New Version (07/06/08)

New: (12/29/07): The opacity_pro Package offers support for transparency (Chapter 7 of the PDF Reference) for those who use Distiller, version 6.0 or later to produce a PDF. The download is opacity_pro.zip. There are four sample files:

1. oppro_tst.pdf: General demo file with minimal packages (does not require AeB, for example)
2. oppro_tst1.pdf: Uses some web features (get the latest acrotex_pack.zip) and graphicx package.
3. oppro_tst2.pdf: Demos transparent color boxes and uses PStricks to draw circles with a transparent fillin. This file contains a patch to pstricks-add that enables the fillstyle=transparent for distiller users.
4. oppro_tst_tk.pdf: Demonstrates "text knockout" and transparent verbatim text.

The documentation is opacity_pro_man.pdf, it is included in the .zip file.

The AeB Pro home page lists all the members of the AeB Pro Family.

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New: (12/16/07): The GraphicxBox Package. This package introduces two new commands, \graphicxbox and \fgraphicxbox, modeled after \colorbox and \fcolorbox, respectively. These new commands insert a graphical background rather than a flat color background. Requires the graphicx package, and for transparency, the graphicxsp package. Demo files: grfxbox_tst.pdf (produced by pdftex), grfxbox_tst_sp.pdf (produced by distiller) and grfxbox_tst_indians.pdf (produced by distiller).

Would suggest you update your GraphicxSP and your aeb_tilebg packages if you try to compile the latter two demo files yourself. See the bottom of this page for an updated aeb_tilebg package.

The download for this package, its demo files and its demo graphics files is graphicxbox.zip

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New: (09/04/07): The GraphicxSP Demo files have been moved to the GraphicxSP home page.

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The Web and Exerquiz Packages are now bundled together under the name "The AcroTeX eDucation Bundle'', which is read as "The AcroTeX Education Bundle''. The word 'eDucation' is meant to connote 'Electronic Education'. The AcroTeX Bundle consists of six components:

1. The Web Package: (Version 4.0g)A LaTeX package to create screen friendly PDF documents from a LaTeX source.
2. The Exerquiz Package: (Version 6.2d) A LaTeX package to create online exercises and interactive quizzes.
3. The eForms Package A (stand alone) LaTeX package that provides all PDF forms support for Exerquiz.
4. The insdljs Package: A LaTeX package to insert Document level JavaScript code from a LaTeX source file.
5. The dljslib Package: A LaTeX package to act as a library of JavaScript functions. The package enables a user to check out one or more of the functions for use in the document. The package requires the insdljs package.
6. The eq2db Package, Version 1.3. A LaTeX package and server-side script. The LaTeX package makes it easy to change a self-contained quiz into one that is submitted to a server-side script. Current eq2db has three "server" options: eqRecord (save quiz results to a database); eqEmail (send quiz results to instructor by Email); and eqText (save quiz data to a tab-delimited file on the server). There is also a new tagged option for sending quiz data as a XML-like string. See the History below.

The Package files and Documentation:
Place the following files, the components of the web and exerquiz packages, in a folder where LaTeX looks for package files:

• acrotex_pack.zip: Package files, installation files, AeB Manual, and only the new example files.
• acrotex_exdoc.zip: Full documentation and full set of examples
• eq2db.zip: The distribution for eq2db, includes LaTeX package, server-side script, two sample quiz files and a sample database. Documentation can be downloaded below.

The manual of usage for web and exerquiz packages:

• aeb_man.pdf: The documentation of AeB (AcroTeX eDucation Bundle)
• eformman.pdf: Manual of the eForm support
• eq2dbman.pdf: Manual of usage for the eq2db Package

What's New (07/06/08) Added hyperbolic and inverse hyperbolic functions to exerquiz. Minor changes also made in support of the rmannot package and the AcroFLeX Graphing Bundle.

What's New (03/22/08)

1. Improved documentation.
   1. Folded the documentation for the AeB JavaScript Library (which was just a .dtx) into the AeB Manual. The AeB JavaScript Library (dljslib) has been improved, some bugs fixed,documentation enhanced.
   2. Combined the documentation for the eforms package with the documentation for the indljs package (formerly available in .dtx form) into one manual, the eformman.pdf. All documentation is improved and expanded.,
2. Web Package: Added three new options unicode, useui and turkish.
   
   1. The unicode option is passed to hyperref. Now eforms uses the unicode capability of hyperref. This option is a convenience option since eforms is not called explicitly when using the Web package.
   2. The useui option is passed to the eforms package, see below.
   3. The new language option, turkish, requires the unicode option, which is silently called.
3. Exerquiz Package: Same three options as Web
4. eforms Package
   1. The eforms package can now use the \pdfstringdef command of hyperref to write unicode, if the unicode option of hyperref has been taken. This means that when you create your text fields, you can use LaTeX notation to initialize any elements of a field that can take unicode.
   2. The new option useui inputs the xkeyval package, and defines a number of key-value pairs used for setting the appearance state of fields and links, and for setting actions. The useui system is compatible with the default system, and they work together.
   3. Documentation of links. Links have been around in the eforms package but not documented. With a population of size one wishing for it, I've made it so.

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TeX/LaTeX Survey: I've created a TeX/LaTeX Survey using AeB and the eqExam package. If you're so inclined, click the link and fill in and submit the survey.

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Demo Files for AeB: See the document indexofex.pdf for a listing of all examples, with links to the PDF documents (links to the source files work after you download the package and unpack the source files and maintain the same directory structure). The latest demo files for this version are grp_test.pdf (this illustrates the grouped math/text questions) and prompt_tst.pdf (this file illustrates progressive questions).

You can also go to any of the following demo files: webeqtst.pdf (exercises and multiple choice questions), jquiztst.pdf (math fill-in questions), jtxttst.pdf (text fill-in questions), quizpts.pdf (questions with points), jqzspec.pdf (how to extend the math fill-in capability, vector processing) and jqzequat.pdf (questions what expect an equation as an answer), bgtest.pdf (backgrounds) and execjstst.pdf (execJS and animation example). There is a short demo file for eForms, see eqforms.pdf.

Foreign Language Localizations: Try webeqtst-fr.pdf , webeqtst-de.pdf, webeqtst-no.pdf, webeqtst-es.pdf, webeqtst-it.pdf, webeqtst-da.pdf, webeqtst-nl.pdf and webeqtst-ru.pdf as well. These three files were obtained from webeqtst.tex by latexing with the french, german, norsk, spanish, italian, polish, dutch, finnish and russian option, respectively. Note: It's a little more complicated for the russian option.

I want to extend my support of other languages (current languages are French, German, Norwegian, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Dutch and Russian). If you are interested in the web and exerquiz packages and want to create a language definition file what will be distributed with AcroTeX Bundle, open the exerquiz.ins installation file and uncomment the line referring to the `template.def', open this file up in your editor and translate the phrases contained therein.

Please contact me at dpstory@uakron.edu should you encounter any problems, or have suggestions (features) to make.

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The Pdfscreen Package: A screen layout package for pdflatex users that has become quite popular is the pdfscreen package by C. V. Radhakrishnan. The exerquiz package is somewhat independent of the web package; in particular, exerquiz will work with the pdfscreen package. See the example file eq_pdfs.pdf (which is webeqtst.pdf using pdfscreen). The file, eq_pdfs.zip contains the source of the just cited example of pdfscreen and exerquiz working together. The package pdfscreen can be downloaded from CTAN (use the search feature to search for the keyword "pdfscreen"), or downloaded directly from the author's web site.

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Related Links: I gave a talk on the AcroTeX eDucation Bundle at the 15th ICTCM Conference in Disney World, Orlando. My presentation was inspired by some of Han Hagen's presentations. Generally, I used PSTricks and the AcroTeX Bundle to create some of the special effects you see in the slides. The link for the talk is here. All hypertext links to the examples have been removed. See the last page for a little animation, with sound.

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AeB Packages:

• eqExam: eqExam is a stand alone package for creating exams, quizzes and homework assignments. If you want to use the pdf, links, online or email options, you need the AcroTeX Bundle, the latest version. See the eqExam home page.
• aeb_tilebg: (06/05/07) The aeb_tilebg package is a simple application of established packages graphicx, multido and AeB Web. The package takes a rectangular graphic and uses it to tile the background of the pages .

Download your favorite tiled background swatch from the Internet (or create your own), convert it to an .eps or a .pdf format (depending if you use distiller---should work for users of Ghostscript as well---or pdftex), place that image in the same folder as your source document. Now, anywhere in your document, use the command \setTileBgGraphic to create your tiled background.

Other features Turn tiling on or off. Draft mode (an package option) used during the content development stage. Change the way the tiles are laid out, change from top-to-bottom to bottom-to-top.

Documentation: aebtilebg_man.pdf

Demo file: tilebg_tst.pdf

Distribution: aeb_tilebg.zip

Get the latest version of AeB (acrotex_pack.zip) and if you want to go pro, get AeB Pro to go.

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Web/Exerquiz on the Web:

• WebTrig by Tom Price of The University of Akron.
• Probability Tutorials by Noel Vaillant.
• Microeconomics by Dan Christiansen of Albion College
• Complex Analysis by Paul Scott of The University of Adelaide.

 

Regards,

Now I simply must get back to work!     

Other Sights at this Site:    AcroTeX (Site Overview) e-Calculus Algebra Review in Ten Lessons Homepage of D. P. Story Algeboard (PDF Game) Algeboard/JS (with JavaScript) Giants of Calculus (PDF Game) Pdfmarks:Links and Forms

Last Update: 6/282004

History:

• (11/24/05) Minor upload, new languages for Web and Exerquiz, and significant additions to the JavaScript library of functions.
• (3/5/05) Exerquiz version 6.03c, include suport for catalan and \bChoces/\eChoices.
• (2/5/05) Uploaded a new version of exerquiz to support the eqExam package.
• (6/28/04) Minor changes to Exerquiz, added the setSupport option for dljslib.
• (5/13/04) Minor changes to \CorrAnsButon.
• (4/22/04) Many minor changes. Major change: the mathGrp environment, now works as I originally envisioned it, for both the quiz and shortquiz environments.
• (3/24/04) Uploaded new version of Exerquiz and eForms packages. Additions to Exerquiz include a progressive style question for quizzes and a grouped environment for math fill-in questions for quizzes. I've separated the eForms support from Exerquiz so that now it is a stand-alone package that is called by Exerquiz.
• (12/31/03) Uploaded revised versions of Exerquiz and Dljslib. Numerous little changes were made to exerquiz (see webeqman.pdf or eqchange.txt). Additions to the dljslib were made. Many thanks to Ross Moore and to Frances Griffin.
• (12/6/03) Uploaded a new version of eq2db.dtx which includes two new options eqText and tagged. The eqText option (along with accompanying ASP eqText.asp) saves quiz data to a tab-delimited text file on the server. When the tagged option is used, quiz data is saved as a XML-type string.
• (8/26/03) Uploaded a new version of eq2db.dtx whcih includes a new eqEmail option. Meant to be used with eqEmail.asp---also included---, with this option, quiz results are eMailed to the instructor.
• (8/3/03) Uploaded new version of Web, Exerquiz, eq2db. Exerquiz quiz now comes with complete eForm support; eq2db makes it easy to submit quizzes to a server-side script. Language localications extended to finnish.
• (10/19/02) Uploaded a new version of Web.dtx which correctly handles overlays when dvipdfm is used to produce PDF. It was necessary to redefine one of the macros in eso-pic to work wtih dvipdfm.
• (10/09/02) Uploaded the AcroTeX Bundle. Web Package now does backgrounds and graphics overlays. The indDLJS Package has two new environments execJS and defineJS.
• (2/25/02) Uploaded the "AcroTeX eDucation Bundle", including (Exerquiz v4.0). The dljslib Package now contains JavaScript functions, under the option of equations, that enable exerquiz to process questions in which equations are expected.
• (2/9/02) Uploaded the "AcroTeX eDucation Bundle", a collection of LaTeX packages. (Webv2.0, Exerquiz v3.0c, insdljs, and dljslib)
• (4/11/01) Uploaded version 2.0 for Web and Exerquiz. User defined screen designs, objective style questions.
• Added an optional argument to the solutions environment within the exercise environment. The value of the paramters is a vertical skip. If the nosolutions option is in effect, the vertical skip is set after the question. This may be useful for educator who use exerquiz to create tests. The optional skip value can be used to leave space for the students to solve the problem. Later, the solutionsafter option can be used, and any vertical space is replaced by the solution to the exercise.
• (12/02/2000) Uploaded version 1.37 of exerquiz. Added the russian, due to Sergei V. Znamenskii. Also added a feature to the quiz environment; you can now choose betwee n links and a form buton for the 'Begin Quiz/End Quiz'. Finally, added the ability to change the color of the checkmarks and crossmarks when correcting quizzes.
• (9/02/2000) Uploaded version 1.35 of exerquiz and Web version 1.32. Added the italian language, and fixed a bug on marking quizzes.
• (5/09/2000) Uploaded version 1.34 of exerquiz. Added multipart exercise format (both list and tabular). Added a proofing option for exerquiz. With is option, a mark appears beside the correct answer in the shortquiz and quiz environments; this makes it easy to proof read the quizzes, and check for errors in coding the correct answer. (May also be use a sort of an `answer key'.)
• (4/16/2000) Uploaded version 1.33 of exerquiz. Added a hidden option to the exercise environment, and a nohiddensolutions package option to override the local hidden switch. Updated manual to reflect these changes.
• (3/13/2000) Uploaded version 1.31. In the web package, included a new option called latexlayout. When this option is used, the defaulty page layout parameters for article class are used. (Meant to be used in combination with forpaper.) For Exerquiz package, the new feature is exercises with parts. You can now define a multipart exercise which have separate links to the solution to each part.
• (2/8/2000) Uploaded version 1.30 with spanish option.
• (2/3/2000) Uploaded version 1.30 with norsk and dutch options.
• (1/25/2000) Uploaded version 1.30 of web and exerquiz.
  • Web Package: Major addition is a language option, currently french and german. A lot of work was done to give the user the ability to customize most all features of the web/exerquiz packages. Othere changes: the bookmarks have the same structure as the document (bullets at the \subsubsection level), my thnks to Heiko Oberdiek for showing me a better way of creating this effect; the latextoc also refects the same structure, bullets at the \subsubsection level; some changes were made to make web/exerquiz compatible with David Wilson's Utopia PDF Presentation Bundle. There is a tight option to make the list environments a little "tighter".
  • Exerquiz Package:. There is a new option in exerquiz called solutionsafter: solutions to exercises and quizzes can be written immediately after the question. May be useful for creating an "Example" environment, or a solution key..
• (10/3/99) Uploaded version 1.21 of exerquiz.sty. Beginning with pdftex version 0.14, some primitives have been renamed. Version 1.21 of exerquiz should now work correctly with pdftex for versions < .14 and \ge .14 (I hope).
• (8/25/99) Uploaded version 1.20 of each package. Most changes are in the exerquiz package. They are: (1) quizzes created by the quiz environment can now be corrected using JavaScript; a system of relabeling all environments is in place; all documentation has been updated; sample files webeqtst.tex has been updated to reflect the new features of the quiz environment; new sample files hw01.tex and qz01.tex are provided.
• (6/17/99) Uploaded versions 1.1 of each package. These versions have a pdftex option.
• (5/5/99) Uploaded versions 1.0 of each package.
• (5/6/99) Version 1.01. Added options latextoc, nodirectory, forpaper. Corrected some vertical spacing problems. Updated documentation webeqman.pdf and p_webeqman.pdf.

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