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LATEXto XML/MathML for Web-Based Publication



FREDERICK H. BARTLETT
Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.
fredb@springer-ny.com



Abstract:  At Springer-Verlag, we have been frustrated for some years now with the difficulty of putting mathematics into a web-friendly format. We have not yet found a magic bullet, but ...

The XML application MathML may be the first real tool for putting mathematics on the Web in a useful form. Suppliers of mathematical tools such as Mathematica and Maple are gearing up to use MathML as an input/output format; thus, we can look forward to a day when mathematics on the Web will be truly interactive.

It is likely that--even if MathML fulfills every bit of its promise--TEX will continue to be used for the preparation of mathematics for display and printing.

This presentation is an account of our efforts to translate author-generated LATEX into XML. The project can be divided into four stages:

1.
Normalizing (La)TEX. That is, transforming authors' idiosyncratic usages (and even more idiosyncratic macro definitions) into consistent, and consistently structured, files. The vast majority of author-generated LATEX files can be converted easily with a minimal understanding of TeX's digestive tract; those which can't (especially plain TEX files) will require some human intervention--or increasingly sophisticated (read `bloated') software.

2.
Converting to XML. This is the easy part: changing structural LATEX tags into XML tags.

3.
Converting to MathML. And this is the hard part: It would be ideal to be able to convert LATEX math into both presentation and content MathML coding. Unfortunately, this is, even in principle, extremely difficult. So at first we concentrate on the LATEX-to-presentation mark-up path. Eventually, it will be possible to produce an interactive LATEX-to-content mark-up converter for authors.

4.
Going backwards. It will eventually be helpful to authors and publishers if MathML/XML can be converted back to (La)TEX, but this is not a high priority at the moment.

This talk describes something that is very much a work in progress, so a discussion period will be most welcome.


next up previous contents
Next: Making a Book from Up: Wednesday August 18, 1999 Previous: Multi-Use Documents: the Role
Page last modified on 1999-09-14