[OS X TeX] Who should use (La)TeX - who is able to use it?

[Bruno Voisin]

Le 16 nov. 04, à 09:05, Gerben Wierda a écrit :

> I think a better GUI WYSIWYG word processor could be done. It could 
> even be partly based on some TeX algorithms. But for instance, try to 
> imagine building formula's in this WYSIWYS editor. How do you put in 
> conceptual things? Because if you don't, you lose the power of the 
> typesetting engine below.

 From what I understood from Hans Hagen's introduction to MathML 
<http://www.pragma-ade.com/general/manuals/mmlprime.pdf>, I got the 
impression plain TeX and LaTeX, due to their essentially visual 
approach to formulas, can't provide the conceptual approach necessary 
for building a WYSIWYG formula editor, and that MathML is the only way 
forward. Or, possibly, ConTeXt interface to MathML.

But in any case the output of such editor would not provide the 
typographical quality that TeX can offer. Quoting Hans Hagen:

"The TEXbook: Once you have read this book, you will see why MathML is 
not embraced
by those who love to optimize the look and feel of their math formulas. 
Although your
documents will be more consistent when you code in (content) MathML, 
you also loose
many fine points of math typesetting. Of course you can always fall 
back on the annotation
element. This book is written by Donald Knuth and published by Addison 
Wesley."

Bruno Voisin

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