Re: HyperDoc replacement, was: Re: [Axiom-developer] CATS - Computer Algebra Test Suite

[root]

>Arthur wrote:
>I took a look at the tex4ht package.  Maybe I should tell you
>what my "agenda" is.
>
>I am motivated to make mathematical content and functionality
>as easy as possible to access on the web.
>
>To me the only possibility for doing this is by using a web
>browser as the interface.

I'm motivated to move to the web browser so I can lose all of
the non-portable "portable C code". All I want to depend on is
a socket interface if we can arrange it. Except for drawing
(so far), everything else can be done better in the browser.

>
>Philosophically any software I use must be Free in the sense
>of Richard M. Stallman.
>
>I want a potential user to be able to navigate to a URL in their
>browser and be exposed to full mathematical content and
>functionality.  To be as easy as possible the user should not
>have to download or install any other packages or plugins.
>This means using only native browser capability.  I think I
>have demonstrated that this is possible although of course
>much work remains to be done.

There is an issue of the fonts but I contacted the STIX font
group about packaging the fonts with Axiom and they said:

   The beta version of the fonts should be released within two weeks.
   I will see that your email address is added to our notification
   list for receiving an alert when the fonts become available for
   download.  Yes, you can package these fonts with Axiom so the end
   user can install them as part of the axiom install.  See the terms
   of the license available as a link from the home page of the STIX
   website.

I've been unable to find the Math1, Math2, and Math4 fonts (which
include things like multi-sized parens) so I'm hopeful that STIX
will solve that issue.

>
>The tex4ht package looks like it's too hard to install.  I don't
>run a debian based system.  The only way tex4ht would fit
>with my plan is if it was bundled and configured with axiom.
>
>I am not against other approaches.  The more the merrier.
>But for  now I am only interested in the above.

I've looked at TeX4ht and it might be useful for showing pamphlets
directly in the hypertex-browser so I've put it on the list of
things to try. At the moment I'm pretty focused on getting the
old hyperdoc implemented in the browser but I have a long wish
list of new ideas that keep screaming for attention. The browser
really opens up a whole new path of opportunity not available 
from hyperdoc.

I think that the functions from Martin's domain can be added to
axserver without too much difficulty. 

I think we need a way to specify "out of band" commands so they
can execute other functions in the domain. This would solve the
problem, which Martin's code solves, of doing things like calling
lisp functions for database lookup.

Tim