MathText aims to serve as a convenient means for blind and partially sighted users to write and communicate technical and mathematical material. This tool converts a specialized, text-based representation of such material into alternative formats, including:
- LaTeX (for printing as a conventional document);
- Unified English Braille; and,
- Nemeth Code
The syntax of the language is designed in part to allow for a custom dictionary to be used with a screen reader (such as JAWS), permitting the mathematical material to be read in a manner that is easily understood by a user listening to the information.
Compilation of MathText requires:
- BOOST (tested with 1.58.0)
- liblouis (tested with 2.6.3)
- Qt (tested with 5.5) (for the GUI only, tested on Windows)
On Linux, Automake/Autoconf scripts are used to facilitate building.
In Visual Studio, a custom property sheet has been setup with user macros for BOOST_PATH (point to root directory) and LOUIS_PATH (point to root directory). The VS projects assume Boost 1.58 for the libraries. Note that as of September 2015, building with Boost 1.59 was not possible due to some bug in the log-related templates.
A variety of methods have been used by the blind and visually impaired over the years in order to write and communicate mathematical material. For primary, secondary, high school, and college/university students in particular, it is not uncommon for students to write their maths in braille and then rely on a sighted volunteer or staff member to back- transcribe the information into regular print. In the worst case scenario, some studnets wind up dictating to a scribe, and are therefore completely unable to look at or review their work as they proceed. Performing complex calculations this is a great mental feat, but one that many cannot adequately master.
Some automated computer-based transcription tools exist to convert electronic braille files into LaTeX documents for printing as a conventional document. However, these tools are highly sensitive to mistakes or errors in the braille code, and the mixing of text and math material together presents significant conversion challenges.
MathText not only permits a user (equipped only with a computer and screen reader) to read, write, and review their mathematical material, but when the time comes to convert that into print or braille, the tool can provide feedback to the user about possible syntax problems or errors that might otherwise result in an unreadable or confused document.
This is a complete, ground-up rewrite of the code that I initially hacked together circa 2001. The core translation engine is intended to be fully independent of the user interface, and both command-line, Linux clients as well as a Windows-based client are envisioned.
At present, the command-line client and command-line test suites are functional and operational. They can produce Braille or LaTeX output accordingly.
Development of a Windows client has been started (based on Qt for potential portability to other platforms) but is not yet part of the core project yet.
From a functionality standpoint, most of the core language constructs have been implemented, including:
- math/text parsing
- numbers
- common symbols, operators, and comparators
- Greek alphabet recognition
- fractions
- roots (square roots and otherwise)
- subscripts and exponents
- various 'character modifiers' (vectors, bars-over, etc.)
- sigma/summation notation
The following functionality (which existed in the original code) has not yet been integrated here:
- matrices
- binomials
- column vectors
- integrals