[libreoffice-users] Re: Problems with MathML export

Hi Neil,

Neil Soiffer schrieb am 15.08.2025 um 07:07:
> Regina,
>
> Deyan forwarded your letter to the W3C Math WG. His mail was prompted by 
> some problems I saw. I am using the latest release for Windows 10: 25.2.5.2.
>
> If you export to EPUB (via either Export or Export As...), there is no 
> math at all in the resulting document: no image file, no MathML, nothing.

I'm not very familiar with EPUB. But I indeed find nothing in the 
produced package. You could help LibreOffice if you create a bug report 
in https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/. AFAIK, LibreOffice uses the 
libepubgen library for export to EPUB. Contacting their maintainers 
might be a way as well.

> I find it confusing that there is a "Export" and "Export As..." and they 
> offer different choices. In fact, I didn't see that xhtml was an option 
> until reading your email. I am happy to find that MathML is exported 
> there. I think the general population would be unaware that xhtml is the 
> correct format to choose. Any reason you don't get rid of the "no longer 
> actively maintained" HTML option and have HTML use the XHTML path which 
> seems much better?

There had been some discussion some years ago, see 
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Proposals_for_removing_features#Writer/Web.

Perhaps write to the list of our UX experts for more details and current 
state: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/libreoffice-ux-advise

> For the PDF export, you should also be exporting MathML into the 
> document. The approach to use is to put the MathML into an "Associated 
> File" (it's an object in the PDF document, not something external). It 
> is attached to the /Formula tag. This is particularly important for 
> accessibility because AT can then pick up the MathML, speak it, braille 
> it, and allow users to navigate the math just as they would in HTML. I 
> can point you to documents that describe what to do and that have 
> examples of it if you would find that helpful. Given that you can 
> generate MathML from the editor, it should be relatively straightforward 
> to simply add this information when you output the /Formula tag.
>
> Let me know if you would like more information,

The way to go would be an enhancement request in our Bugzilla containing 
these info. https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/

I'm not involved in PDF at all and therefore cannot comment on it. But 
perhaps others on this list have more knowledge about it.

TDF employs developer Michael Weghorn, who focuses on accessibility. You 
could contact him, e.g via mailing list 
accessibility@global.libreoffice.org
Subscription: accessibility+subscribe@global.libreoffice.org
Archives: https://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/accessibility/

Kind regards,
Regina


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