Re: report of SGML Math workshop

>I've found the report below on the Web server of the ISO TC46/SC4/WG6
>(owner of the site: Eric van Herwijnen). For your convenience I've 
>removed the HTML tags and mailed it you.
>
>I'm getting a little bit concerned with the lack of progress in
>this group and also with the impression Dave has given during the
>Illinois workshop. *Are* we working on something here or are
>we not?
>
>Nico

I heard from Steve Hunt (at the paris HTML meeting) that Dave Ragget felt
that it was worth pursuing a two phase approach, with the first phase
being the basic syntax as Bruce and I have proposed (it was also shown at
the SGML meeting, and the AMS people present liked it, at least in concept).
Bruce will be sending out a detailed description soon (sometime next week?).
If this approach is *generally* agreeable to people in the committee, then
we could have a proposed standard in a month or so, depending on how much
detail arguing we have.

Phase two of the standards is the more iffy part:  adding macros/mapping rules/
pattern mathching or whatever to allow for extensions of the base standard
and easier authoring and conversion to other systems.  I imagine this
would be another year in the making.

By providing a rich concrete syntax and character set, I think that we can
satisfy almost everyone's desires for what they want out of HTML math.
I think that phase one is what most people are looking for in the standard.

	Neil