Installation

jsMath mode viewing problems

jsMath mode viewing problems

by Deleted user -
Number of replies: 8

Hello,

I am using version 2.3 of WeBWorK and sometimes I can properly view all mathematical symbols, and sometimes I cannot... I have identified that whenever I have problems where the limit of a square root needs to be found then I cannot view the limit notation using "jsMath". 

For example, I can view the limit notation of the Rochester problem rochesterLibrary/setLimitsRates3Infinite/s3_5_5.pg but I cannot view the limit notation of the Rochester problem set rochesterLibrary/setLimitsRates3Infinite/s3_5_11.pg. If I change the display mode from "jsMath" to "images", then I can view both problems correctly.

When installing WeBWorK on our Linux server (SUSE 10.2) I unpacked the file jsMath-fonts (under jsMath Settings). Is there something else that I should be doing to ensure jsMath works in all cases? Or should I simply use "images" as the default viewing mode?

Thank you in advance,

Marie-Claude

In reply to Deleted user

Re: jsMath mode viewing problems

by Davide Cervone -
It works for me. Can you be more specific about what you are actually seeing (or not seeing, as the case may be) and about the browser you are using?

I suspect you are using Internet Explorer. There are a (seemingly infinite) number of display bugs in Internet Explorer, and there is one that jsMath has not been able to completely overcome that might be the cause of your problem, but I'll wait to see your description before I make any definitive claims.

Davide
In reply to Deleted user

Re: jsMath mode viewing problems

by Davide Cervone -
Well, I spoke too soon. I just tested this with IE6 and IE7 in both image fallback mode and TeX font mode, and they both worked fine for me. So I'm at a loss as to what might be the trouble (unless it is one of the more wide-ranging IE bugs that is only triggered by the presence of markup elsewhere on the page).

What version of jsMath are you using (the control panel lists the version number, the current version is 3.4d)? And are you using the image fallback mode or the TeX font mode (it will be listed on the jsmath control panel as well)?

Davide
In reply to Davide Cervone

Re: jsMath mode viewing problems

by Deleted user -

I am lost... I do not know where to look to find the version of jsMath. If I look under the Control Panel of my computer, I do not see a jsMath font... No need to say that I am not a computer expert smile.

Based on the WeBWorK installation manual for SuSE 10.2, I have installed version 2.0 of jsMath. And the manual says that once the images are unpacked, jsMath's image mode will be the fallback mode.

Our College has installed IE7, and when I look under File->Properties, it is written under General "installWW: jsMath mode viewing problems: jsMath mode viewing problems". I do not know what this means, and our IT department was not able to help me.

For the example I have given, when viewing the file rochesterLibrary/setLimitsRates3Infinite/s3_5_11.pg, the word "lim" is missing from the problem. I see the subscript "x->inf", and the fraction with the square root. If I remove the square root from the problem, then everything works (i.e. I see lim with x->inf, along with the fraction).

A few weeks ago, I fixed the viewing problems I had with "images" (the depths table was missing). So I may need to do something for "jsMath".

Thanks for your help

Marie-Claude

In reply to Deleted user

Re: jsMath mode viewing problems

by Davide Cervone -
OK, sorry for not being clear. When you have jsMath mode in effect and are viewing a page that shows an equation, you should see a small "jsMath" button in the lower right-hand corner. Clicking on that will bring up the jsMath control panel. At the top of the panel will be the "jsMath" together with its version number.

You say that you have installed version 2.0, but that is a very old version (something like two years old). In any case, the instructions don't say to load that specific version, they say that since that version, jsMath has an image-based fallback method for when the TeX fonts are not available.

In any case, if you really are using version 2.0, that could very well be the reason for the problem, as many display improvements have been made since then. I would definitely update to the latest version (3.4d).

The issue you describe with a missing "lim" is consistent with the error I mentioned in an earlier message, but as I mentioned in my second message, I am not able to reproduce the error here (IE6 and 7 both display this problem properly for me). I'm hoping that an upgrade to the current jsMath will fix it for you as well.

Davide
In reply to Davide Cervone

Re: jsMath mode viewing problems

by Deleted user -

Thank you for the clarification. It turns out that I installed version 3.4a (luckily, the installation manual is made for teachers like me!).

I downloaded version 3.4d but I cannot get WeBWorK to "adopt" this new version (I unzipped the jsMath files into the directory /opt/webwork/webwork2/htdocs/jsMath and whenever I reopen WeBWorK, it still says that I am using version 3.4a. Restarting Apache did not help...)

It sounds like there is nothing wrong with my installation. So, I fixed my problem by changing the default viewing mode from "jsMath" to "images".

Maybe when I upgrade WeBWorK version, these issues will go away.

Thank you again for your time

Marie-Claude

In reply to Deleted user

Re: jsMath mode viewing problems

by Davide Cervone -
It may be that your BROWSER has cached the old version, so is not actually loading the new one, even though it is (or we hope it is) properly installed. You might need to restart your browser, or to empty its cache manually in order to force the browser to load the new copy that you have installed on your browser. I know that IE in particular will not reload javascript files even if you use the reload button. So if you haven't tried that, I'd give it a try.

It's fine to use images rather than jsMath mode, but if you are willing to experiment a little more, I'd like to clear up what is actually happening, because I'm not able to reproduce the problem here, and if there really IS a problem, I'd like to know about it so it can be fixed.

So if you are willing to continue to try to get version 3.4d working, I'd appreciate your letting me know if you still have the display problem.

Davide

PS, it may also be that when you unzipped the new version, it went into a subdirectory instead. See if you have webwork2/htdocs/jsMath/jsMath as a directory. If so, move its contents up one directory and see if that makes version 3.4d available.
In reply to Davide Cervone

Re: jsMath mode viewing problems

by Deleted user -

At home, the problem has been fixed. By upgrading the jsMath version, I can view both the lim notation and the square root. I tried it with both FireFox and Explorer.

At the College, well, I am still running into some issues. And since it is working from my house, I can only conclude that something funny might be happening with Explorer at the College.

Thus, from my house, there does not seem to be any problems with WebWork and jsMath.

Thank you for all your help. I really had no idea how to fix this viewing problem.

Marie-Claude

In reply to Deleted user

Re: jsMath mode viewing problems

by Davide Cervone -
OK, thanks for the extra information. Since it works for you from home, I'm going to consider it to be resolved.

Good luck with your courses.

Davide