Re: MathML status in Firefox

Daniel Brooks escribió:
> Alvaro <[email protected]> writes:
> 
>> I'm not aware of how MathML is rendered into the page in this
>> implementation, so this might be nonsense: Is there a technical reason
>> to use *glyphs* for radicals? why not *draw* them with lines?
> 
> A glyph in a font is alread a series of instructions on how to draw
> something.
> 

Yes, obviously. But using glyphs for some symbols relies on the user 
having that specific glyph and probably that specific font. In 
particular, radicals in users not having the SPIX fonts render badly, 
because the renderer is expecting a radical glyph with an exact metric 
which is different in a different font.

Sum and integral symbols (as long as they exist in an installed font) 
are not a problem. Just render them in an approppriate scale.

But the root of something needs the horizontal line to be drawn exactly 
matching the top right end of the \/ radical symbol. And where is that 
point if the font is not known? Also the vertical scaling of the symbol 
for "tall" radicands does not work with other fonts.

OK, if the needed font (e.g. STIX) is guaranteed to be installed (i.e. 
included in Firefox), there is no problem.

OTOH, drawing the radical with a few lines would be font independent and 
always work. As an example, Maple V does this (or did in the old 
versions I used) and I think MS Equation editor does it too.