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Furthermore, the LaTeX syntax makes it easier for the computer to parse the document and distinguish actual text from equation symbols.
by rrhm 14y ago
Furthermore, the LaTeX syntax makes it easier for the computer to parse the document and distinguish actual text from equation symbols.
- JadeNB 14y agoIt depends on the meaning of 'easier', I think. In both cases, 'the computer' can do it, meaning the program `troff` or the program `(la)tex`, and I'm not sure it's reasonable to call one or the other of those programs 'easier' for the computer; but perhaps you are thinking more of something like syntax highlighting? In that case, I would argue that it's not easy at all with (La)TeX. The obvious difficulty is people mucking about with cat- and char- codes; but, even if that's not happening, you've got things to worry about like old-style `$ $` and `$$ $$` delimiters. I've never seen a highlighter handle `$\text{$math$}$`, or even `\(\text{\(math\)}\)`, correctly.