[Blindmath] Latex creation tools

[Jonathan Godfrey]

Further to Michael's comments:

I think WinEDT is the poorer option of the two editors mentioned. Note there
are many ways of authoring LaTeX.

TexnikCenter does have an option for improved access for screen reader
users.. Of the two mentioned it is superior in my opinion. I would also see
its interface as marginally easier to learn than the WinEDT one.

Jonathan

-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael
Whapples
Sent: Wednesday, 10 July 2013 7:23 a.m.
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Latex creation tools

MathType is a very different product to things like WinEdit and
TexnicCenter. The LaTeX input mode of MathType is just one way of creating a
equation with MathType, it does not use the full LaTeX compiler and so only
recognises some LaTeX. Also with MathType one is only creating the equations
with MathType and then inserting them into other applications.

With LaTeX editors such as TeXnicCenter or WinEdit one is writing a full
LaTeX document and compiling it with a LaTeX compiler, they are simply a
helpful tool in writing LaTeX documents, one is having to deal with standard
LaTeX and all that involves.

MathType is normally good for those who want quick returns, this is because
one only need learn some of the LaTeX notation for writing equations, the
rest of the document is written using Microsoft Word, which most students
should be familiar with already.

LaTeX does have some neat and powerful features, but it does mean learning
quite a bit of stuff as one is writing the whole document in LaTeX. Thus I
would only recommend it to those who feel they want to invest time in
learning a tool for authoring documents.

You mention that you feel that MathType might not be so good for someone who
cannot see to use the LaTeX mode. If using MathType with word, one can
simply write an equation in LaTeX mid-document by surrounding it with dollar
signs (eg. $y = x^2$) and then select the equation and press 
alt+\ to convert the equation into a MathType object. Admittedly if you
make a mistake in the LaTeX one does not get any warning about this when
using a screen reader, but I do feel it is much easier to get the LaTeX
notation correct when using MathType as the notation will normally be
simpler (due to it only being a single equation and also as one can only use
a subset of LaTeX). One probably could pick up when an equation is not right
if exporting the document to a math page with MathML, but that would
probably be something one might do occasionally rather than everytime they
write an equation.

Michael Whapples
On 09/07/2013 16:38, Paul Chapin wrote:
> I'm looking at a tool for a blind user to write latex.  I've been looking
at MathType, WinEdit and TeXnicCenter.  As a sighted user I like MathType
since it allows me to simply enter the latex necessary for the equation and
then drop the result into Word. The problem is that it doesn't look like a
good tool for a blind user to locate and correct Latex problems. I can't say
I see much difference between the other two.  Both are looking for complete
document definitions in Latex and require a couple of extra steps to
generate a document, but they both generate nice error lists and would be
relatively easy to edit. Am I missing anything?
>
> Paul Chapin
> Academic Technology Specialist
> Amherst College
>
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