[NTG-context] mml

[Hans Hagen]

nico wrote:
> On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 10:18:32 +0200, Taco Hoekwater <taco at elvenkind.com>  
> wrote:
>
>   
>> Hi nico/Hans,
>>
>> Hans Hagen wrote:
>>     
>>>>          <mo> &#x000AF; </mo>
>>>>         
>> The MathML spec specifically suggests the use of &OverBar; instead
>> of a literal accent character in situations like this.
>>     
>
> The problem is that it is also specified to which unicode character is  
> mapped the entity (http://www.w3.org/TR/MathML2/isodia.html). Actually  
> &OverBar; is U00AF.
>   
the messy part is that

- a macron has no stretch
- an overbar has stretch

so, while there is a lot math stuf (now) in unicode, the macron is used 
for an overbar which is rather strange; do they also 'misuse' the 
underscore for underbar etc?

now an implementation needs to adapt to math or text (or just gamble 
since it may be that i want a non stretchable macron over x+y+z); my 
guess is that as a result, many implementations are more complex than needed

(btw, in pure text, it's still not clear if the macro glyph sould be 
chosen or a stretchable hrule)

(i think that one problem of unicode/xml/mathml is that it is used in 
typesetting systems but not in all aspects is designed (or used) to 
facilitate high end results; therefore a 24/32 bit tex still needs to 
provide much detailed control)



Hans



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