Efofex News

We have added a new vertical centering option to grids/tables and matrices.

Previous versions always aligned to the natural baseline of the content.

The new setting will centre the content in the cell.

We have implemented a change which brings our matrix entry system into line with LaTex, as well as saving some keystrokes.

From V23.12.5, you can now mark the end of a cell with a single ampersand, rather than a double.

table(1&2&3\\4&5&6) instead of table(1&&2&&3\\4&&5&&6)

Any table/grid/matrix you have created with the old, double ampersand system will still render correctly.

We have added a new command, lablematrix, to produce output such as the following.

You can find more details in our online help.

You can combine the new commands with a grid to produce output such as this…

gridc(&”Output”\\”Input”&labelmatrix(&A&B&C\\A&1&2&3\\B&4&5&6\\C&9&8&7)

Please note that we have introduced vertical centering and a new way of marking cells in this release.

We had a great time at last weeks MAV conference, meeting some long term customers as well as introducing the power of FX Equation, FX Draw and MultiDocs to a new generation of teachers.

One of the best things about conferences is that they give us a chance to listen to the needs of our customers. A couple of teachers noted that they needed to produce labelled matrices like these…

We pride ourselves on listening to the needs of our customers so today, less than a week after the conference, we are announcing two new commands for our equation engine.

labelmatrix(&A&B&C\\A&1&2&3\\B&4&5&6\\C&9&8&7)

rlabelmatrix(A&B&C\\1&2&3&A\\4&5&6&B\\9&8&7&C)

Using these new commands is very similar to our matrix command. You can read more about this new feature here.

We are pleased to announce the general availability of new table, grids and matrices commands to FX Equation. The features have been in beta testing for nearly 8 months and are now ready for general use.

The format for tables, grids and matrices is identical and based on LaTex

table(1&2&3\\4&5&6)

Grids are the same, without lines and matrices are surrounded by square brackets.

The full range of options is considerable and we recommend that you read the full documentation online.

MultiDocs is an amazing new technology but there is a lot of new information to take in. Up until now, we have focused on providing that information as short videos – but we know that lots of teachers find it hard to find the time to watch videos.

Today we are releasing a comprehensive MultiDocs Primer document as a PDF which you can view or print. It is structured to allow you to “tap-out” when you have had enough. You can just learn the basics or you can investigate the full power of the parameter system and inline calculator.

You can download the new PDF from the link below!

Download our MultiDocs Primer (PDF)

The recent release of Sonoma has lead to an annoying, security related issue.

MacOS is (rightfully) very security and privacy focussed. Whenever we release a new version of a product, users will be asked this question the first time they run the product.

Users will see this with many products and they are used to answering the question – once.

Another feature that MacOS uses for security is “sandboxed” data. This means that products (like Word) can create a data storage location that only it can access. As we need to interact with Word at quite a deep level, we need access to this location. This is something that the user will also be asked to allow.

The annoying aspect of Sonoma is that it asks this question every time the app is opened and it does not remember your previous response.

This change does not impact the use of our products – if you allow the access, they can do their job. We just wish that you were not asked every time.

Important Notes:

• This change affects a lot of software products, not just us.
• There is nothing we can do to mitigate this change. We are completely at the mercy of Apple.
• The issue has been reported to Apple by many developers and we anticipate that it will be addressed in future releases of MacOS. Having said that, Apple may just choose to keep it.
• The change does not impact on the effective use of our products, it is just annoying.

We will keep you informed of any changes in the future.

If you upgrade your MacOS to the new Sonoma release, you will be impacted by an “annoyance” that Apple has included.

You can find more information in this article from our Insiders newsletter.

We just presented a very successful session at the MANSW 2023 conference in Wollongong. Over 150 people attended and the response was excellent with many excited people leaving the room.

For the first time, we recorded one of our live sessions and have made the session available on YouTube.

The video is just over 40 minutes long and gives you a fantastic overview of what MultiDocs are and how they can be used in your school.