Using the Sizer

Description

Sizer converts an HTML source file with embedded math mark up into an HTML file with WebEQ applet tags. The math mark up is typically WebTex, a LaTeX-like mark-up language, but it can also be a low level "plist" format which directly controls the WebEQ rendering engine.

Math mark up in the HTML source file can be delimited in one of two ways. Equations can be surrounded by <MATH> </MATH> tags, or with the standard LaTeX delimiters $ $, and \[ \]. If the LaTeX display equation delimiters \[ and \] are used, the resulting applet tag will be set off with <P> tags, and will be centered.

If <MATH> </MATH> delimiters are used with WebEQ native markup, attributes can be included in the begin tag, e.g.

<MATH MODE=DISPLAY> ... </MATH>

When used with WebTeX, begin tag attributes are discarded.

The Sizer attempts to compute applet dimensions that yield visually acceptable results on all Java systems. However, there are still some system font dependencies in Java, and as a result, the Sizer will usually write out applet dimensions that are a few pixels too large, though occasionally, an equation may be clipped as well. Applet dimensions are worst using Netscape under Windows.

To facilitate the use of macros throughout a document, the sizer also allows authors to include a macro definition block in the header of the HTML source document as follows:

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>An Example</TITLE>

<!-- webeq
\define{\gump}{x^2}
.
.
.
-->

</HEAD>
<BODY>

This is a test $\gump = 9$.

</BODY>
</HTML>

Usage Summary

The Sizer is usually run on an HTML input file with embedded markup.: Since the Sizer is a Java program, it must be exectued by invoking the Java interpreter on the full class name:

      java geom.webeq.sizer.Sizer [options] inputfile 

      Options include:   -size number
                         -xscale number
                         -yscale number
                         -leading number
                         -expand true | false
                         -bg #rrggbb
                         -parser latex | html
                         -delims latex | html
                         -codebase URL
                         -code name
                         -archive name
                         -cabbase name
                         -fontbase URL
                         -macro filename
                         -lfontbase URL     (for sizing)
                         -lmacro filename   (for sizing)
			 -eq input
                         -o outputfile

When an equation is specified with the -eq option, the inputfile is ignored, and the Sizer returns the dimension of just that one equation.

Sizer Options

-size pointsize: Set the initial pointsize at which equations are to be displayed. Warning: this is system dependent, and doesn't necessarily correspond to the browser font sizes. Any value is legal, but WebEQ rounds to the nearest value in the list 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 24, 30, 36.
-xscale number or -yscale number: The sizer will multiply the equation dimensions by the scale and yscale factors before writing out the applet tags. These parameters allow one to partially correct for the system dependencies introduced by differences in system fonts on various platforms.
-leading number: Netscape has a centering bug that results in small applets not being centered. One work around is to specify a minimum amount of "leading" or space between lines that contain math in them. The number specified in the leading parameter specificies the minimum fraction of the current pointsize that WebEQ applets will extend above and below the axis of the current line. If this number is set to 0, the applets are sized to their true sizes, but may not align well. If set somewhere around 0.7, the lines will spread slightly, but the applets will align much better. The default is 0.
-expand true | false: By default, the sizer will include a reference to macros in the applet tages as specified by -macro option, or the inclusion of a macro block in the document header. In order to speed up execution time for readers, the sizer can expand macros and write out the result in the applet tags, eliminating the macro processing time for readers. To do this, set the -expand option to true.
-bg #rrggbb: Set the equation background color to the specified rgb value. This also forces the document body bgcolor value to agree. If a color is set in the body tag, and no -bg value is set, the Sizer will for the equation background to match the body. If neither a body or -bg balue is set, the Sizer will force both to be gray.
-parser type: Set the WebEQ input type to be latex or html. In reality, this means "minitex" or WebEQ native markup. Type = "latex" or "html"
-delims type: Set the type of delimiters used in the HTML source document. Type = "latex" or "html".
-codebase URL: Set the codebase in the applet tags. This can be an fully qualified URL, or relative to the resulting HTML document.
-code name: Set the initial applet execution point. By default, this is geom.webeq.app.mdraw.
-archive name: Set the archive parameter in the applet tag. At present, this must be an uncompressed zip file, living in the codebase directory.
-cabbase name: Set the cabbase parameter in the applet tag. At present, this must be a Microsoft cab file, living in the codebase directory.
-fontbase URL: WebEQ expects its fonts directory to be in the codebase directory. If it is somewhere else, this switch sets the fontbase parameter in the applet tag to point to it.
-macro filename: a macro file to be used with the WebTex parser.
-lfontbase URL: The Sizer expects the WebEQ fonts directory to live in a "classes" subdirectory of the current directory (since the "codebase" is meaningless for the Sizer). If it is located elsewhere, you must specify the location with this switch.
-lmacro filename: the location of a WebTex macro file for use during the sizing process. By default, the sizer expects the macro file in the current directory
-eq input: Return the applet tag for the single equation specified by input. Note that the input must contain delimiters.
-o outputfile: output to the named file. By default, output is written to stdout.

Examples

A simple invocation for processing a source file welcome.src is:

	java geom.webeq.sizer.Sizer welcome.src > welcome.html

A more typical example, setting some applet parameters is:

	java geom.webeq.sizer.Sizer -codebase classes -parser latex 
            -delims latex -bg #ffffff -o welcome.html welcome.src

In this example, the processing is being done in a different directory so we must set the local fontbase and local macro file, as well as specifying the classpath for the WebEQ files:

	
	setenv CLASSPATH $CLASSPATH:/u/htmldocs/classes

	java geom.webeq.sizer.Sizer -codebase classes -parser latex 
            -delims latex -lfontbase /u/htmldocs/classes/fonts/
            -lmacro /u/htmldocs/my_macros -o welcome.html welcome.src

Up: WebEQ Documentation