Formula editor

A typeset mathematical expression

A formula editor is a name for a computer program that is used to typeset mathematical works or formulae.

Formula editors typically serve two purposes:

• They allow word processing and publication of technical content either for print publication, or to generate raster images for web pages or screen presentations.
• They provide a means for users to specify input to computational systems that is easier to read and check than plain text input and output from computational systems that is easy to understand or ready for publication.

Content for formula editors can be provided manually using a markup language,e.g. TeX or MathML, via a point-and-click GUI, or as computer generated results from symbolic computations such as Mathematica.

Typical features include the ability to nest fractions, radicals, superscripts, subscripts, overscripts and underscripts together with special characters such as Mathematical symbols, arrows and scalable parentheses.

Some systems are capable of re-formatting formulae into simpler forms or to adjust line-breaking automatically, while preserving the mathematical meaning of a formula.

Available systems

	Keyboard input	GUI input	Handwriting recognition	TeX support	MathML support	Raster export	Automatic expression layout	Computation support	Notes
Aurora	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Microsoft Office addon. Renders using TeX.
CodeCogs Equation Editor	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Beta	Yes	Yes	No	Produces HTML and graphics for inclusion of equations in any website. Can download graphics in various formats for use in reports and publications. Plugins for CK Editor, Tiny MCE, etc
Daum Equation Editor	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Math equation editor for Chrome_browser
DragMath	Yes but limited	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Java applet. Open source. supports AsciiMathML.
Expressionism	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Browser-based WYSIWYG editor.
EqualX Equation Editor	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Easy to use for beginners and advanced users. Highly customisable interface.
Formulator MathML Weaver	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Dual-licensing (Open source and commercial). There is a special edition that works within a browser (using Silverlight plugin).
Jex			No	Yes	Yes		No	No	Designed to insert and edit equations in Openoffice
KFormula		Yes	No	No	No		No	No
LyX	Yes	Yes	No	Yes			No	No
Maple	Yes	Yes	characters only	export only	export only	Yes	Yes	Yes
MathEditor	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Javascript, WYSIWYG, Open Source, Content and Presentation MathML editor
Mathematica	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MathQuill	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No		Yes	No	WYSIWYG DHTML LaTeX math editor in the Web browser. Currently only supports IE8+ and other modern browsers.
MathType	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Works with Microsoft Office, Apple iWork '09, Google Docs, Maple, Mathematica and over 350 other applications and websites. Math-To-Speech supported via MathPlayer, its Internet Explorer browser plugin.
MathFlow	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Math-o-mir	Yes	Yes	No	No	export only	Yes	Yes	Yes	Intended to be used as math notepad. Freeware.
Microsoft Equation Editor 3.0	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes		No	No	Deprecated editor included in Microsoft Office products, based on limited version of MathType.
OpenOffice.org Math	Yes	Yes	No		Yes	No		No
MathMagic	Yes	Yes	Windows only	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Also supports Microsoft Word equations, Google Docs equations, MathType equations, Wiki equations, AsciiMathML, and Text-To-Speech to speak math expressions. Personal Edition is for general purpose use. Pro Editions mainly used with Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress for desktop publishing. Mac OS X and Windows. Comes with many math symbol fonts, Greek fonts, text body fonts in OpenType and TrueType format.
MathCast	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Open source
MiraiMath	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Java WYSIWYG Editor, Open Source. Can be used as alternative front end to GNU Octave
Publicon	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Mathematica-based technical document system
Microsoft Word 2007	Yes	Yes	No	partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	A graphing-calculator plug-in is available for simple calculations and manipulations
LaTeXiT	Yes	No	No	Yes	No		No	No	Mac OS X unofficial universal binary. Open source.
Rapid-Pi	Yes	No	No	No	No		No	No	Microsoft Word plugin
Scientific Word	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	WYSIWYM LaTeX editor
Scientific WorkPlace	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	WYSIWYM LaTeX editor with symbolic math and plotting
TexPoint	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	PowerPoint plugin for inserting LaTeX equations
MyTexPoint	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	a small free program for inserting LaTeX equations into PowerPoint with a screen-shot tool
IguanaTex	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Free PowerPoint plugin for inserting LaTeX equations
TeXPPT	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Free PowerPoint plugin for inserting LaTeX equations
Texify	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	An online LaTeX equation writer. Based on open source mimeTeX library.
EditLive! WebEQ Equation Editor	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
MathDox formula editor	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	JavaScript editor for creating OpenMath, Computations are now possible via external web services, but integration of these web services is under construction
Sentido	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	JavaScript editor for creating OpenMath
WIRIS editor	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	WIRIS editor
MEEL	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	.NET_Framework component Math Expression Editor Light

See also

• TeX, a typesetting system designed and mostly written by Donald Knuth
• LaTeX, a document markup language and document preparation system for the TeX typesetting program
• MathML, an application of XML for describing mathematical notations and capturing both its structure and content. It aims at integrating mathematical formulae into World Wide Web pages and other documents. It is a recommendation of the W3C math working group