SPDC SC 3.7
–1–
Web and Electronic Documentation
Solving the Equation problem between Word 2007 and earlier versions
1
Overview
When Microsoft released Word 2007 they created a series of compatibility problems with
earlier versions of Word. Some of these have been described on the SPDC Online
community,
see
the
thread
“Laments
of
draft
document
editors”
https://www.ieeecommunities.org/spd?go=1547551. Specific topics were “All Words are not
Equal - Equation Editors” and “Office 2007” (two posts). This document is concerned with
equations and gives a work around to the equation compatibility problem.
2
Introduction
Up to Word 2003, the equation editor was an extra program that could be installed with Word.
The equation editor is an OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) server. That is the equation
created by the equation editor is an object that is embedded in the Word document, like an
externally sourced graphic. You can click on the embedded equation and the equation editor
will start up allowing you to modify the equation, before handing back to Word proper. This is
why Word shifts a gear when the equation editor starts.
Some will know that the Word equation editor is a bought-in "Lite" version of MathType by
Design Science. MathType is a Windows and Macintosh program that lets you create
mathematical notation for numerous programs and formats; word processing, web pages,
desktop publishing, presentations, and for TeX, LaTeX, and MathML documents. The last
three here are used a lot in academic publishing. Because the Word equation editor is a cutdown version MathType, Word documents and their equations are acceptable for academic
publishing. Wikipedia uses the same equation format and you can copy and past into your
own work any of the equations from the 1000's of equation pages.
What happened in Word 2007 is Microsoft developed a new equation editor and integrated it
into Word 2007. Change causes change and there are several incompatibilities. Microsoft is
even incompatible with itself - Word 2007 equations pasted into Power Point become bitmaps,
rather than remaining text. Further if you save from Word 2007 in older Word document
formats, e.g. Word 2003, the equations become bitmaps. Leading-edge Word contributors will
deliver sub-standard equations to parties using trailing edge Word.
3
Example
Here is an equation produced in Word 2007 using the built in equation editor:
The equation document would normally be saved in the Word 2007 docx format. If the
document is saved, using Save As, in the earlier Word doc format a warning is issued:
Mick Maytum, [email protected]
Rev.2, 2010-02-25
SPDC SC 3.7
–2–
Web and Electronic Documentation
Before saving the equation is converted into a bit-map image:
The equation being in bit-map, looks awful and cannot be edited in the earlier versions of
Word.
4
Not one but two
The earlier Word equation editor was an add-in object to Word. I reasoned I should be able to
add it to Word 2007 and create equations that would be earlier Word compatible objects, not
bit maps, in the doc saved files. The path to the equation editor, EQNEDT32.EXE, is
C:\ProgramFiles\MicrosoftShared\Equation.
Mick Maytum, [email protected]
Rev.2, 2010-02-25
SPDC SC 3.7
–3–
Web and Electronic Documentation
I copied the Equation folder and the editor support font (MTEXTRA.TTF) and went to the PC
running Word 2007. Using the path C:\ProgramFiles\MicrosoftShared\ I was going to add the
Equation folder and install the equation font. However there was already an Equation folder in
Word 2007!
The “old” equation editor was already installed along with the equation font, MTEXTRA.TTF.
This makes sense. For equation objects in imported doc files, it is logical to have a second
“old” equation editor present; otherwise the equation object cannot be edited.
Word 2007 has two equation editors; one built in and the second as an add-in to support
earlier Word equations.
5
Work around
A test document was produced in Word 2000. It used the same equation and was created
using the Microsoft Equation 3.0 add in:
(13856)
E L2− N
= 0.414
2413
1.707 Rg 2
2
Pf max =
= 0.414 × 79.6 kW = 33.0 kW
When opened in Word 2007, the equation was still good. A screen grab shows it was not
converted to a bit map:
This shows that Word 2007 can read earlier Word OLE equation objects. The presence of the
add-in equation editor is shown by the following steps; select the Insert tab and click the
object icon in the drop-down object menu.
Mick Maytum, [email protected]
Rev.2, 2010-02-25
SPDC SC 3.7
–4–
Web and Electronic Documentation
The resulting Object window shows that the Microsoft Equation 3.0 add-in is present.
Selecting the Microsoft Equation 3.0 line and clicking OK brought up the familiar Word 2003
type equation editor.
A Word 2000 test document equation could also be edited in Word 2007 by double clicking
the equation:
Mick Maytum, [email protected]
Rev.2, 2010-02-25
SPDC SC 3.7
–5–
Web and Electronic Documentation
To avoid equation corruption in moving from Word 2007 to earlier Word versions, create
equations by using Insert tab, Object menu, Object and double click Microsoft Equation 3.0.
Subsequently, I found you could automate calling up the Microsoft Equation 3.0 and have it
available as a button in the Quick Access Toolbar, see Design Science TechNote #124:
“Creating a Quick Access Toolbar button in Word 2007 to open Equation Editor”
http://www.dessci.com/en/support/mathtype/tsn/tsn124.htm
Using this procedure I now have a one-click start up button for the earlier equation editor in
Word 2007.
6
Summary
Using the Microsoft Equation 3.0 add-in present in Word 2007 creates equations that can be
edited in earlier versions of Word. With a little bit of work, a Quick Access Toolbar button can
be added to start up the Microsoft Equation 3.0 with one click.
Mick Maytum, [email protected]
Rev.2, 2010-02-25