Publishing on the Web

The factors to consider in publishing mathematics-intensive documents on the Web are the same as publishing any other content online: Who is your intended audience? What browser do they use? What is their connection speed? What other software is available to them? The answers to these questions will influence your choice of Web publishing tools and viewing options.

Your Web Publishing Options

With Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, and Scientific Notebook, you can create mathematics-intensive information for the web in .tex files, HTML or XHTML files, or PDF files.

• Create .tex files. You can create your document as a .tex file, just as you would create any other Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, or Scientific Notebook document. No special action is required. You can then place the file directly on the Web. When the file is saved to a reader's Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, or Scientific Notebook installation, any mathematics in the file is live. Readers who do not yet have SWP, SW, or SNB can view the files with Scientific Viewer. If you have SWP, SW, or SNB, view a sample .tex file on our website.
  Creating .tex files for online use has these advantages:
  • Ensure that mathematics and plots appear accurately.
  • File appearance is the same for all readers.
  • Link files together in the preferred sequence.
  • Use less space on the server.
  • Simplify file management.
  If you have Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, or Scientific Notebook, view a .tex file on our website.
  
  
• Creating HTML or XHTML files. With our software, you can export your .tex file as HTML or XHTML. All mathematics and plots are ordinarily exported as graphics, but you can also choose to export mathematics as MathML, the HTML counterpart for mathematical content. The program supports MathML for Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher and for Netscape7/Firefox.
  • Internet Explorer requires a plug-in to support MathML. By default, we script MathML for MathPlayer.
  • Netscape 7/Firefox has direct support for MathML.
  We recommend exporting to XHTML when you use MathML. The mathematics in an HTML or XHTML file is not live.
  Creating HTML or XHTML files with mathematics as graphics has these advantages:
  • Export directly from SWP, SW, or SNB.
  • Save time with one-step creation of accurate HTML files.
  • Share mathematics-intensive information on a variety of platforms via the Internet.
  • Ensure that mathematics and plots appear accurately.
  • Link to supplementary online material.
  Creating HTML and XHTML files with mathematics as MathML has these advantages:
  • Export directly from SWP, SW, or SNB.
  • Ensure that mathematics and plots appear accurately.
  • Create one file per document for all text and mathematics.
  • Simplify file management.
  • Link to supplementary online material.
  
  
• Create PDF files. With Version 5.x of SWP or SW, you can typeset compile your file with pdfLaTeX. The result is a stunning PDF file that you can post on the web. Since SWP and SW convert all the graphics in your document to a form that pdfLaTeX can use, there are no limitations on the kinds of graphics you can include (as there are if you use pdfLaTeX without our software). If you use the hyperref package in your document, your PDF file will be fully hyperlinked with links in the table of contents and with hierarchical bookmarks that reflect the structure of your document. View these samples:
  • a PDF file created using pdfLaTeX.
  • the .tex file used to create the above file.
  With SNB and with earlier versions of SWP or SW, you can create PDF files of your documents if you have Adobe Acrobat Distiller installed. Create your document, then from the File menu, Print to Acrobat Writer or Distiller. Note that the resulting file will not be hyperlinked. View these samples:
  • The PDF file that results when the sample .tex file has been produced without typesetting and then printed to Acrobat Writer or Distiller
  • The PDF file that results when the sample .tex file has been typeset in SWP or SW and then printed to Acrobat Writer or Distiller
  Creating PDF files has these advantages:
  • Create beautifully typeset PDF files directly from SWP or SW.
  • Ensure that mathematics and plots appear accurately.
  • Share mathematics-intensive information on a variety of platforms via the Internet.
  • Simplify file management.
  

Your Readers' Viewing Options

Your readers can access .tex, HTML, XHTML, or PDF files created with SWP, SW, or SNB in a variety of ways. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

Using Scientific Viewer

If your readers don't have Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, or Scientific Notebook, we recommend that they use our free Scientific Viewer to access the Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, or Scientific Notebook documents you place on the Web. Using Scientific Viewer has these advantages:

• Scientific Viewer is free for the reader; download it from our website.
  
• The mathematics that can be displayed and accessed is unlimited.
  
• Download files quickly.
  
• Readers can print high quality documents from your website.
  
• Links to HTML files and .tex files can be intermixed.

Of course, your readers can also use any of our software products—SWP, SW, or SNB—for maximum flexibility.

Using an HTML browser

Documents created with Version 4 or above of SWP, SW, or SNB can be exported in several HTML formats. You can export any mathematics and plots in these graphics formats: .bmp, .dib, .emf, .gif, .jpg, .png, or .wmf. Documents exported to HTML have these advantages:

• The HTML output filter creates an accurate HTML version of your document.
• Readers can view your documents on many computer platforms with recent versions of the most popular browsers.
• You can further manipulate the HTML files with other Web authoring tools.
• The HTML filter interprets any HTML commands in your document.

Note that the files download relatively slowly (though more quickly with MathML), and the mathematics in the files is not live.

Using a browser that can read MathML

When you export to HTML, any mathematics in the document can be exported as MathML. MacKichan Software is a corporate member of the MathML standard committee, and is committed to supporting XML and MathML. Our products can produce documents using MathML designed for viewing by Netcape Navigator 7 and above, MathPlayer (a free MathML rendering plug-in from Design Science), and IBM techexplorer. Using MathML has these advantages:

• The HTML output filter creates an accurate HTML version of your document.
• You can further manipulate the HTML files with other Web authoring tools.
• The HTML filter interpret any HTML commands in your document.

However, the mathematics is not live. MathML is not supported by all HTML browsers, and it is interpreted differently by different browsers, so not all readers may see the same thing.

Using a PDF reader

Readers who have the free Adobe Acrobat reader can read PDF files created from SWP and SW Version 5 documents using pdfLaTeX. Authors with SNB can create PDF files with Adobe Distiller. Although readers must download the free software before viewing your document, PDF files offer these advantages:

• The software is free for the reader.
• The mathematics that can be displayed and accessed is unlimited.
• The files download moderately quickly.
• Readers can print high-quality documents from your website.
• Links to HTML files and PDF files can be intermixed.