Microsoft Equation is a formula editor that is a version of the MathType program from Design Science. The program in question was designed to adapt to MS Office.
Need to use
Often, researchers and students need to enter formulas when typing in a regular text editor. For Windows, this is MS Word. When using only the keyboard, it is impossible to achieve the correct legible form of the formula in this text editor, unless the formula is completely simple. In this regard, there is a need to use Microsoft Equation.
This editor allows you to create complex formulas. Formatting the text of the latter is carried out in the settings of this editor. There you can configure the type, size and font style, alignment, intervals.
Program installation
Since Microsoft Equation is part of the MS Word program, it is also installed during the installation of this program. In turn, MS Word is installed during the installation of MS Office. If, after installing the latter, it is impossible to find the formula editor, it means that the checkbox for its installation is unchecked by default in the installer. In order to install Microsoft Equation, you need to go to the "Control Panel", select "Add or Remove Programs", find Microsoft Office, click on the "Change" or "Change / Remove" button. In the window that appears, select "Office Tools" and expand them by clicking on the plus sign on the left. As a result of this, the list will expand, in which we find the formula editor, opposite which we put a check mark.
Insert a formula in MS Word
It is carried out through the menu "Insert" - "Object". In the window that opens, you will be prompted to select the type of object. Select Microsoft Equation 3.0. As a result, the Word editor opens the formula editor, the window prompts you to select the operands for entering the formulas. In this case, the Word menu is replaced by the menu of the Microsoft Equation program, intended for entering formulas.
Formula Correction
If similar formulas are introduced, the need for their constant input may disappear if you once copy the entered formula, and then paste and edit it. Editing is done in the Microsoft Equation Formula Editor. In this case, a double click on the formula. As a result, the inclusion of this program occurs, the formula becomes editable. After the formula is corrected, you need to click the mouse outside it, as a result of which the entered formula will become a picture and the usual MS Word menu will appear.
Style customization
The Microsoft Equation Editor program has a Style menu, which has a number of styles that can be used to enter formulas. By default, a mathematical style is set for formulas, where it is already set which styles to apply to certain elements of the formula.
To configure fonts, you need to open the menu "Style" - "Define". Here, with the help of checkmarks, you can specify whether the font is standard, oblique or bold in relation to any element of the formula.
There are two fields in this window. Fonts are configured in one field. A little lower is the second field in which the language is set up. In order to be able to freely switch between Russian and English, you need to leave the "Text" style to any.
Set element sizes
The sizes of various elements in formulas are not set exactly as in Word. To change them, go to the "Define" menu in the "Dimensions" menu. A window will open in which the types of elements will be listed: regular, large and small indices, large and small characters. On the right in this window is a sample image of these element types in the formula. When placing the cursor in a size corresponding to a certain type of elements, this type will be highlighted in this image.
To the right of this image are the buttons of this window. The "Default" button resets all your changes to the default settings. To confirm the changes you have to click the "OK" button or on the Enter keyboard.
Formulas that will be introduced in the Word in the future will be displayed with the changes made. The formulas introduced earlier will be changed if they are edited, otherwise they will remain in the form in which they were originally entered.
Interval Setting
Similar to the spacing setting in the Paragraph menu and the Font menu in the formula editor, you can also change the spacing between items. To do this, select the "Interval" item in the "Format" menu. In the window that opens, the intervals are defined as a percentage. They are defined in relation to the normal font size that was selected in the window of the same name. Here, just as in the font size window, there is a view on the right. Changing the interval will be graphically presented in this view.
If you didn’t like everything you entered, you can restore everything by clicking the "Default" button.
Toolbar
The buttons on the toolbar are arranged in two rows. In the upper row are symbols that can be used in formulas. The bottom row contains patterns, for example a fraction, contains the denominator and numerator. There are also math symbols.
When using Microsoft Equation, a space is not set manually by using the same key on the keyboard. However, in the top row of the panel there is a button “Spaces and Ellipses”, with which you can select the interval. This makes sense if some special interval is applied or if automatic spacing did not work for any reason.
Finally
The ability to create and edit formulas was included in MS Word 2010, but the possibility remained of using the Microsoft Equation formula editor, with which it was possible to enter formulas of any complexity into created documents.