[BlindMath] What is your experience reading LaTeX source?

[Aqil Sajjad]

LaTex is a great tool for writing math if you are at an advance stage (like 
graduate school or higher). But reading LaTex source code directly is a very 
cumbersome and inefficient way of reading math even if you're working at a 
very advance level. It is something that no one should have to do. There are 
several alternatives to it.

For example, you can convert LaTex to Math Type word or MathMl using a 
conversion software and then use NVDA with math player or some braille 
technology to read it. This has some limitations too. The conversion tools 
don't work perfectly with all forms of LaTex commands and you may often have 
to edit the source code yourself to render it in a form that converts 
properly.
So things can get frustrating too. But if you can do that, it's much more 
efficient than reading LaTex directly. There  is also some room for 
improvement in how math player navigates through and reads mathematical 
expressions. You also have to go through some song and dance to make it read 
capital letters differently. But all of that is better than the tedium of 
reading LaTex code directly.

Then there are LaTex to braille conversion tools, if you prefer braille over 
speech. Since I am not a braille person, I can't comment on how good they 
are. But given all the focus on braille, I would imagine that they should be 
good enough to spare people the pain of having to read LaTex documents 
directly.

Personally, I still use an old technology called WinTriangle for reading 
LaTex documents because it has a much better conversion rate from LaTex than 
Math Type converters. It allows me to read most things I need without too 
much extra work and struggle. But this is partly because I have to read 
research papers on a regular basis, so I need something more robust. 
However, I can still guarantee anyone who's willing to give it a try that 
it's much more efficient and easier than reading LaTex directly.

Bottom line: with several available alternatives, no one should have to read 
LaTex source code directly unless they really want to torture themselves.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joseph C. Lininger via BlindMath" <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
To: "Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics" 
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Joseph C. Lininger" <joe at pcdesk.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2019 9:16 PM
Subject: Re: [BlindMath] What is your experience reading LaTeX source?


>I used to use it for that purpose all the time, and I found it extremely 
>useful. My professors used to give me copies of math exams in LaTeX even, 
>since that's how they generated them in the first place. I also used it for 
>taking notes in both math and other classes, and for generating homework, 
>exams, etc. etc. etc. for professors. One of them made a joke once that my 
>homework actually looked better visually than all of the sighted student's 
>because of the fact LaTeX typesets everything so nicely. For notes, I 
>wouldn't generate a pdf of course. I'd just use the source as my notes.
>
> I don't attend school anymore, but I still use LaTeX for producing 
> documents sometimes. I also use it when I take notes for personal study in 
> math and cryptography.
>
> --
> Joe
>
> On 1/7/2019 11:57, Susan Jolly via BlindMath wrote:
>> Every once in a while someone on this list suggests that it would be a 
>> good
>> idea to learn LaTeX.  I'm interested if anyone has found it useful to 
>> read
>> math as LaTeX source.  If so, do you use computer braille or some other
>> method?  Have you found any problems? Anything to add?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Susan Jolly
>>
>>
>>
>>
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