Descartes 1.2 - Changelog

What's new in Descartes 1.2:

November 26th, 2009

· File.. New and File..Save

· Memo - this is some text saved with a file, giving an explanation or notes about the idea behind the file contents. The memo is displayed when the file loads, and can be reviewed/edited from the menu Memo option.
· Files remember the 'context' of what was saved eg polar or parametric functions, and the appropriate dialog box is displayed when the file opens.


· Mouse right-click on the graph background offers various options, some of which are obvious - zoom in and out, centre, and reset graph limits to the original : +/- 5. The non-obvious options will display a chord on a function, showing the 'rise and run', and the slope of the chord as 'rise over run'.

· With appropriate zoom in, continuous functions become locally straight, and the chord slope becomes the function differential coefficient. The other options enable the user to select where (what x value) the chord is shown at, or to use the next function, if several functions are being displayed.

· Two implicit relations can be displayed. This is to enable simultaneous equations to be written in conventional form.

· If a mouse wheel is available, it does zoom in and out.

· Some 'example' files are supplied to show what can be done.