Bring back the "period" for subscripts instead of the dopy "Ctrl-Underscore."

[jrich]

Variable subscripts used to be created by pressing "." (period).  This was a "normal" action typists were comfortable doing.  Now we have to press "Ctrl-Underscore" which breaks up the programming momentum and is irritatingly unnecessary and convoluted.  Please, PTC, don't punish your customers by making them do wrist-twisting actions every time they need to create an underscore.

[olivierlp]

Thank you for publishing your idea. However, we need more information as specified in the form you saw in the submission process. (questions below). The more details and context you give to document your idea, the better. Think about ways to educate and convince other Community members to support your idea and present your case to the product management team for consideration. 

Please let us know within the next two weeks.

1. Describe your environment: What is your industry? What is your role in your organization? Describe your stakeholders.

2. What product & version are you currently running?

3. Describe the problem you are trying to solve. Please include detailed documentation such as screenshots, images or video.

4. What is the use case for your organization?

5. What business value would your suggestion represent for your organization?

[olivierlp]

Given the context provided here, I am acknowledging the idea. 

[JeffH1]

I've been a Mathcad user since version 1.0 was released in 1988.  I too was annoyed by this change, but after using Prime exclusively since version 5.0 was released, I have gotten used to it.  Sometimes, when not looking, I miss hit the "minus" key and get unexpected results, but most of the time it is second nature now.

Additionally, there are benefits to the choice that PTC made:

1. I'm also a Mathematica user and this is the exact same key stroke for entering subscripts in Mathematica (re-enforcement and commonality)
2. With the "period" key, you could only have one subscript group.  Now with the <Ctrl>- key strokes, you can lower and raise up from the subscript level multiple times in the same variable name.  This makes it extremely useful for entering chemical formulas as variable names to represent concentrations (something most Chemists and Chemical Engineers will appreciate).  For example I can now enter C₂H₈ or even [C₂H₈] as a variable name.
3. Pressing the period or "dot" key twice is how ranges are now specified, maybe adding confusion.
4. Periods or "dots" can be entered within a variable without having to switch to text mode wit the double quotes.  This can be handy for some nomenclatures.

IMHO, there are far bigger things to fix.  This is my "down vote" on this item.  No flames please.

[SPauliszyn]

I find the Ctrl-underscore fine for subscripts.  It leaves me the ability to use the underscore or a period in my subscripts.  I prefer using the period because subscript labeling can get very long and the period is shorter than an underscore:

I whish we could use a space or comma in subscripts.  Commas are commonly used in certain construction code books like ACI (concrete). 

[JeffH1]

@SPauliszyn - See this discussion:

Subcripts in Mathcad prime - PTC Community

[SPauliszyn]

@JeffH1 so how do you do a space?  I can get a comma to work.

By the way, I feel this work-around is ok but it's not ideal.  Has anyone actually made a request to allow these types of characters as part of a variable label, subscript or not?  If not let me know, I'll do it.  I can get my site score up 😉

[JeffH1]

Yep.  Agreed.

Unfortunately, can't do a space or start an expression with a numeric character.  It is not without its limitations.  I haven't seen a request to put a space in or start with a numeric.  Feel free!  🙂

[Old-MCAD-User]

I find it ridiculous to have to justify all of the background information to support what is easily understood in the initial 'idea' paragraph. It does not matter what industry you are in, this topic/idea is relevant for ALL industries, it is yet another basic functionality problem that Prime has, that v15 and many before it did not have. 

The lines of questioning for a very basic, simple topic must be a decree from above, but offer no valid improvement in understanding the idea, which is an idea of the old versions before Prime. I don't know how often the Prime development team actually implements any customer 'ideas' most of which are very basic, we want v15 and the numerous versions prior, at least v10 contained everything I've ever needed from MathCAD. I brought ~100 users to MathCAD, but I cannot convince anyone nowadays to invest in Prime with all of the loss in basic functionality and other things I have to do workarounds for, because PTC is dragging their feet while implementing far too many NEW features & capabilities but refuses to address the everyday problems we all encounter and curse over.