TeXML: an XML syntax for TeX / News: Recent posts

Unfortunately, TeXML libraries doesn't provide a simple function like:

s = tex_escape(s)

The workaround is described in the developer's blog:
http://uucode.com/blog/2008/10/17/escape-a-tex-string-in-python/

Due to a long period of inactivity in TeXML project, I've just been asked if the project is still supported. The answer is <b>yes</b>!

I use TeXML in production, it's an important part of our new publishing process.

Why the project is inactive? Because no bugs are reported for the version 2.0.1, released on 19 July 2006 (today is 10 April 2008). If it works well, why bother to change anything?

1) A paper about TeXML and Consodoc is published in TUGboat 28:1, 2007:

http://tug.org/TUGboat/Contents/contents28-1.html

Oleg Parashchenko
TeXML: Resurrecting TeX in the XML world
[Intermediate Plus -- transforming XML input syntax through TeX to PDF]

A copy is available from http://xmlhack.ru/protva/tb88parashchenko.pdf

2) TeXML and Consodoc were presented as a poster at XML Prague 2007 conference... read more

Conferences is a good way to promote TeXML. Recently I stumbled upon the following conferences:

1) O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing
http://conferences.oreillynet.com/toc/

`` Just a few years ago, publishers could see that deep, tech-driven industry changes were around the corner. Today, those changes are upon us, and they demand our immediate attention. Some are evolutionary; others are so revolutionary that they'll transform the nature of publishing, perhaps even our essential understanding of how publishing works, who it serves, and how it succeeds. ''... read more

I've just connected TeXML mailing list to Googe Groups. New messages
will be archived here:

http://groups.google.com/group/texml

I hope you find it useful.

I've released a minor update of TeXML. I found that combination of command-line flags "--ascii" and "--encoding" didn't work as desired. Now TeXML attempts to write a symbol in the form "^^XX" first, and only then consults the rewritting maps.

I'm happy to announce TeXML 2.0. TeXML is an XML syntax for TeX. The processor transforms the TeXML markup into the TeX markup, escaping special and out-of-encoding characters. The intended audience is developers who automatically generate [La]TeX or ConTeXt files.

Home: http://getfo.org/texml/
Tour: http://getfo.org/texml/tour_simple.html
Download: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/getfo/texml-2.0.0.tar.gz

TeXML 2.0 is a great improvement over TeXML 1.0. The concise ChangeLog will be published together with the 2.0 release. New refactored documentation is published on the new TeXML site "http://getfo.org/texml/".

I've added a new feature to TeXML. Content of the element "pdf" is converted to utf16be and encoded using escape-sequences. It is useful for making PDF strings, in particular, for PDF bookmark strings.

For example and some details, read the following:

http://uucode.com/blog/2005/09/07/making-unicode-pdf-bookmarks-with-texml/

The TeXML development version 1.27 brings new essential functionality: "--ascii" parameter. Now it's possible to generate plain ASCII TeX files in a desired encoding. Non-ascii bytes are encoded as "^^XX".

The folder "tests" contains the file "chinese1.xml" which is a working example of Chinese TeXML/LaTeX file. The file contains the following text:

&#x4E16;&#x754C;&#xFF0C;&#x4F60;&#x597D;&#xFF01;... read more

TeXML's mailing list "[1]Getfo-general</a>" presents now on [2]gmane.org

1. http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/getfo-general
2. http://gmane.org/

Gmane is a mail-to-news portal that never expires its messages. It therefore also functions as a mailing list archive. It's a bi-directional gateway.

The following parameters are set for this mailing list:

* Newsgroup name: gmane.comp.tex.getfo+texml
* Mailing list address: getfo-general@lists.sourceforge.net
* The gateway is bi-directional
* Address encryption is off
* Spam detection is on
* The list is described as: "Discussion about GetFO and TeXML."
* News URL: news://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.tex.getfo+texml
* Web URL: http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.comp.tex.getfo+texml

After making a lot of contributions, Paul Tremblay has joined the TeXML project. He already has introduced an XML namespace, implemented the standard pythonic way of installing and now he is going to release a new version of TeXML.

TeXML is an XML vocabulary for TeX, ConTeXt is a variation of TeX. TeXML was recently advocated in the ConTeXt world, so we updated TeXML to support ConTeXt. Download the new TeXML:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=102261&package_id=122453&release_id=310526

Unfortunately, documentation is not updated yet, so for details please consult TeXML news and forum on SourceForge:... read more

Paul Tremblay has publiched an article for XML authors who want to use open source software to produce high quality PDF documents. He suggests using ConTeXt, a variation of TeX, and advocates using TeXML for conversion of XML to ConTeXt.

Thanks to Paul Tremblay, TeXML now supports ConTeXt environments (\startenv ... \stopenv). You can get TeXML version 1.22.devel from CVS. For more details, see:

* http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1145206&group_id=102261&atid=631462
* http://sourceforge.net/forum/message.php?msg_id=3007157

Paul Tremblay have detected that TeXML doesn't work under Python 2.2.1 and proposed a fix:

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1123627&group_id=102261&atid=631460

Open up file "handler.py" and change line 163 to
stripped = content.lstrip()

(instead of
stripped = content.lstrip(string.whitespace)
)

The change is commited into CVS.

The aim of the XML2TeXML project is to provide a bunch of XSL stylesheets for converting
* DocBook XML and MathML documents into TeXML documents,
* and then to high quality PDF documents using TeXML translator and LaTeX.

As a supported of TeXML, I'm very glad to hear about starting of the XML2TeXML project. I was thinking about such project when I worked on TeXML. Many thanks to Wolfgang Jeltsch for making the dream real.... read more

According to Sourceforge statistics, 28 Nov 2004 TeXML had reached 500th download.

TeXML is an XML vocabulary for TeX. The processor transforms TeXML markup into the TeX markup, escaping special and out-of-encoding characters. The intended audience is developers who automatically generate TeX files.

TeXML is an XML vocabulary for TeX. The processor transforms TeXML markup into the TeX markup, escaping special and out-of-encoding characters. The intended audience is developers who automatically generate TeX files.

TeXML 1.2 is the second major release of TeXML. We are thankful to everyone who has sent us feedback, use cases, and requests for improvement. This made our software better.

TeXML 1.2 is substantially improved as compared to version 1.0. Certainly, several bugs are fixed, but we also introduced an important new feature.... read more

TeXML was successfully presented at the First International conference of the open-source developer (Protva, Obninsk, Russia): http://altlinux.ru/?module=conf (in Russian).

Here are files that I prepared for the conference (in Russian):
* http://getfo.sourceforge.net/texml/obninsk2004/texml-thesis.pdf thesis
* http://getfo.sourceforge.net/texml/obninsk2004/texml-thesis.tex TeX source of thesis
* http://getfo.sourceforge.net/texml/obninsk2004/texml-slides.sxi presentation slides in the OpenOffice Impress format
* http://getfo.sourceforge.net/texml/obninsk2004/texml-slides.ppt slides autoconverted to the PowerPoint format... read more

TeXML is an XML vocabulary for TeX. TeXML simplifies XML to LaTeX conversion using LaTeX.

One essential change from version 1.09 is an introduction of new documentation. Now distribution packages contains thesis of a TeXML talk at the First International conference of the open-source developers in Obninsk, Russia.

The second improvement (thanks to Stephen Robertson for reminding a CRLF problem in '#!' line) is a string '-windows' or '-unix' in a distribution package.... read more

Computer Price Magazine, the oldest Saint-Petersburg (Russia) magazine about computers, clerical aids and related things, published an article (in Russian language):

TeX -- tranditions and innovations
http://www.comprice.ru/logovo/2004-28_2.phtml

It's remarkable to see that independent people write about TeXML.

TeXML, is an XML vocabulary for TeX. It simplifies XML->TeX conversion.

TeXML, an XML vocabulary for TeX, is updated to fix misfeatures noted by Stephen Robertson. I hope that this version (1.09.devel) is the last development version and we will release second version of TeXML soon.

Changes:

* Environments and groups are now allowed in parameters.
* Whitespace processing in environments is reworked. Now @nl2 attribute of <env/> regards possible <opt/> and <parm/>.
* Empty line, produced by <spec cat="nl"/>, is no more being commented out.

TeXML is close to a second version. The TeXML 1.08.devel is considered to have a stable and tested code. After proofreading of documentation and some time of usage in real world, release of TeXML will be announced.

Changes:

* Advanced whitespace processing is implemented: the program
(a) removes what XML regards as insignificant whitespace, and
(b) introduces its own whitespace which would look reasonable from a human point of view.
* A new attribute @ws of the element <TeXML/> is responsible for switching advanced whitespace processing on and off.
* New attributes of <cmd/>: @nl1 and @nl2, new attributes of <env/>: @nl1, @nl2, @nl3 and @nl4. They are responsible for creation of new lines.
* New <spec/> symbols: new line, whitespace and nothing.
* Whitespace after commands is now significant, so the program adds '{}' after a command. This behaviour is configurable.
* A new command-line paramater '-w' (or '--width') specifies minimal width of lines that are subject to an automatical line breaking.
* Translation of special characters is now more LaTeXish. For example, teh symbol '<' is being translated into '\textless' instead of '$<$'.
* Replacements for special symbols now have '{}' characters at the endings instead of a space.
* Accurate handling of unicode mappings that can appear only in text or in math modes.
* License is changed from the GPL to the lesser GPL.
* Documentation is improved, a quick start document is added.

TeXML is an XML vocabulary for TeX. The processor transforms TeXML markup into the TeX markup, escaping special and out-of-encoding characters. Intended audience is developers who automatically generate TeX files.

New in development version 1.01:
* The program now prints its version.
* The program now deletes leading spaces in <env/>.
* Element <env/> now supports children <opt/> and <parm/>. Elements <parm/> and <opt/> now support child <group/>. Thanks to Stephen Robertson for request for improvements.... read more