Re: MathML 3 review

Hi Jirka,

+1 to your comments and proposals.

Best,

Felix

2009/10/29 Jirka Kosek <jirka@kosek.cz>

> Hi folks,
>
> I have made quick review of MathML 3.0 (http://www.w3.org/TR/MathML3/)
> and there are my comments related to ITS:
>
> - MathML allows foreign attributes almost everywhere, so it is possible
> to use local ITS markup within MathML
>
> - MathML allows foreign elements inside general annotations framwork
> (http://www.w3.org/TR/MathML3/chapter5.html#mixing.semantic.annotations),
> inside annotation-xml element, so it is possible to store global rules
> inside it
>
> So for, so good. But I think that MathML has some areas which should be
> improved.
>
> In general MathML provides markup for mathematical expressions which
> usually are not translated. But there is element called mtext, which can
> contain arbitrary text that is part of math expression:
>
> http://www.w3.org/TR/MathML3/chapter3.html#presm.mtext
>
> There are several problems with mtext:
>
> - although MathML defines dir attribute for directionality on several
> elements, dir is not allowed on mtext
>
> - schema disallows attributes from XML namespace on mtext, so it is not
> possible to use xml:lang on mtext
>
> - there is no generic inline element (something like span in HTML) which
> can be used inside mtext to markup changes in directionality, language
> or other local ITS categories
>
> If no one objects, I think that we should send inquiry to MathML WG
> asking for
>
> 1. adding dir to mtext
> 2. allowing xml:lang on mtext
> 3. adding child element to mtext which can contain dir, xml:lang and any
> number of other foreign attributes (e.g. ITS local markup).
>
> Any comments or additions?
>
>                                        Jirka
>
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