Re: [Axiom-developer] LaTeX output

[Martin Rubey]

In fact, I don't know about the current situation. However, if Axiom currently
produces plain TeX, why not leave it that way and add the capability of
producing LaTeX?

Martin

Christopher Chamber writes:
 > 
 > 
 > I've installed a recent cvs axiom, and made some experiments with the
 > LaTeX generation stuff. I replaced some of very old plain TeX constructs
 > by their modern LaTeX forms, like
 > 
 > {x \over y} -> \frac{x}{y}
 > {x \sp y} -> {x}^{y}
 > {\root n \of x} -> \sqrt[n]{x}
 > 
 > Is there any reason to retain the old plain-TeX output? Does anybody
 > need it, or it can be replaced by the proper LaTeX output?
 > 
 > Use of $$...$$ in LaTeX is discouraged. I propose to replace it by
 > \[...\] . Comments?
 > 
 > The main reason I'm doing this is, of course, the TeXmacs interface. The
 > current setup, where axiom outputs old plain-TeX constructs, and tm_axiom
 > tries to parse it back (!!!) and replace by proper LaTeX constructs, is
 > unsatisfactory; it is much better to fix the problem, not to build
 > complicated workarounds. I see 2 possible ways to make this interface
 > better:
 > 
 > 1. Either I duplicate the LaTeX generation code to TeXmacs generation
 > code, make adjustments, and introduce a new command
 > )set output texmacs on
 > (haven't looked at the code which processes system commands, but I'm sure
 > this must be not too difficult).
 > 
 > 2. Or I make LaTeX generation parametrized. The number of required
 > differences is small: for TeXmacs, it is essential to generate \* for
 > multiplication, while for ordinary LaTeX, this should be either nothing
 > or, perhaps, \, ; TeXmacs stuff like \2latex: should be in the prelude and
 > the matching \5 at the end; maybe, a few other trivial points. I can
 > introduce a global variable latexMultiplicationString, for example, and
 > assign "\*" to it for TeXmacs and "\," (or "") for LaTeX. Or I can collect
 > all such hook strings into a Record, and have latexHooks and texmacsHooks
 > with all settings.
 > 
 > Which approach seems better to you?
 > -----------------------
 > Christopher Chamber
 > http://gem-hs.org/c.html
 > 
 > 
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