Enter and Format Text

Enter text from the keyboard or the character panels, then format that text with the tags available from the Tag popup lists at the bottom of the screen. Unless you tell it otherwise, Scientific Notebook assumes that everything you type is text, and the Math/Text toggle appears as dtbpF20.125pt20.125pt0pttext.wmf.

$\blacktriangleright$    To enter text

Most keyboards don't contain special text characters, but you can enter many of them from the Symbol toolbar:

dtbpF4.2047in3.7905in0ptcharpanels.wmf


$\blacktriangleright$    To enter special characters

  1. From the View menu, choose Toolbars, check Symbol, and then choose OK to display the Symbol toolbar.

  2. Click one of the character buttons on the Symbol toolbar to open a panel of special characters.

  3. Click the character you want.


Everything you enter carries one or more tags that determine its appearance in your document. The program automatically applies the Body Text tag to all text. By changing the Body Text tag, you can create a heading or center a selection. By applying an Item tag, you can create lists and theoremlike statements.

$\blacktriangleright$    To enter a heading

Use the tags on the Section/Body Tag popup list: dtbpF4.3699in1.7737in0ptsectags.wmf

  1. Click the heading level you want from the Section/Body Tag popup list.

  2. Type the heading and then press Enter.

$\blacktriangleright$    To enter a list

Use the tags on the Item Tag popup list to enter bulleted, numbered, or description lists: dtbpF4.35in1.1537in0ptitemtag.wmf

  1. Click the type of list you want from the Item Tag popup list.

  2. Type the first item in the list and press Enter. Repeat for each item in the list.

  3. To complete the list, clickitbpF21.125pt19.3125pt2ptpoptag.wmf.


$\blacktriangleright$    To add a table

  1. ClickitbpF21.125pt19.75pt2pttable.wmfor, from the Insert menu, choose Table.

  2. Set the number of rows and columns you want. You can also change the alignment of the columns and the alignment of the table in relation to the text baseline.


  3. Choose OK.

  4. Fill your table with text and mathematics, moving from cell to cell with the Tab key.


$\blacktriangleright$    To edit text

If you delete something you meant to keep, use Undo Deletion to return the most recent deletion to your document. Editing commands are available from the Edit menu and from the Standard toolbar:

dtbpF4.2436in0.7654in0ptstandard1.wmf


By applying a Text tag, you can make a selection appear Emphasized or Strongly Emphasized; as KEYBOARD INPUT, Sample Text, or Typed Code; in Bold or Italics; or Bigger or Smaller.

$\blacktriangleright$    To emphasize a portion of your text

  1. Select the text you want to emphasize.

  2. Click the emphasis you want from the Text Tag popup list:

    dtbpF4.3595in1.9951in0pttesttag.wmf


The appearance of each tagged element is determined by the style associated with the document shell you're using. The style determines the type face, font size, font style, indentation, justification, color, and many other aspects of the appearance of tagged elements. You can change the settings with the Appearance command on the Tag menu, and then save the changes in the same or a new style file.

$\blacktriangleright$    To change the appearance of tagged text

  1. From the Tag menu, choose Appearance.

  2. Select the tag whose appearance you want to modify.

  3. In the Format area, double-click Font, Math, Paragraph, Behavior or Lead-in, depending on which aspect of the tag's appearance you want to change.

  4. Make the changes you want in the dialog box; then choose OK.

  5. Repeat steps 2–4 for all tags you want to change.

    The Modified Tags list shows the changed tags.

  6. Choose Save to save the settings and alter the style file for all documents created with the current style.

    or

    Choose Save As to save the settings in a new style file.

  7. Choose OK.


Scientific Notebook spaces your document correctly and automatically. However, you can insert horizontal or vertical space, line breaks and page breaks at any point.

$\blacktriangleright$    To add space or breaks

  1. From the Insert menu, choose Spacing.

  2. Choose Horizontal Space, Vertical Space, or Break.

  3. Specify the kind of space or break you want to insert.

  4. Choose OK.

You can also add horizontal rules from the Spacing menu.