Operation Manual

If you frequently need to insert formulas, it is advisable to add the Formula button to the Standard
toolbar or create a keyboard shortcut. See Chapter 14, Customizing LibreOffice, for more
information.
Entering a formula
The equation editor uses a markup language to represent formulas. For example, %beta creates
the Greek character beta (
β
). This markup is designed to read similar to English whenever
possible. For example, a over b produces a fraction:
a
b
.
You can enter a formula in three ways:
• Select a symbol from the Elements window.
• Right-click on the equation editor and select the symbol from the context menu.
• Type markup in the equation editor.
The context menu and the Elements window insert the markup corresponding to a symbol. This
provides a convenient way to learn the LibreOffice Math markup.
Note
Click on the document body to exit the formula editor.
Double-click on a formula to enter the formula editor again.
The Elements window
The simplest method for entering a formula is the Elements window.
Figure 261: Symbols are divided into
categories
The Elements window is divided into two main parts.
• The top shows the symbol categories. Click on these to change the list of symbols.
• The bottom shows the symbols available in the current category.
Tip
You can hide or show the Elements window with View > Elements.
262 | Getting Started with LibreOffice 4.0