TeXML has been developed as an open-source project with the aim to automatically present XML data as PDF with sophisticated layout properties.
By means of an auxiliary structure definition, TeXML overcomes the syntax-based differences between TeX and XML.
Technically, the markup elements of TeX are described by using the XML syntax.
Historyedit
TeXML is a further development of a specification originally defined by Douglas Lovell at IBM, where Structure and Transformation have to be distinguished.
Structure
The XML definition of the TeXML structure can be considered as being completed since 1999 (TeXML.dtd).
It represents the markup link between TeX and XML.
Transformation
The transformation processes run smoothly since the end of 2010, a productive application of the technology is possible.
The original approach of using a Java application was published by IBM at IBM alphaWorks, but is no longer present. It was presented in a paper
at the 1999 annual meeting of the TeX Users Group.[1]
Applicationedit
TeXML is used to generate Technical Documentation from XML data.
After the transformation TeXML → TeX, the entire LaTeX-defined range of TeX macros is available.
By means of using TeX macros, it is possible to publish XML data having configurable layout options.
Specialsedit
TeXML allows automatic publication of XML data by means of a typesetting engine, which was originally designed for manual typesetting.
In contrast to publication using the XSL-FO technique layout properties of XML data can be manipulated by using exception rules in the intermediate code.
Exception rules are learned by the publication process, the layout properties are thus enhanced with each generation cycle.
High-speed publishing processes, an increase in speed of up to 100 times compared to XSL-FO based processes, especially in the case of large documents.
An example of an XML document, which has already been transformed into the TeXML structure:
<TeXML>
<TeXML escape="0">
\documentclass[a4paper]{article}\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
</TeXML>
<env name="document">
Misinterpretation of special characters as being functional characters is called "Escaping", thus: $, ^, ></env></TeXML>
TeXML processedit
The TeXML process transforms XML data which are described in the auxiliary intermediate TeXML structure to TeX:
\documentclass[a4paper]{article}\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}\begin{document}
Misinterpretation of special characters as being functional characters is called "Escaping", thus: \textdollar{}, \^{},
\textgreater{}\end{document}
Supporting processesedit
Works on the "Data Collection Level" (XML) and on the "Publication Level" (TeX) are supported by different tools, for example: