I'm trying to make a lyx layout file to help with making multiple choice exams with the examdesign LaTeX class. This class has many great features, including automatic randomization of questions to create separate forms as well as automatic key generation for grading.
The question environment is used with LaTeX like this
\begin{question}
Here is a question
\choice{first}
\choice{second}
\end{question}.
When processed, it should create output that assigns a number and
letters like this
1. Here is a question
(a) first
(b) second
I am attaching a layout file and a test lyx file and hope you can
advise me. The pdf file result is posted online here, so you can see
I have some success.
http://pj.freefaculty.org/latex/examdes-ex1.pdf
I've used LyX Enumerate components and when properly nested, the
questions and answers do "look right" in LyX. But if it looks right
in LyX, it doesn't print out through LaTeX.
Here is what is wrong. The "question" environment does not know how
to end. I put in the choices as nested inside the question, and that
"looks right" inside lyx because the enumeration is correct. After I
put in the last choice in LyX and go up one level, I insert a new
question, but the output shows the new question "inside" the previous
one. The only workaround I find is to put in a separator paragraph of
another style. That does force LyX to put in \end{question}, but then
Lyx's enumeration of the questions is broken.
I'm not an expert, but it appears to me there is something weird in
the way LyX takes new environments. newcommand works as expected, but
environments that have custome Preamble simply don't compile. Here's
an example. "myquestion" should be the exact same thing as the
"question" environment. Note the Preamble makes it do the same thing.
Style Question
LatexType Environment
LatexName myquestion
NextNoIndent 1
Preamble
\newenvironment{myquestion}{
\begin{question}}
{\end{question}}
EndPreamble
End
I export to LaTeX from lyx and study the result, it appears it should
compile, but running latex fails. It says there is a runaway.
Is there a LaTeX "preprocessor" like a C preprocessor? I found myself
wishing I could review the first phase of the latex document
processing. Is there a phase in the latex processor which takes all of
the newenvironments and inserts them into the document itself, so you
can read what is going wrong? I can't see much when the LaTeX
document simply has a preamble like
\newenvironment{myquestion}{
\begin{question}}
{\end{question}
}
and then inside the document it has
\begin{myquestion}
\end{myquestion}
I can't see why the latex program complaining.
I'm using Fedora Linux 7 with the tetex distribution.
--
Paul E. Johnson
Professor, Political Science
1541 Lilac Lane, Room 504
University of Kansas
examdesign.layout
Description: Binary data
examdes-ex1.lyx
Description: application/lyx
