Scientific Word uses LaTeX, the industry standard for mathematics typesetting, to produce beautiful mathematical documents. When you typeset your documents, LaTeX automatically generates tables of contents, footnotes, indexes, bibliographies, and cross-references. Scientific Word simplifies the production of journal articles, books, and other large documents.
Scientific Word Version 6 brings you the ease of entering text and mathematics in natural notation in an easy-to-use word processing system. Now running on OS X, as well as on Windows, with its entirely new Mozilla-based architecture, Scientific Word 6 provides more flexibility for your workplace. You can save or export your documents in multiple formats, according to your publication and portability needs. Your documents are saved as xml files which makes them completely portable across platforms. Sharing your work with colleagues is easier than ever.
All of the MacKichan Software products share the same easy-to-learn, easy-to-use scientific word processor. You can create mathematical and scientific documents easily, combining text and mathematics in a completely integrated environment. Scientific Word 6 allows you to compose and edit complex documents directly on the screen without having to think in a programming language.
Scientific Word 6 enhances important features that were present in earlier versions of the program: compatibility with other software and systems; a rich interface based on the logical separation of content and appearance; the natural entry of text and mathematics; and the ability to typeset complex technical documents with LATEX, the industry standard for mathematics and scientific publishing.
Because Scientific Word 6 is a front end to LATEX, you do not have to learn the LATEX syntax. When you typeset, LATEX automatically generates footnotes, indexes, bibliographies, tables of contents, and cross-references.
The program window has been completely redesigned to provide easy access to the tools you need to create and navigate documents. In addition to the standard menu bar at the top, there is a status bar at the bottom and several other customizable toolbars just above the text entry area.
Documents and all files related to them (embedded files, plot files, etc.) are automatically bundled together. In Scientific Word 6 you only need a single file bearing the extension .sci to share a document.
You can seamlessly import LATEX files created with earlier versions of the program, and can export any document as a LATEX file.
In XML and XHTML files, Version 6 represents your mathematics as Math ML. This makes it easy to create XHTML web files for the representation of your mathematics on various platforms over the Internet with a browser. The recommended browser for Version 6 is Firefox, not Scientific Viewer.
Scientific Word 6 gives you multiple document production options. You can choose whether to preview or print directly from the program window when you are ready for output, or you can view your document in a browser. With Scientific Word 6, you can typeset your document when you need the extensive document formatting that L ATEX and pdfLATEX provide.
New to Scientific Word 6, you may Undo an unlimited number of previous editing changes from your current session within a document.
Scientific Word 6 allows you to check your spelling in realtime. With the inline spell checking from MySpell, you can catch any misspellings. MySpell, which is open-source, includes dictionaries in over 40 languages. Misspelled words have a wavy red underline.
Scientific Word 6 speeds document formatting with a new visual interface for page layouts. Common tasks, such as section head and footnote formatting, are simpler. This new WYSIWYG interface translates directly to TEX. There is little or no need to use the document preamble or raw TEX commands to achieve the page format you want.
Fragments in Version 6 can contain text, mathematics, TEX strings, XHTML code, graphics, or anything else that can go on the clipboard. The program comes with a few pre-defined fragments. Information in fragments can carry tags, and fragments from each document are available to all.
Tables in Scientific Word 6 are made easier by a new visual interface. Rows and columns will resize automatically to fit the amount of information being entered; you can also manually resize them.
Scientific Word 6 gives you improved and scalable fonts. Use pdfLATEX or XƎTEX to create documents with a wide variety of scalable fonts. With XƎTEX you can use any OpenType font installed on your computer, as well as Unicode and associated extended Unicode TrueType fonts. The program includes the latest version of LATEX and AMS macros. The packages yield ligatures and kerning in all text when documents are typeset.
Version 6 supports any left-to-right or right-to-left language that is supported by your operating system.
The manual, Creating Documents with Scientific WorkPlace and Scientific Word Version 6, by Clint Hicks, is a guide to the substantial changes in this new version. Written as an introduction for new users, as well as giving existing users information about the important changes to the functionality of our programs, this manual is available as a download, but can also be purchased in paperback.
While you are doing the work of creating content, you do not need to be distracted by formatting tasks. Scientific Word 6 does that work for you. With so many available output options, each with a different purpose and appearance, taking the time-consuming approach of trying to make the document on the screen look as much as possible like the printed document is simply not necessary.
Because the document window does not correspond directly to the size of online or printed pages, the program does not display page divisions or fixed line lengths on the screen; lines are broken to fit the size of the window. When you preview the document, you will see the page divisions correctly. Our programs use styles and tags for formatting documents, which can be printed directly or saved as XHTML files for use on your website.
Scientific Word 6 provides direct access to the Internet from within the program. The online Help system provides fast information when you need it.