Re: [Texmacs-dev] Mathematics as a drawing; clipboard; a motto

[Joris van der Hoeven]

On 30 Jul 2002, Álvaro Tejero Cantero wrote:

> > Right this is exactly what I am working towards to and
> > I see images, tables and trees (hey!) as such universal tools.
> 
> Why trees and not graphs?

Did we say that?

> > > Anyway, an image has no semantic meaning as far as TeXmacs is
> > > concerned.
> > 
> > But it can *make sense* inside mathematics.
> 
> I think one of the biggest disadvantages of digital mathematical
> authoring is the lack for support for "mathematics is as much a drawing
> as a text". This is why arguments developed in the blackboard, which
> rely heavily on braces for grouping and 'bézier' arrows (i.e. very free
> in form) for aliasing are shorter and more convenient to write. I don't
> see exactly how to do it, but it would be great if TeXmacs had some
> support for this shortened form of writing, which is the one used by the
> majority of the people in the blackboard or conventional paper. This
> saves a lot of 'temporary variables', just defined to be carried from
> one formula to the next.
> 
> For that a way to signal a part of a formula structurally (i.e.
> independent of the bracing style, like with color) should be provided,
> as much as an aliasing mechanism to be associated to arrows. 

I see this as generalized linking. New types of graphical representations
for this will be possible as soon as we have a technical drawing facility.
So please remind us this issue by then.

> Selections
> -----------
> The least confusing behaviour for me, concerning selections is, if not a
> platform specific-scheme:
> 
> -> implicit copying/cutting goes to clipboard 'A'
> -> C-c/C-x copying/cutting goes to clipbuard 'B'
> -> Middle button pastes from 'A'.
> -> C-v pastes from 'B'.
> 
> That way everybody get their expected behaviour, plus X11 users have 2
> clipboards at their fingertips, which is very handy.

I think on the contrary that this will be even more confusing for users.

Notice also that multiple clipboards have been implemented already.
We may discuss better keyboard shortcuts though,
but I would prefer something more systematic than what you propose.