Some palettes can help you when you are entering input for Mathematica in notebook environments.

Palettes can be accessed from the Palettes menu. Below we show four palettes: AlgebraicManipulation,
BasicMathInput, BasicTypesetting, and SpecialCharacters.

‡ AlgebraicManipulation
The AlgebraicManipulation palette contains such commands as Expand, Factor, and Simplify. As an
example, type the following:
Hf + gL^6
Then select the whole expression with the mouse and click Expand in the palette. The expression is
expanded. Then click Factor in the palette. The expression is now factored. In this way, whatever is
currently selected in your notebook will be inserted into the position of the selection placeholder, É, that
can be seen in the commands of the palette.
‡ BasicMathInput
The BasicMathInput palette contains buttons to perform some basic calculations and to input some
basic symbols. Suppose you want to calculate the derivative of x sinHxL + cosHxL. First click the derivative
button 􀀃Ñ É, then write x, pressÍ, write (x Sin[x] + Cos[x]), and execute the resulting command:
􀀁x Hx Sin@xD + Cos@xDL x Cos@xD
You can also do the following: Write (x Sin[x] + Cos[x]), select the whole expression, click the
derivative button, press x, and execute.
For another example, suppose you want to calculate the definite integral of x sinHxL + cosHxL on
H0, 2 pL. First click the integral button ŸÑ
Ñ
É„Ñ, then write 0, pressÍ, write 2, click p on the palette, press
Í, write (x Sin[x] + Cos[x]), pressÍ, write x, and execute: