# How can I make a set of latex flashcards that I can print to write my answers on one side?

I want to adapt the code from the answer to latex flashcard problem so that the right hand side has a question and the left has the answer rather than on the bottom of the page.

This is so that I can print it and scribble on it to keep testing myself on the same definitions.

The blank thing would be handy now and again but the question is more likely my style anyway.

My attempt to adapt it has not gone too well the answer always seems to be at the bottom.

checked about the flashcards package due to suggestions below and I definitely have it installed:

This person's flashcards compiled fine. I think I'll use his as a template instead of the previous link, but even this still has the same issue; where the answers are on a different page rather than something you can fold over

Can anyone think of a way to adapt it?

EDIT: Adding my adapted code borrowed off a person called Jason Underdown this is where I borrowed it from

\documentclass[avery5371,grid]{flashcards}

\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\cardbackstyle{empty}

\begin{document}

\begin{flashcard}[Definition]{Method of Frobenius}

\vspace*{\stretch{1}}
\begin{displaymath}
w(x,r)=(x-x_{0})\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}a_{n}(x-x_{0})^{n}
\end{displaymath}
\vspace*{\stretch{1}}
\end{flashcard}

\begin{flashcard}[Definition]{Hamiltonian operator}
\vspace*{\stretch{1}}
\begin{displaymath}
\textrm{\^H} = -\frac{\hbar^2}{2m}\nabla^2 + V
\end{displaymath}
\vspace*{\stretch{1}}
\end{flashcard}

\end{document}


Update: I am a step closer. It is not in the configuration of this package so I would need to workaround it I think so far I have it printing on two pages but in an order that is easier to stick the sheets together if printed with:

\documentclass[avery5371,grid,dvips]{flashcards}


UPDATE: I have read through the whole thing and it cannot be done with this package. The closest I get to it is being able to format it so I can stick two pages together.

UPDATE: Also keen to get printed solutions. I know about anki and have used it but I sometimes find being at a computer is not always what is needed and good old fashioned pen and paper solutions are what really sticks. (Aside from that I found anki flipped the questions to be answers after a while and that was a real flaw with it, for me)

Another package/idea?

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I hope you had a look at this ctan –  texenthusiast Dec 11 '12 at 0:38
I did not but I don't think i need to install anything new that code compiled fine and did what it was meant to with >\documentclass[frontgrid]{flacards} –  Magpie Dec 11 '12 at 0:47
@Magpie Re: @texenthusiast's link,Try kpsewhich flashcards in your terminal to see if the package is already installed in your system. To read the manual try texdoc flashcards. –  hpesoj626 Dec 11 '12 at 0:54
weird the document comes up but kpsewhich flashcards does nothing? –  Magpie Dec 11 '12 at 0:58
@Magpie Re:@hpesoj626 kpsewhich flashcards.cls locates the installation of class file –  texenthusiast Dec 11 '12 at 1:44

Here's a "proof of concept" using pgfpages instead of flashcards. This gives considerable flexibility on how virtual pages are placed on a physical page.

I had to emulate the look of the flashcards and probably got it horribly wrong. The \makeatletter ... \makeatother stuff is simply to add a border to the virtual pages without having to define a whole new page layout.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[paperwidth=.5\paperwidth,paperheight=.25\paperheight]{geometry}
\usepackage{pgfpages}
\pagestyle{empty}
\thispagestyle{empty}
\pgfpagesuselayout{8 on 1}[a4paper]
\makeatletter
\@tempcnta=1\relax
\loop\ifnum\@tempcnta<9\relax
\pgf@pset{\the\@tempcnta}{bordercode}{\pgfusepath{stroke}}
\repeat
\makeatother

\newenvironment{flashcard}[2][]{%
\noindent  \textsc{#1}

\vfill
\centerline{{\Large\emph{#2}}}
\vfill
\newpage
}
{\newpage}

\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

\begin{flashcard}[Definition]{Method of Frobenius}

\vspace*{\stretch{1}}
\begin{displaymath}
w(x,r)=(x-x_{0})\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}a_{n}(x-x_{0})^{n}
\end{displaymath}
\vspace*{\stretch{1}}
\end{flashcard}

\begin{flashcard}[Definition]{Hamiltonian operator}
\vspace*{\stretch{1}}
\begin{displaymath}
\textrm{\^H} = -\frac{\hbar^2}{2m}\nabla^2 + V
\end{displaymath}
\vspace*{\stretch{1}}
\end{flashcard}

\end{document}


Result:

-
Yep that looks like the cookie. They should totally add this functionality to flashcards! I will confirm when I have printed it out! –  Magpie Jan 4 '13 at 19:42

You may want to check out a program called "Anki" (http://ankisrs.net/). It is a opensource flashcard program with support for Latex formulas (via dvipng) and is available for every platform (incl. cell phones). Unfortunately it does not have a "print" feature, if that is essential for you.

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thanks for your suggestion. I have tried anki and it is certainly worthy of a shout, but not what I am after in this case: I have edited my question to clarify. –  Magpie Jan 3 '13 at 22:32

I don't know, whether that might help (and it's up to now only in german) but here http://www.rbergmann.info/projekte/kartei.html is another approach that might do, what you want: Printable flashcards, limited to european formats (up to now). Disclaimer: I am author of that package (and due to missing english manual, i didn't submit it to CTAN yet).

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Really? No way! That is unexpected. I cannot speak german or I would try to help - would you consider submitting it anyway as a work in progress? Does it do what I am asking about? In what other ways does it differ from flashcards package? –  Magpie Jan 3 '13 at 22:37
Oh, now i got your idea, somehow i overlooked the folding-stuff. Ok, that's not possible (out of the box) with my class, I'm sorry. But if you just want to fold, you could also just take a tabular with two columns having .5\textwidth –  Ronny Jan 3 '13 at 22:44
what do you mean take a tabular? –  Magpie Jan 4 '13 at 8:28
If I understand your descriptions right, you want to tile the (e.g. a4) page, such that each card has the front left and the back right, such that, when printed, you can fold them in the middle and obtain a card. That could easily ibtained using a table. –  Ronny Jan 4 '13 at 9:12