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However, when such a student reaches the limits, unlike LaTeX there is absolutely no recourse to expand the program to satisfy it.
Students studying mathematics might not be motivated to learn LaTeX because they might be able to get by with Equation Builder in Word to satisfy the vast majority of their needs. (Note:- Geometric shapes are otherwise available in the Insert ribbon) No highly advanced LaTeX tools such as graphing, commutative diagrams, or geometric shapes are implemented.
No LaTeX typesetting tools such as labels and references are implemented.
Examples here are matrices, multiple aligned equations, and binomial coefficients. Math Builder code tends to be shorter than LaTeX code and disappears upon completion to the WYSIWYG output.
There are differences between Math Builder and LaTeX code: advanced functionality that requires more than just a symbol tend to follow the same flavor but have slightly different syntax. Typically this is the LaTeX code for the symbol. Some uncommon symbols are not listed in the menu and require knowing the keyboard shortcut. It can be used in Outlook to easily write equations in emails it renders as images to the recipent. The format used is non-proprietary and given in Unicode Technical Note #28.
Nearly all symbols use the same commands as LaTeX. It's easy to use: Common symbols have keyboard shortcuts so that a veteran user need not use a mouse at all. Common symbols have point-and-click icons. It's easy to get started: it's already built in to Microsoft Word. Math Builder is WYSIWYG: after typing an equation you see immediately what it looks like. Note that Math Builder does not perform any mathematics it is a tool for displaying it. A stepping stone between word processing (MS Word) and typesetting (LaTeX). Typing any document whose focus is not itself mathematics. Microsoft call this hybrid language the Office Math Markup Language, or OMML for short. Math Builder is a much easier to use tool that has less functionality than LaTeX but more than typical document processing. The mathematical community almost universally accepts a typesetting language called LaTeX. Typesetting mathematics on a computer has always been a challenge. Note that this is a different tool than the legacy tool Equation Editor 3.0 (which is still available on 32-bit Office versions until the January 2018 update ) and MathType. It also applies to Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel 2010 and higher. This book is about the Math Builder (officially called as Equation Editor) tool in Microsoft Word and Outlook 2007 and higher.