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This is so complicated, why not just Markdown or straight up authoring in HTML?
by xchaotic 10y ago
This is so complicated, why not just Markdown or straight up authoring in HTML?
- CJefferson 10y agoYou mean why write LaTeX? I write latex because most of my work eventually ends up as PDFs in journals, and there nothing comes close to comparing to LaTeX's quality. When I use markdown I end up using LaTeX extensions to write the maths anyway. However, it would be nice I could get better html output, as PDFs aren't nice to view online.
- yxhuvud 10y agoEh, have you ever tried to write a scientific formula in markdown?
- cwyers 10y agoBecause actual documents are complicated? A version of Markdown capable of expressing all possible LaTeX constructs is roughly as complicated as LaTeX.
- JadeNB 10y agoMore so, I'd imagine, since some LaTeX constructs would almost certainly require an encoding to avoid confusing them with non-LaTeX Markdown constructs.
- dginev 10y agoDisclosure: I'm the author of the wrapper mentioned here, and a LaTeXML and Authorea developer. In my view, MarkDown is a great kernel for what one could call "structured writing", while LaTeX is a great exploration of, and ecosystem for, the entirety of technical writing. I see both as points of departure to finding the best approach to write 21st century technical documents. More details on that opinion at [1]. This is also part of the fundamental mission of Authorea, where we offer support for writing all of MarkDown, LaTeX and RichText today, while working hard with the larger community to arrive at better tools in the long run. Anyhow, there are non-trivial trade-offs in making these choices, and I personally find it exciting to see where one can reap the best returns. [1] "LaTeX is Dead (long live LaTeX)" https://www.authorea.com/19359 https://www.authorea.com/19359