Experiences Typesetting OpenType Math with LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX

Ulrik Vieth

Zpravodaj Československého sdružení uživatelů TeXu (2011)

  • Volume: 021, Issue: 2-4, page 116-126
  • ISSN: 1211-6661

Abstract

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When LuaTeX first provided support for OpenType math typesetting in version 0.40, high-level macro support for math typesetting was first developed for ConTeXt MkIV, while support for LuaLaTeX was initially limited to a very low-level or non-existent. In the meantime, this gap has been closed by recent developments on macro packages such as luaotfload, fontspec, and unicode-math, so LaTeX users are now provided with a unified high-level font selection interface for text and math fonts that can be used equally well with both LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX. While a unified high-level interface greatly improves document interchange and eases transitions between systems, it does not guarantee that identical input will always produce identical output on different engines, as there are significant differences in the underlying implementations of math typesetting algorithms. While LuaTeX provides a full-featured implementation of OpenType math, XeTeX has taken a more limited approach based on a subset of OpenType parameters to provide the functionality of traditional TeX engines. Given the possibility of running exactly the same test files on both engines, it now becomes feasible to study those differences in detail and to compare the results. Hopefully, this will allow to draw conclusions how the quality of math typesetting is affected and could be improved by taking advantage of a more sophisticated, full-featured OpenType math implementation.

How to cite

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Vieth, Ulrik. "Experiences Typesetting OpenType Math with LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX." Zpravodaj Československého sdružení uživatelů TeXu 021.2-4 (2011): 116-126. <http://eudml.org/doc/298760>.

@article{Vieth2011,
abstract = {When LuaTeX first provided support for OpenType math typesetting in version 0.40, high-level macro support for math typesetting was first developed for ConTeXt MkIV, while support for LuaLaTeX was initially limited to a very low-level or non-existent. In the meantime, this gap has been closed by recent developments on macro packages such as luaotfload, fontspec, and unicode-math, so LaTeX users are now provided with a unified high-level font selection interface for text and math fonts that can be used equally well with both LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX. While a unified high-level interface greatly improves document interchange and eases transitions between systems, it does not guarantee that identical input will always produce identical output on different engines, as there are significant differences in the underlying implementations of math typesetting algorithms. While LuaTeX provides a full-featured implementation of OpenType math, XeTeX has taken a more limited approach based on a subset of OpenType parameters to provide the functionality of traditional TeX engines. Given the possibility of running exactly the same test files on both engines, it now becomes feasible to study those differences in detail and to compare the results. Hopefully, this will allow to draw conclusions how the quality of math typesetting is affected and could be improved by taking advantage of a more sophisticated, full-featured OpenType math implementation.},
author = {Vieth, Ulrik},
journal = {Zpravodaj Československého sdružení uživatelů TeXu},
keywords = {LuaLaTeX; XeLaTeX; OpenType math; math typesetting; fontspec package; Cambria; Asana; XITS; Neo Euler; LuaLaTeX; XeLaTeX; formát OpenType math; sazba matematiky; balíček fontspec; Cambria; Asana; XITS; Neo Euler},
language = {eng},
number = {2-4},
pages = {116-126},
publisher = {Československé sdružení uživatelů TeXu},
title = {Experiences Typesetting OpenType Math with LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX},
url = {http://eudml.org/doc/298760},
volume = {021},
year = {2011},
}

TY - JOUR
AU - Vieth, Ulrik
TI - Experiences Typesetting OpenType Math with LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX
JO - Zpravodaj Československého sdružení uživatelů TeXu
PY - 2011
PB - Československé sdružení uživatelů TeXu
VL - 021
IS - 2-4
SP - 116
EP - 126
AB - When LuaTeX first provided support for OpenType math typesetting in version 0.40, high-level macro support for math typesetting was first developed for ConTeXt MkIV, while support for LuaLaTeX was initially limited to a very low-level or non-existent. In the meantime, this gap has been closed by recent developments on macro packages such as luaotfload, fontspec, and unicode-math, so LaTeX users are now provided with a unified high-level font selection interface for text and math fonts that can be used equally well with both LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX. While a unified high-level interface greatly improves document interchange and eases transitions between systems, it does not guarantee that identical input will always produce identical output on different engines, as there are significant differences in the underlying implementations of math typesetting algorithms. While LuaTeX provides a full-featured implementation of OpenType math, XeTeX has taken a more limited approach based on a subset of OpenType parameters to provide the functionality of traditional TeX engines. Given the possibility of running exactly the same test files on both engines, it now becomes feasible to study those differences in detail and to compare the results. Hopefully, this will allow to draw conclusions how the quality of math typesetting is affected and could be improved by taking advantage of a more sophisticated, full-featured OpenType math implementation.
LA - eng
KW - LuaLaTeX; XeLaTeX; OpenType math; math typesetting; fontspec package; Cambria; Asana; XITS; Neo Euler; LuaLaTeX; XeLaTeX; formát OpenType math; sazba matematiky; balíček fontspec; Cambria; Asana; XITS; Neo Euler
UR - http://eudml.org/doc/298760
ER -

References

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