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On Windows 7, if I need to enter Chinese, I can setup an input method whereby when I type something such as hao Windows automatically suggests a list of characters to choose from, among which I can for instance choose 好 by clicking on one of the characters in the list. This is to give an example of how an input method works.

Now my question. Given that several Unicode characters encoding math symbols exist, in order to enter these, it would be cumbersome to enter the numeric Unicode codes for each of these, so it would be useful to have an input method.

Given that the number of keys on a keyboard is about 120, it makes sense to have an input method on Windows so that when turned on in the language switcher in lower-right hand corner, when I type \int the integral sign is automatically entered into my text file as a Unicode character.

Without such input method, inputting unicode for use with the unicode-math package would be cumbersome. So, what IMs (input methods) are available (perhaps via installable support programs), to enable Unicode math characters to be easily entered?

Thanks.

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    You can still use \int winth unicode-math, just in case this is not clear.
    – خالد حسني
    Commented Feb 7, 2015 at 17:59
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    Well, I wouldn't use Word or LibreOffice to typeset a math document, the quality wouldn't be up to standards. However, I was just trying to understand unicode-math. It seems to me that in order for anyone to make effective use of it, and use it as a viable alternative to what has been done in the past, then a suitable input method must be available, otherwise it seems to me that unicode-math input would be slow, hence useless. Thank you for your clarifications.
    – John Sonderson
    Commented Feb 7, 2015 at 23:41
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    Possible duplicate: using unicode-math with math keyboard or hotkeys?. Here's basically the same question for Mac: Entering unicode math symbols into LaTeX, direct from keyboard, on a Mac. And the same kind of question has been asked and answered for phonetic symbols, so there's precedent for discussing Unicode input here even if it can be used outside TeX. The possibility of efficient Unicode input is key when comparing Xe/LuaLaTeX with pdfLaTeX.
    – Jason Zentz
    Commented Feb 8, 2015 at 18:15
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    @JohnSonderson: unicode-math provides macros for every symbol it supports, so direct Unicode input is optional not mandatory. For all unicode-math is concerned $\alpha \ge a$ is identical to $𝛼 ≥ a$.
    – خالد حسني
    Commented Feb 8, 2015 at 19:34
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    OK, now I understand. When the LaTeX preprocessor sees the unicode-math directives, it replaces the \ge with ≥ and so on and thus embeds the Unicode characters in the output document using these predefined conversions from the included style file. Thanks.
    – John Sonderson
    Commented Feb 8, 2015 at 19:48

2 Answers 2

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You can try https://github.com/clarkgrubb/latex-input

I've tested it on MacOS.

It acts just like your normal Input Methods for human languages.

Once it has been installed, you are able to enable the feature by adding the LaTeX language through the keyboard/input settings like adding French or Japanese. And then you can input the math symbols with the LaTeX notation.

For more information, check out the README in the link.

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You can use a text expander tool for that.

I am using aText (on Mac). I have multiple self-defined aliases for math unicode, all started with jj. For example, when I type jjalpha, aText automatically replace that with α.

Other text expanders should work as well. An input method like Chinese seems an overkill as there are not as many often-used math notations as Chinese.

If you use Mac, I suggest trying aText which is very solid. My only problem is that jjin ∈ conflicts with jjinfty ∞. So I set jjinin for ∈.

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