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I've only done a few questions here but already it's grinding on me. Why can't we have the writing-answer panel and the preview panel side by side, rather than below, this means for big answers I can't make use of the preview! It'd be great if side by side, two scroll-bars, or even a pop out (I have a window manager that gives me an always-on-top button :)) but this may not help those 'less fortunate' when it comes to OS.

It'd also be great if the preview wasn't trying to update EVERY keystroke, I'd love to have (the option, as I can see others disagreeing) an update button, or only when I pressed enter. Maybe only try and update everything after the last parsed expression (rather than the entire messages)

It can get QUITE laggy. So please please do this, or have like a profile option to do it.

Thanks

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    $\begingroup$ I'm pretty sure that this has come up in the past. Searching meta (notably the tags tex and markdown-preview) brings up this. $\endgroup$
    – Lord_Farin
    Aug 1, 2013 at 19:20
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    $\begingroup$ I would hope so! I'm shocked it wasn't already implemented! I hate not being able to see what I'm writing because my answer is so long the preview is off the bottom of the screen - regardless of how close the bottom of the input box is to the top. $\endgroup$
    – Alec Teal
    Aug 1, 2013 at 19:25
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    $\begingroup$ I agree with the laggy-ness. It is annoying. However, I find the placing of the preview box to be less of an issue, as I only look at this once I am finished (or once I have done some considerable typing). It is a check before posting rather than a constant aid, if that makes sense? $\endgroup$
    – user1729
    Aug 1, 2013 at 19:43
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    $\begingroup$ The problem with making two feature requests in one question is that people start voting to close if just one of them is a duplicate. $\endgroup$
    – user856
    Aug 1, 2013 at 21:43
  • $\begingroup$ @RahulNarain I'm really sorry, it was my first one, I'm fairly new, is there a way I can separate them? Should I ask people don't downvote if they don't like one? $\endgroup$
    – Alec Teal
    Aug 1, 2013 at 22:05
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    $\begingroup$ Just edit one of the feature requests out of this question, and ask it in a separate question. $\endgroup$
    – rurouniwallace
    Aug 2, 2013 at 0:58
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    $\begingroup$ A more descriptive title would help. I doubt that someone knows what this post is about just from reading the title: Feature request - but it woudn't be a feature, it'd be a blessing. In fact this title does not tell me anything more than it is a (feature-request). $\endgroup$
    – Martin Sleziak
    Aug 4, 2013 at 6:04
  • $\begingroup$ At meta.SO there is this feature-request: Question and preview might be better side-by-side. $\endgroup$
    – Martin Sleziak
    Aug 4, 2013 at 15:26
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    $\begingroup$ stackapps.com/questions/2245/… $\endgroup$
    – Jack Schmidt
    Aug 4, 2013 at 16:31
  • $\begingroup$ I really do wish this feature was implemented, anyone have any links on progress/response from developers? $\endgroup$
    – mrnovice
    May 30, 2017 at 18:19
  • $\begingroup$ One workaround I've found is to type out question on stackedit.io which is side-by-side, then copy/paste into MSE when done. $\endgroup$
    – Daniel Donnelly
    Jul 18 at 6:28

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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I've been contributing to a userscript which adds side-by-side editing functionality to Stack Exchange. It can be toggled on and off by clicking a new button in the editor and works when writing new as well as editing existing questions and answers.

Screenshot

editor on the left, preview on the right

More info can be found over at StackApps SE.

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1
  • $\begingroup$ There have been other userscripts which implement this, but the Stack Exchange site code has changed so much that they no longer work. $\endgroup$
    – Antonio Vargas
    Oct 20, 2015 at 16:14
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Whether you use ChatJax or not in chat, look at the bookmarks described in this answer. The rendering off and rendering on bookmarks will turn off and on the MathJax rendering. While off, this prevents the rendering from affecting your typing.

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    $\begingroup$ I want some rendering though, just not every keystroke! $\endgroup$
    – Alec Teal
    Aug 1, 2013 at 19:24
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    $\begingroup$ With the bookmarks in the bookmark bar, it only takes one click to turn MathJax rendering on or off. Otherwise, I guess you'll have to continue to nudge the developers. $\endgroup$
    – robjohn Mod
    Aug 1, 2013 at 19:41
  • $\begingroup$ So with these, you can effectively control how often it renders while composing a question/answer? $\endgroup$
    – The Chaz 2.0
    Aug 2, 2013 at 0:18
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    $\begingroup$ @TheChaz2.0: yes. If I click on and off while MathJax is rendering, my browser gets confused, so I let the rendering finish before turning it back off. $\endgroup$
    – robjohn Mod
    Aug 2, 2013 at 0:36

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