Re: Math on the web without MathML (CSS 2.1 rendering for HTML and XML)

David Carlisle wrote:

> that of course depends on the definition of serious (ie on personal
> judgement)

This is also applicable to MathML.


> In any real document many people would need to do this for virtually
> every character, and as soon as you do that all the supposed advantages
> of a "simple" markup as opposed to a "verbose" MathML  markup vanish as
> you have to put an element around every character to style it with CSS.
> that
> basically leads to the MathML design, with mi around identifiers, so you
> make them italic, mn around numbers so they can be roman, and mo around
> + to give you control over the spacing.

Not true because rendering quality and verbosity can fit user needs.
Moreover, you can rely on script module, as ASCIIMath or IteX are doing
for MathML. Moreover, the advantages on HTML compatibility, absence of
special MIMES, DTDs, plugins, browsers, special tools... remain in the CSS
approach.

Do not forget that CSS approach was well received in the HTML5 list and
people agreed on <frac> element, whereas almost nobody there found MathML
nice ;-)


Juan R.

Center for CANONICAL |SCIENCE)

Received on Friday, 14 July 2006 15:25:37 UTC