Popup menus afford access to numerous features associated with the Math Palette, and are activated by a right mouse click anywhere in the palette area. There are two such menus; the choice between them depends on the mouse location at the moment of activation.

Formula-Specific Popup

A right mouse click inside a formula on the Math Palette accesses commands specific to that formula.

• Evaluate evaluates the current expression. If this is a definition, 'evaluation' validates the expression and registers the assignment with the math engine.
• Cut, Copy, and Paste commands work like the standard commands with the same names. The targets for these commands are the contents of the selection box when the commands are invoked.
  An applet is not allowed to interact with your computer's clipboard, so the applet's Cut, Copy and Paste commands only work in the applet. You cannot copy a formula and paste it into another application.
• Font activates a submenu for changing the characteristics (point size, family, style, color) of the font used by the current formula.
  Current font characteristics are indicated by gray coloring, and cannot be selected from the drop-down lists.
• Insert activates a submenu of relational and other symbols often used in formula writing. Click an entry to place the associated symbol onto the Math Palette at the insertion point.
  Some symbols are actually templates designed to facilitate the entry of commonly used math objects, e.g., fractions, roots, subscripts and superscripts, etc. You fill in the template, navigating among fields as you would any mathematical expression.
  Keyboard shortcuts exist for inserting many symbols, and are recorded at the far right of the menu entry.
• Edit Parameter... invokes an editor for easily manipulating the value of the current parameter, subject to any domain limitations. This editor reverts to the Energy Finder if the parameter is recognized as a stationary state energy; see Energy Finder for details. This menu option is available only if the current entry defines a parameter.
• Animate... invokes the Animator, an editor for evolving [time-dependent] functions and parameters. Refer to Animation for more on the usage of this editor. This menu option is active only if the current entry contains a time variable that is recognized by the math engine.
• Set Domain... invokes the Domain Editor, a dialog for editing the current variable, or the independent variable[s] of the current function. Here the limits of each variable may be set, along with the number of values the variable can take in the set interval. This menu option is available only if the current entry defines a function or a variable.
• Hide Entry makes the current formula invisible (though it remains viable in the applet).
• Diagnostics displays the expression 'tree' for this entry with the focussed node highlighted. The tree is updated interactively as the expression is edited or the focus changed.
• Plot Function graphs the current function. The function plot appears on the tab named for the number of variables and the variable names used to define the function. The view switches automatically to display the new plot. This menu option is available only if the current entry defines a function.

Back to Top

Global Popup

A right mouse click in any unused area of the Math Palette accesses commands that affect all formulas.

• New Math creates a new entry on the Math Palette, sited at the upper-left corner of the menu, and places the cursor for editing.
• Align to Grid organizes existing formulas on the Math Palette, laying them out on a pre-defined grid.
• Clean removes invalid entries from the Math Palette.
• Show All Entries makes visible any formulas previously marked hidden.
• Background Color... invokes the ColorChooser, an editor for changing [interactively] the background color of the Math Palette.
• Default Font activates a submenu for changing the characteristics (point size, family, style, color) of the font used by all subsequent formulas. Changing the default font does not alter the font of existing formulas.
• Shift Sizes activates a submenu for altering [in pre-defined increments] the font size used in all existing formulas.

Back to Top