Dr. Drang's blog post details his successful implementation of MathML rendering within his static website using Pandoc. He outlines the process of converting LaTeX math equations to MathML using Pandoc and highlights the necessary CSS adjustments for proper display in web browsers. The post emphasizes the benefits of MathML, such as accessibility, searchability, and copy-and-paste functionality compared to image-based rendering. This approach allows him to keep his source files in Markdown with LaTeX equations, letting Pandoc handle the conversion during website generation and resulting in cleaner, more functional mathematical expressions on the live site.
Dr. Drang's blog post, "MathML with Pandoc," meticulously details his process for configuring Pandoc to effectively render mathematical equations written in LaTeX within HTML output. He specifically aims to leverage MathML, a markup language designed for representing mathematical notations within XML documents, for its advantages in accessibility and copy-and-paste functionality compared to image-based rendering.
The post begins by highlighting the typical challenge: Pandoc’s default HTML output for math often involves converting LaTeX equations into images. While this approach generates visually appealing results, it hinders accessibility for users with screen readers and complicates copying and pasting equations into other applications. Drang then explains his preference for MathML output, and how to configure Pandoc to produce it.
The core of the post lies in outlining the precise steps required to achieve MathML rendering. This involves installing the necessary software components, which include a LaTeX distribution and a MathML converter. He opts for tectonic as his LaTeX distribution, preferring its self-contained nature and robust handling of dependencies. For MathML conversion, he chooses latexmlmath, highlighting its performance advantages over other tools like latexml.
Drang carefully documents the command-line instructions required to invoke Pandoc with the appropriate flags and filters. He emphasizes the use of the --filter option to pipe the LaTeX math through latexmlmath, ensuring the conversion to MathML occurs within the Pandoc workflow. The specific command he constructs leverages Pandoc's native capabilities for handling LaTeX input and producing HTML output, while seamlessly integrating latexmlmath for the crucial MathML conversion step. He also clarifies how to generate standalone HTML files using --standalone.
Further enhancing the practicality of his solution, Drang discusses integrating this process into a Makefile. This allows him to automate the conversion process, simplifying repetitive conversions with a single command. He provides the complete Makefile code, illustrating how to specify dependencies and define the conversion command, thereby streamlining his writing workflow for documents containing mathematical expressions. The Makefile also includes instructions for cleaning up intermediate files.
Finally, the post concludes with a demonstration of the rendered output. Drang showcases an example of a mathematical equation rendered as MathML within an HTML document, demonstrating the successful implementation of his approach. This visual confirmation underscores the effectiveness of the outlined steps and the resulting accessibility and copy-paste benefits of using MathML for mathematical content within web pages.
Summary of Comments ( 6 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43880554
HN users discuss the complexities and limitations of using MathML with Pandoc, particularly for blog posts. Several commenters highlight rendering inconsistencies across browsers, with Firefox being generally praised for better MathML support. Others mention the large file sizes generated by MathML compared to image-based solutions, as well as difficulties with copy-pasting equations. The discussion also touches upon alternatives like KaTeX and MathJax, with some suggesting these JavaScript libraries offer a more robust and practical approach for web-based mathematical content, despite the performance overhead. One user even shares a workaround involving converting MathML to SVG using XSLT for static site generation, a solution acknowledged as more involved but potentially worthwhile for consistent rendering. The thread ultimately reveals a sense of frustration with the current state of MathML support, despite its theoretical advantages.
The Hacker News post "MathML with Pandoc" (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43880554) has a modest number of comments discussing the use of MathML for rendering mathematical equations, particularly in the context of Pandoc and static site generation.
Several commenters appreciate the author's approach and express their own struggles or preferences regarding MathML. One user mentions their difficulty getting MathML to work reliably across browsers and devices, opting instead for server-side rendering of SVGs using MathJax. They also mention exploring client-side KaTeX but finding it somewhat cumbersome for more complex equations. This comment highlights the common challenges faced when choosing a math rendering solution for the web.
Another commenter expresses a strong preference for MathML, praising its semantic correctness and accessibility. They argue that the web should strive to natively support mathematical notation through MathML rather than relying on JavaScript workarounds. This perspective reflects a desire for a more standards-compliant and accessible web experience for mathematical content.
A further comment focuses on the specific use case of static site generation, agreeing that MathML is indeed the best approach for this particular scenario. They point out that MathML directly embeds the mathematical content within the HTML, avoiding the need for external JavaScript libraries, improving performance, and simplifying the build process. This reinforces the author's original point about the advantages of MathML for static sites.
One user discusses the broader context of MathML adoption, suggesting that its limited usage stems from the complexities of generating it and the lack of robust support in older browsers. They acknowledge the theoretical advantages of MathML but point out the practical hurdles that have hindered its wider adoption.
Finally, a commenter shares their personal experience of generating MathML with a Haskell library, highlighting the positive aspects of using a functional programming language for this task. This comment provides a specific example of how MathML can be integrated into a development workflow.
While the number of comments isn't extensive, they cover a good range of perspectives on the practicalities and benefits of using MathML, particularly for static site generation. The discussion touches on the challenges of cross-browser compatibility, the benefits of semantic correctness and accessibility, and the advantages of MathML in the context of static site generators. Several commenters express their support for MathML while also acknowledging the reasons for its relatively low adoption rate compared to JavaScript-based solutions.