InfoType Simplifies Publishing Process by Converting Math Equations for Print and Web
TexTrans Conversion Tool For Math Expressions
PHOENIX, AZ. November 17, 1998.
InfoType Inc., a leading supplier of information management software and services for commercial, federal and state organizations, Tuesday announced the availability of a new tool for converting math equations to SGML or XML for print and CD-ROM publishing, and MathML for the Web.
Using InfoType's new TexTrans conversion tool, publishers can convert equations created in LATEX, a common language in math and science publishing, to multimedia applications quickly and easily without losing the calculations involved in math equations.
Benefits for Publishers
TexTrans means significant time and costs savings for publishers and typesetters of mathematical and scientific journals who until now have had to "re-key" math equations from authors that incorporate custom LATEX macros in their articles files.
LATEX, kin to TEX, the creation of Donald Knuth of Stanford University, is a formatting language that has been used for decades by authors of math and scientific related publications to describe and typeset formulas.
LATEX provides authors with the ability to create custom macro libraries, which function as a form of math "shorthand" for repetitive text and math sequences yet is not supported in the leading publishing programs such as Arbortext's ADEPT, Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Framemaker, and Interleaf.
Solutions for Rendering Math Expressions on the Web
TexTrans from InfoType coverts LATEX to TEX, which can then be easily converted to SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) or XML (Extensible Markup Language) for print purposes or to MathML for web rendering. MathML, an XML application resulting from work by the W3C Math working group, allows authors to format equations for publishing on the World Wide Web simply.
Unlike HTML, MathML captures the meaning behind equations rather than concentrating entirely on how they are going to be formatted out on the screen. It also shares XML's ability to retrieve real-time data objects from external databases.
Although many good math editor tools do exist today, they are not intended for use with LATEX or TEX and are predominantly palette driven. This means they are labor intensive, cumbersome and not suitable for high-level production applications. TexTrans eliminates the need for publishing houses to have to choose between making an investment in TEX training or sacrificing production schedules to use existing tools.
Pricing and Availability
The initial release of TexTrans on Jan. 1, 1999, will include LATEX to TEX conversion capability with SGML and XML output options and will be available for download on InfoType's web site, http://www.infotype.com for a cost of $2,500. A MathML output option is slated for release in March, 1999.
For more information contact:
Kit Anderson
VP Marketing
Tel: +1 602/395-9259
Email: kanderson@InfoType.com
About InfoType Inc.
Since 1994, InfoType has remained one of only a handful of highly specialized vendors that provide high-tech document management services to the publishing industry. Today they are actively involved in web technology, along with the integration of enterprise-wide data applications to provide a seamless system environment for businesses of all types. Drawing upon extensive knowledge and experience with SGML and more recently, XML, InfoType is the vendor of choice for leading today's businesses into the 21st century.
