Hello:
I am new to the world of Lyx, LaTex, and Linux, but am learning fast. After
only a week with all three I am most of the way though writing my first
journal article using Lyx. But, I've run across several snags that I'm
hoping someone can help me with. The list is a little long since I am so
new...sorry about that. I have scanned the help files, email list archive,
and two books on LaTex, but with no luck.
First, I would like to use a different font family (sans serif rather than
times) for table captions. Is there a global way to set this? I know there
is an easy way to globally change the size of the font by using a certain
caption package, but I want to change the family, not the size.
Second, I would like to get rid of the default justification for text in a
table column. Is there a way to do this without having to enter the
\rightragged tex command in every single cell of the table? I would like to
have my text \rightragged, but I cannot find a way to set the whole table
(or even whole column) that way at once. Is there a global solution?
Third, some rows of my table are intended to fall on two lines. One
solution in the Lyx guide is to actually use two rows, but I don't want to
do that. The other solution listed doesn't seem to work for me. It says to
enter a "\\" at the needed text break and then check the "linebreaks" button
on the table format popup. I cant find any "linebreaks" button. If I just
type in "\\", it starts an entire new row from scratch, and does not just
move the intended second line down below the intended first line in the
column. Where is the linebreaks button, or what else am I doing wrong?
Fourth, is there an easy way to select text and then format it all in caps
(not small caps, or whatever is listed in the character popup), or as title
caps (first word capitalized)?
Fifth, is there any easy way to automatically have a table span exactly the
width of the paper? I understand the tabularx package does not work with
Lyx (or if it does I do not know how to use it). I would like to have the
table fit the page, and then have certain columns larger or smaller than
others.
Sixth, I have a new command that I put in the preamble that inserts the
microgram symbol (the Greek micro and the roman g) if I type in \mg. It is:
\newcommand{\mg}{$\mu$g }
It allows me to easily type in, for example, 70 ug. But, when the
paragraphs are justified, Lyx does not know to keep the 70 next to the ug
symbol and the space looks funny. Is there a way to keep the two next to
each other?
Seventh, and this one might be the hardest, when I use the \begin{cases} and
\end{cases} command in the math mode, I cannot figure how to make the two
cases split lines vertically or how to make the left part (the equation)
horizontally space itself away from the right part (the cases). Here is an
example of my command:
Y=\begin {cases}10+k&\text {if}\, k=1 \text{and}\cr 20+k&\text {if}k=2.\end
{cases}
I use the \cr above because I could not get the correct command "\\" to type
in during math mode. But, although \cr will properly split the cases onto
two lines, every time I close the file and reopen it, it gives me an error
when sending to postscript and I have to retype the \begin{case} and
\end{case} commands again. How strange. Is there a way to send the "\\"
command in math mode to properly split the cases onto two lines? Also, the
"&" character is supposed to move the case text (e.g., "if K=1 and") to the
right. However, all it does is literally print out the "&" symbol so that
it reads "10+k&if K=1 and". Is there a way to get Lyx to properly
left-right split the cases from the equation proper?
Eighth and last, I would like to use BibTex for my references, and I
understand how to import the citation into Lyx, but I don't know how to
start BibTex in the first place to enter a list of references. If I go to
the command line and type in "BibTex", it tells me it needs an argument.
The help command doesn't tell me much either that I can understand. If I
try to make a new bib file by typing in "BibTex foo", it tells me that it
cannot open file name 'foo.aux'. How does one start BibTex to make a new
file?
I think the Lyx program is wonderful in that I love the wysiwym ability.
I'm sure there are many improvements being planned and worked on. One
suggestion, which might be a hard one, would be to have it natively save its
files in *.tex format and do all the conversion behind the scenes. That
way, one could just email in the *.tex file to a journal for publication. I
know that there is an export function, but I think I read that it is 95% or
so accurate in conveying the full meaning of what was typeset in Lyx. If
this is true (is it?), then that 5% might be some crucial part of the
manuscript and the author could miss the error if he/she was not careful in
proof reading before sending the article off for publication. Also, having
it in *.tex format would allow easy sharing of files with other
collaborators who are using LaTex but not Lyx. Just an idea. Being so new,
maybe I should hold my ideas to myself until later!
Thanks in advance for your help.
John Boik
Oregon Medical Press
www.ompress.com
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
