=============== The original message seems to be lost, thus this is a repost. ===============
Hello Alfredo and all others as well! I'm, the developer and maintainer of OOo Math. I'm going to write a bit about Math in general and it's code because for there is an actual current interest (thanks Alfredo!) and also because it is sth. I should have done already a long time ago. ^^° ======================================= About the source code ======================================= First of all I'll give an introduction to the code and where to find it. Those who have access to the cvs tree of OOo it is located as a sub project of sw in sw/starmath. The source code may also be seen at http://sw.openoffice.org/source/browse/sw/starmath/ The code can be found in the inc and source sub-directories. Since Math is the smallest appication of OOo it has a rather short number of code files (about 70) and should be rather easy to get familiar with it compared to any other of OOo's applications. - accessibility.hxx, accessibility.cxx Those contain all the code that has to do with Math's accessibility implementation. - action.hxx, action.cxx Contains a small helper class that gets used with undo/redo - applicat.hxx Two small application specific classes (usually of no further interest). - cfgitem.hxx, cfgitem.cxx All code required to read/write Math specific entries to OOo's configuration (the place where e.g. application settings get stored). - commands.src The resource data that hold the text to be inserted in the edit window when entries in the "Selection" floating window or the context of the edit window get selected. Also here is the complete resource for the above context menu. - config.hxx, config.cxx This code is related to the "Tools/Options/OpenOffice Math /Settings" tab page. - detreg.cxx Code required to run (register and call) Math as a component. - dialog.hxx, dialog.cxx, dialog.hrc Basically the code for all of Math's specific dialogs. - document.hxx, document.cxx Holds the class that represent a Math document. - edit.hxx, edit.cxx The code for the edit or command window where you type the formulas text. - eqnolefilehdr.hxx, eqnolefilehdr.cxx Code needed to determine the version number of embedded MathType objects. (MathType objects are those that are called "Microsoft Equation 3.x" in Microsoft Word.) Note: 'embedded' means embedded in other applications than Math, e.g. a text document or presntation document. - format.hxx, format.cxx Hold the class that is used to store all the formating options that can be set via Math's dialogs. - localize.sdf Translations of UI strings. Not to be edited manually! - makefile.mk The make file for the application. - math_pch.cxx Pre-compiled headers. - mathml.hxx, mathml.cxx All the code related to read/write MathML. - mathtype.hxx, mathtype.cxx The code related to MathType import/export. - menu_tmpl.src Holds the definition for some Math specific accelerator keys. - node.hxx, node.cxx All the node classes that represent a formula after it has been parsed. Those nodes get organized in a tree by the parser. A node also has a member that stores the position where it's content is to be displayed later on. The tree object will then be used later to do the layout. - parse.hxx, parse.cxx The parser that takes the text from the command window and generates the nodes tree. - rect.hxx, rect.cxx The basic class for layout purposes it can hold a rectangles position and size and can be move or merged with other rectangles. The layout is basically done by re-arranging those rectangles which are part of a node. - register.cxx Other code required to run Math as a component. - smdetect.hxx, smdetect.cxx Math specifc filter detection code. - smdll.hxx, smdll.cxx Code related to initializinh and exiting the DLL. - smmod.hxx, smmod.cxx The SmModule class is shared by all Math documents and thus holds or give access to objects, or provides some functionality that need/should not be document specific, or holds objects that should exist only once. For example it holds an SmSymSetManager object that is used to share all the user-defined symbols between all the documents or gives access to the configuration. - smres.src The source for all the dialogs. - starmath.hrc Holds UI related defines used in the resources. - symbol.hxx, symbol.cxx, symbol.src All the code and resources (aside from UI) for managing user-defined symbols. - toolbox.hxx, toolbox.cxx, toolbox.hrc The code and resources for the "Selection" floating window. - typemap.cxx Some general UI related defines. (There should be no need to look at these) - types.hxx, types.cxx Defines for all the characters used in Math and some converion functions. - unodoc.cxx A minor set o fUNO related functions - unomodel.hxx, unomodel.cxx The UNO implementation for the Math model. - utility.hxx, utility.cxx Set of various helper classes. - view.hxx, view.cxx The implementation of the view shell along with some other classe the allow access to the edit and toolbox window. - viewhdl.cxx Clipboard related functions. ======================================= History / present time / available time ======================================= Basically (aside from adding some minor improvemants) Math had reached it's current state about the time of StarOffice 5 and 5.2. That is now about 8 years ago. Since with StarOffice 5.2 was basically found useful and functional it was right after the release decidec that this project is now finished. That of course some things were not done that could still have done, and even some things that really should have done are still not available today. :-( And having always only a few developers and other applications and new features to implement or bugs to fix at hand this is basically how it has remained in such a way ever since. And nowadays with even less developers than years ago this is probably unlikely to change in the foreseeable furure as well. :-( Thus if anyone is interested in coding for Math I have to say that it is unlikely that I myself will have significant time to spend for coding in Math at all. Thus aside from some small coding task the only thing I can offer is support in anwering questions and point wo where to look at if specific things are to be done. Of course I will also be available for reviews and similar tasks. ======================================= Most missing features ======================================= If I were to say what is missing the most I would say: 1) It should be possible to horizontaly align text in two or more consecutive lines. It should be easy to gets formulas displayed where the '"' charcters or other similar charcters are aligned above each other. E.g: a + b = x - 2 y < a2*b2 < 100 The only way to do this now would be by using of the phantom comman alignl a+b = c newline alignl phantom {a+b} = x - y newline or make use of the matrix command as use for fomatting matrix{ a+b # {}={} # alignl c ## {} # {}={} # alignl x-y} Both of them are awkward and tedious to use over time. 2) The next issue is not about Math alone but about Math embedded in another application e.g. a text document. If [a+b < c] is to denote a formula that is embedded as character in paragraph one would like it to automatically happen that the baseline of the surrounding text in the paragraph matches the baseline of the formuala (and maybe that it can not moved vertically anymore). Currently it is just by chance dur to most formulas having only a single line or a line like [a over b] that will make it look like this is already the case but it is not. You can actually move the formula as you like. And if you happen to reformat you paragraph e.g. by giving it a new font size you may well end up being required to vertically justify all the formulas manually to for the new font size especially if you need to justify your formula in the first place ( e.g. for {int _a^b f(x)} over d ). 3) I would be really nice if when a formula is selected as part of a text and the font changes (e.g. size or color) the formula would automatically take part in that change. 4) A functionality that applies the format setting of a specific formula to all formula in the document will be quite useful as well. Since Math objects have no styles there is no good place to change settings for all of them when the formulas already do exist. For both of 1) and 2), if not already known right after 5.2 those are at least known and not taken care of for about the last 5 or 6 years. For 2) we already tried to have time for it in the last two years but in the end it never worked out. -_- For 2), 3) and 4) some more knowledge with embedding objects would be required as well. Of course there is also quite a number of bugs that could be fixed. But I think it will be to much to list them here. ======================================= Some notes about MathType and MathML ======================================= MathType is supported for version 3.0 / 3.1 which is almost what most Windows user will have gotten along with their MS Word installation. MathML is supported for version 1.01. Basically Math can write MathML and read that very same file again. But if you try to use some of the more elaborate syntax of MathML you may encounter that Math will fail to notice that syntax element or may have problems with the specific nesting of elements. Thus I would say there is definetly room for improvement here. However some of the MathML functionality would probably require some improvements / additonal things to be added to the Math engine in the first place to make use of. This is because neither is the functionality of Math (in terms of formatting and layout) a subset of MathML nor is it vice versa! (BTW: The same hols for Math and MathType) Also OOo's MathML has that famous (well I'm not to sure about that ^^°) <math:annotation math:encoding="StarMath 5.0"> tag which basically holds the text from the edit window. The point about this is if you modify that MathML formula e.g. with a MathML editor and than save it and have the formula read with OOo Math again you will surprisingly notice that your latest (external) changes did no matter at all. That is due to that tag! If Math encounters that tag when reading MathML it will simply disregard whatever MathML is present and use the text within that tag and have it parsed again to get the result. Well, it's long time since that was introduced I don't remember completly about the why? I think it is due to exporting a Math formula to MathML and then re-importing it will usually result in the orignial formula text being cluttered now. The formatting (line break and indentions) gone, comments gone, additional braces etc... And you will basically not realize the same formula that was saved some minutes ago. Since MathType and MathML import/export was not written by me. I'm just a beginner regarding both of them and my experience is mostly limited to case studies in the course of bug fixes. MathML can be looked up at http://www.w3.org/Math/ and MathType documentation can be found http://www.dessci.com/en/reference/sdk/ however the already online documentation can be found at http://www.dessci.com/jp/support/tech/MTEF4.STM (MTEF3 doumentation seems not to be available here anymore.) ======================================= Future of Math ======================================= Taking into account that Math was basically already left alone for some years now I think there is no much reason to think that this will change anytime soon. Thus if Math is to actually gain some ground in anyway I see only about 2 ways combinations may be possible. 1) Actually we will be lucky and through this posting we will find a dedicated OOo Math developer. (Not that many have asked over the years, though there were one or two.) 2) In the long run replace the current Math with something else that is out there and has it's own developing ongoing and is likely to continue. That would be: 2a) replace Math with MathType or at least have that along as well. The problem is that to my understanding MathType is commercial and thus it should probably only offered as add-on for those who like to have this. 2b) Make use of Amaya (W3C's official MathML web browser) as rendering machine. (Since in previous versions IE 5.0 was plugged, though for other purposes, it should be possible to plug Amaya for Math.) The advantage would be it will always be up-to-date with the MathML development and we need not take care of layout anymore. On the other hand - an import for existing formulas must be provided - we need some kind of reasonable UI to enter formulas for Amaya. (Don't know if sth like that already exists.) Also would that UI be a click-them-together or a type-it-by-keyboard interface? I know many person would like to have the first but also there were many people as well that complimented Math for is somewhat TeX like input syntax that is all text based. 3) Find another OpenSource project that is working on displaying mathematical formulas and can be expected to be still alive and supported for years to come, and join forces if possible. For most projects I know of, the latter part about the 'support for years to come' will be the critical point where it seems quite doubtful if that can be expect. Thus I can currently think only of one project in this category and that would be KFormula from KOffice! They are also implementing ODT and thus there are already some things in common. Things that should be possible to share are - a MathML import/export functionality. The result from the import (and source for the export) should be a common node represetation of the formula. - a layout engine. It should pe possible to have a common layout engine that uses the above node representation. - If there is a common node structure for the formula import/export for MathType (or basically any other format) could also become shared code. For points 2) and 3) (especially if it is about replacing Math with some other technology) I have to explicitly note that 2 requirements must be met: a) Whatever editor or tools is used to modify the formulas MathML the result saved must be ODF compliant. (I'm no specialist in this field thus I cannot tell what this explicitly means but there might be some problems in details.) b) For use of formulas as embedded object we need to have a replacement image available. This has to be a performant implementation of a vector grafic format! Currently this our vcl-gdi image but that can most probably read only be OpenOffice itself. ======================================= Building OOo ======================================= For anyone that got interested in seeing in building for oneself there are the following links: http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Building_vanilla http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Building_with_ooobuild Kind Regards, Thomas --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
