MathType Works With Insert Object (OLE)

Many Windows applications support a widespread standard for embedding objects in documents called Object Linking and Embedding (OLE). Since MathType equations are natively OLE objects, this means that MathType works smoothly with these applications. Microsoft Word and MathType work together using OLE, so many MathType users will already be familiar with OLE-style math interoperability.

On the Macintosh, OLE is less widely used.  However, it is available in Microsoft Office applications for the Macintosh, so MathType Mac users should still be aware of it.

In general, OLE works so well that users are hardly aware of it. Cut and paste, drag and drop, double-clicking to edit, and repositioning and resizing equation objects all just work as you would expect. The main variation between applications is how they handle inserting a new equation into a document. Sometimes there may be a toolbar button or menu command to insert an equation. But more often, all embeddable objects will be handled the same way. There are two common patterns for this:

Insert Object

Most OLE applications have an Insert Object command (or an Object… command on its Insert menu or elsewhere). The Insert Object command brings up a dialog containing a list of all the kinds of objects that may be inserted. Simply choose "MathType 6.5 Equation" and MathType will open an equation editing window. Simply create your equation, close the window when you are done, and the new equation will appear in the document. Any time you want to edit the equation, simply double-click on it.

If your application doesn't have an Insert Object command, look up Object Linking and Embedding or OLE in its documentation. If your application does not support OLE, request it from the vendor. Most software vendors like to get feedback from their customers, just like we do.

Copy and Paste (or Drag and Drop)

Almost all OLE applications enable users to embed objects into documents using Copy and Paste, or Drag and Drop.  Since MathType equations are OLE objects,  you can Copy and Paste or Drag and Drop equations into most OLE applications.  Simply run MathType from the Windows Start menu, create an equation, and paste it into your application. You can use Drag and Drop works in the same way, if your application supports it.

When using MathType this way, you don't have to restart it for each new equation. Just leave its editing window open for your entire session. When you need to create a new equation, bring the MathType window to the front, do Select All on the Edit menu (Ctrl+A), hit the Delete key to clear out the last equation, and create your new equation ready to paste. Later, if you need to edit an equation, you can usually use Copy and Paste it back into a MathType editing window, make your edits and then just copy paste it over the old one.

Double Click to Edit

To edit an equation, double click on it.  This will open the equation in MathType.  Make the edit and close the MathType window as you normally would.  If you would like to see the updated equation in context in the document while you are editing, choose Save from the MathType File menu.  This will update the equation in the document without closing the MathType window.

Many OLE applications allow equations to be edited in place in the document, rather than opening the equation in a separate MathType window. Whether an equations are edited in place or in a separate window is controlled from the Object Editing Preference dialog, under MathType's Preferences menu.  From this dialog, you can choose whether to edit in place or a separate window, as well as whether you would like MathType to prompt you with a "Save Changes" dialog when editing equations in a separate window.  See the MathType Help system for additional information about the Object Editing Preferences dialog, and in place editing.