Re: equation editors and TeX (long) (was "Equation Editor")

[Martin Sevior <msevior mccubbin ph unimelb edu au>]

Hi Paul,
	Thanks for your thoughtful email. I have spent quite a bit of time
thinking about what I would like an equation editor to do too.

Here are my thoughts.

The editing component should be modeless and stay up and available until
the user wishes to close it. The most recent equation is displayed in the
editor and can be inserted at any point in the document with a single
mouse click.

The document and the contect of the equation should be visible at all
times.

You should be able to to select type of equation components using arrow
keys and "enter". The current equation component is highlighted with a
light colour and can be shifted around the selection rectangle with the
arrow keys. Like Abiword's "Insert Symbol". 

The equation components should be selectable using latex keystrokes ala
Lyx. We should also allow the user to easily change and view what each
keystroke invokes and does. 

We should have an easily accessible help available from within the
component with help limited to just the equation editor.

At this stage I'm not sure whether the equation should be entered
immediately into the document or first just previewed in the equation
editor for insertion later. Having the equation in the editor means that
the user doesn't have to change their attention from the component where
they're selecting stuff to the document where the equation is appearing.
I guess we should do both.

Finally the document should be able to be exported to Latex so that
people who prefer that environment or for whom MathML is not sufficent can
do their stuff. (Me)

I've thought about your enhanced XML and I don't agree. If MathML is not
sufficiently rich it should be expanded by a standards committee so that
everyone can easily exchange documents. We in Abi already have export to
Latex so this is an easy decision. 

Anyway that's what I want from an entry point of view. I think it is all
doable. From a display point of view there is lots of code to borrow. The
MathML project in Mozzilla appears to making good progress in implementing
Latex quality symbol positioning. When I get the chance I'll look into
that.

I haven't had the chance to look at the StarOffice equation editor. It
will probabally be easiest to just develop that since it will be
bonobo-ized by Sun for us.

Cheers!

Martin