RE: Formatting mathematics

["Reynolds, Gregg" <greynolds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Alas, I don't have any readily available mathematical examples, but I've
used a similar technique to markup Arabic text in SGML and generate
arabTeX output.  Perhaps "insignificant" is putting it an eentsy weentsy
wee bit strongly, though; it depends on whether you want to use a very
generalized DTD like mathml (in which case the DSSSL code could indeed
get hairy) or not.  The quick and dirty approach: if you can identify
patterns in the text - e.g. a bunch of equations of the form "x**2 +
y**2 = z**2" - then you can create a elements in your DTD specific to
that pattern, so your DSSSL code doesn't have to be particularly smart.
Or if you want to output some standard formula - e=mc**2 - create a
<kaboom> empty element type and put everything in the DSSSL sheet.  If
you want different formatting of the same element in different places,
add an ID attribute and you can easily select on it in the stylesheet.
Etc.  On the other hand, that would put your document into a
non-standard markup.  Sigh.  It's never easy.

I'll try to put together some simple examples this weekend.  And as I
mentioned previously I'm interested in writing specs in Z using SGML, so
if anybody out there would like to collaborate on DSSSL code to handle
mathml drop me a note.  Make that "collaborate on literate DSSSL code".

-gar
> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Bill Raynor [SMTP:braynor@xxxxxxx]
> Sent:	Friday, March 20, 1998 12:05 PM
> To:	dssslist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject:	RE: Formatting mathematics
> 
> Among other things, Greg Reynolds said:
> > 
> > In short, even if you go with LaTex, you're better off sticking the
> > LaTeX code in a DSSSL sheet and marking up your text in SGML.  The
> extra
> > effort would be insignificant imho.
> 
> and could you provide some examples, please? 
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