TeXLive.js | Hacker News Reader

TeXLive.js

manuels.github.io

32 pointslelf13 comments

Since there already exists a perfectly fine TeXLive distribution, why write it in JS? (In that case, I believe JS is deeply inadequate, probably missing something...)

I was far more impressed by the LaTeX2HTML5 [1] project, to compile LaTeX into part of a webpage instead of a DVI or PDF.

[1] https://github.com/pyramation/LaTeX2HTML5

It's not writing in, it's compiling to. JS is the new assembler language.

I fail to understand your point.

I see a "pdftex.js" [1] program which seems to compile a TEX file into a PDF file... which I would call writing TeXLive in JS. If I read correctly, this was partly automated by using "emscripten" to convert the original C++ implementation into a JS implementation (which is why some parts "compile to" JS).

I also do not understand what "new assembler language" means in the context of TeXLive. But what I want to understand is: why?

Why would any one want TeXLive in JS? Where is the advantage? (Please do not answer "portability".)

[1] https://github.com/manuels/texlive.js/blob/master/pdftex.js

One obvious advantage: a service that supports live TeX document editing could run TeX for previews on the client side rather than the server side, freeing up a huge amount of server resources and making it possible to scale much more easily.

Thank you! I too quickly forgot that JS makes client-side computation easy.

It's useful for more now than just pokemon chasing your mouse cursor, we swear!

Why is portability a bad answer?

Because TeXLive is already pre-compiled for any distribution you may want to typeset LaTeX with.

No, it's not compiled to run in the web browser; at least, not until people do things like this project.

Hum... if you can run a browser, you can already run executable files (ELF or the Windows-crap-equivalent), including all TeXLive tools. Thus, running in a browser does not bring portability.

However, as "JoshTriplett" pointed out, running in a browser brings the possibility of client-side computation triggered from a web host. But this is not what I call portability.

Nice. It ran a little slow for my liking, but impressive nevertheless.

How does this project differ from pdftex.js? https://github.com/manuels/pdftex.js

Looked into this project before. My conclusion is: the way emscripten works is not suitable for TeX Live project because it is impossible to pre-load such a huge collection of files.

Very nice. Whatever your views on JS are this is an impressive project.

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