Equations and Special Characters in Moodle
Moodle can handle equations in a couple of different ways.
I. Equation Editor in Microsoft Word
Faculty and student can use the equation editor in Microsoft Word and then upload the Word doc file to a discussion board as an attachment.
A. Open Microsoft Word (PC version 2003--older versions also have an equation editor, but it may not have been part of the original installation, but came as an extra on the installation CD. You will need to install and add it from the original source.)
- Click on your word document at the point where you want to insert an equation.
- From the top menu, click on Insert, then Object, then click Create New.
- In the Object Type box, click Microsoft Equation 3.0.
- Select symbols from the equation toolbar and type numbers as normal.
- Save as a Word doc.
B. Open Moodle and click on the proper course and discussion board
- Click on Add a New Discussion Topic or Reply
- Fill in the Subject title and write a message in the Message box.
- For Attachment, Browse your computer for that Word file, click it Open and then Post to Forum.Another person can now click that attachment open and answer it.
I. Special Characters in the Moodle HTML Editor
The Moodle html editor has a number of special characters such as letters with special marking, such as diacritics. This editor will appear for discussion board postings, quiz questions, the HTML blocks, and in the editing of topics on the homepage.
III. Filters
There is an algebra filter and a TeX filter in Moodle that allows you to input a certain amount of code around an equation and type directly into a text box, like a forum posting or a quiz question form.. That code will allow the program to display the equation as an image on the web page. If you type @@x^2@@ into a Moodle textbox, it will appear as 
. The @@ tells the program where to start and where to stop with this image making process. The ^ allows the 2 to become a superscript.
The Algebra code is simpler to type than the TeX code, but the TeX code is much more flexible. Typing $$x^{2}$$ will also give you 
.Samples of Equation Code to Use in Moodle Textboxes
Algebra filter Input
|
TeX filter input |
Image output |
@@x^2@@ |
$$x^{2}$$ |
|
@@A=pi r^2@@ |
$$A=\pi r^{2}$$ |
|
@@dy/dx=3x^2/y^3@@ |
$$\frac{dy}{dx}=\frac{3 x^{2}}{y^{3}}$$ |
|
@@asin(x/y)@@ |
$$\mbox{sin}^{-1}\left(\frac{x}{y}\right)$$ |
|
@@int(x/(x^2+4) dx)@@ |
$$\int \frac{x}{\left(x^{2}+4\right)} dx$$ |
|
@@int(x/(x^2+4) dx,0,1)@@ |
$$\int_{0}^{1}\frac{x}{\left(x^{2}+4\right)} dx$$ |
|
@@sqrt(x^2+y^2)@@ |
$$\sqrt{x^{2}+y^{2}}$$ |
|
@@sqrt(x^2+y^2,3)@@ |
$$\sqrt[3]{x^{2}+y^{2}}$$ |
|
@@x>=1@@ |
$$x\geq 1$$ |
|
@@x<=pi@@ |
$$x\leq \pi$$ |
|
@@x<>infty@@ |
$$x\not= \infty$$ |
|
@@cos(x,2)+sin(x,2)=1@@ |
$$\cos^{2}\left(x\right)+\sin^{2}\left(x\right)=1$$ |
|
@@cosh(x,2)-sinh(x,2)=1@@ |
$$\cosh^{2}\left(x\right)-\sinh^{2}\left(x\right)=1$$ |
|
@@lim((x-2)/(x^2-4),x,2)=1/4@@ |
$$\lim_{x\to 2}\frac{\left(x-2\right)}{\left(x^{2}-4\right)} =\frac{1}{4}$$ |
|
@@lim(x/(x^2+1),x,infty)=0@@ |
$$\lim_{x\to \infty}\frac{x}{\left(x^{2}+1\right)} =0$$ |
|
Adapted from Zbigniew Fledorowicz table, posted Feb. 18, 2004at: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/post.php?reply=24850
You can find more examples and a complete listing of TeX code at:WikiMedia: How to Display a Formula: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Formula#External_links
by ccheal ©2006