". This will show you the LaTeX for your current document and will update as you change the document. However, you can't edit the source and have it change the document.

[Incantator]

Thanks everyone for answering me! Many of them should be basic but not for me

(2) Unfortunately I'm still having a problem with this. Here are the overall error messages for various settings I've tried.

- settings-language-English with pdfLaTeX: Changing the document encoding to utf8 could help.

- English with XeTeX: pdf file comes out with all characters broken

- settings-language-Korean with pdfLaTeX:
I wasn't able to read the size data for this font,
so I will ignore the font specification.
[Wizards can fix TFM files using TFtoPL/PLtoTF.]
You might try inserting a different font spec;
e.g., type `I\font<same font id>=<substitute font name>

- Korean with XeTeX: 2 errors
(1) \select@language{english}
You may proceed, but expect unexpected results
(2) the same error message as above in pdfLaTeX case

- Korean + changed Encoding to Korean + pdfLaTeX: still getting the second error message

- Finally, Korean + changed Encoding + XeTeX: 2 errors
(1) \begin{CJK}
{KS}{}%
Your command was ignored.
Type I <command> <return> to replace it with another command,
or <return> to continue without it.
(2) \end{CJK}
Your command was ignored.
Type I <command> <return> to replace it with another command,
or <return> to continue without it.

(Sigh). I've checked the LaTeX source by view-soucre pane but only when I checked 'English' showed it a red message that it cannot understand Korean. Not when I selected 'Korean': there was no Lyx warning.

[Incantator]

I solved it! I just changed to use non-TeX fonts via XeTeX and it works! Sad that default fonts don't support Korean but it was expected. I had other questions as well but lyx manual+google helped me a lot. But still some remaining here.

(1) According to Lyx manual, it doesn't seem to provide a way to alter options related to \documentclass command. For example, if I want to use a small-sized font, it only offers {\small} that can be applied to a paragraph. I just exported it to LaTeX and added '8pt' inside the below line

Code: Select all

\documentclass[oneside,8pt]{scrbook}

which worked nicely. My question is, which way is more preferable in general? I think controlling the \documentclass globally is a better idea.

[Edited] I've found out that I can handle the documentclass options in the settings, I just couldn't find it because Lyx was keep trying to translate everything into my language horribly.
[Edited] Found a way to handle this(tools-preference...). But still when I go into other menus(ex. settings menu) they are still translated into my language.

(2) Still it is strange since I used fonts something like Baskerville Old Face and it never was a problem in other word processors with Korean letters. In Lyx, the pdf does come up but with crashed fonts (just some weird rectangles). I have no idea, but it's sad

[Added] (3) What does document-settings-language does? Changing to English or into other languages doesn't seem to affect anything. Manuals don't seem to have much information either. Maybe providing some cultural differences in writing, I guess? (like how much space for indentation and such).

[Johannes_B]

I cannot help you with the latest questions, as i don't know whats behind the LyX menus. You write a good english, i bet the guys at the LyX Users Mailing List can redirect you to a place where you can contribute with some better translations


We had a thread a few weeks back on KOMA script and LyX, please have a look at what i wrote about the font sizes.


Having multiple questions in one thread is a bit fuzzy and even more confusing for future users on the search for a solution. Can you split the questions to separate topics? Makes it a bit more clear for our LyX helpers as well.

As you may know, LyX is a tool for experienced LaTeX users. In order to keep it simple, please post complete LaTeX minimal examples. Makes it much easier to help.