NAME
math2html - convert a Mathematica notebook to HTML format
SYNOPSIS
math2html [-B] [-b] [-c] [-e] [-f optionsfile] [-i] [-l logofile] [-m
mask] [-n numspaces] [-p paramfile] [-r color] [-s scalefactor] [-T pro-
log] [-t prolog] [-u] [-x cgifile] [-Z epilog] [-z epilog] mathfile
DESCRIPTION
Converts an evaluated Mathematica notebook into two collections of HTML
files, one evaluated and one unevaluated. The evaluated version has
numbered input and output cells and Mathematica-generated graphics are
converted to GIF images or MPEG movies. GIF images are created using
ppmtogif and MPEG movies are created using mpeg_encode. The unevaluated
version is stripped of all output and graphics cells, encouraging
readers to evaluate the cells using their own Mathematica kernels. Each
closed cell group and closed cell in the Mathematica notebook is placed
in its own HTML document. A link is created from the parent document to
the one for the closed group. The HTML documents for the evaluated ver-
sion are named mathfile*.html and the unevaluated documents are named
mathfile0*.html, where mathfile is the name of the Mathematica notebook
and * takes on consecutive integer values.
OPTIONS
-B By default, math2html inserts the HTML line break directive, <BR>,
in text cells wherever the original Mathematica notebook has a hard
return. This option suppresses the line break directive, causing
Web viewers to use wordwrap to combine the lines in each text cell
into one paragraph.
-b Output cells will be in boldface. This is not how most Mathematica
notebooks appear, but it makes the output cells stand out more.
-c If this option is set, closed cells (don't confuse these with
closed groups) in the Mathematica notebook will be skipped. Other-
wise, they will be placed in their own HTML documents with links to
their parent HTML documents.
-e Create only an evaluated version of the HTML documents.
-f optionsfile
The options file is used to specify any or all of the options
above. If any parameters are missing, they are assumed to be
unset. Options set on the command line take precedence over
options specified in the options file. Blank lines and lines
beginning with # are ignored. A sample file is listed in the next
section of this man page.
-i Create interactive input cells, by converting all input cells to
HTML forms. In order to use this option, a MathLink-based CGI pro-
gram must be available to evaluate the Mathematica input. The URL
the math2html program) or using the -x option.
-l logofile
The GIF image contained in logofile will be displayed at the top of
the root html documents. If not set, the default logo, specified
during the installation of math2html, will be used. If a full path
name is used, it should start at the root of the web server, not at
the root of the Unix file system.
-n numspaces
Convert tabs to numspaces spaces.
-m mask
If mask is 1, adjacent Mathematica-generated graphics cells will be
combined to form an MPEG movie. The first frame of the movie will
be displayed in-line in the html document with a link to the MPEG
movie. If mask is 0 or if the -m option is missing, separate GIF
images will be created for each graphics cell. These will be
included as individual in-line images in the html document. A
value of 2 combines the features of 0 and 1. That is, if mask is
2, each frame will be included as individual in-line images and the
first frame will be a link to an MPEG movie. The mask can be used
to determine which graphics sequences should be combined into an
MPEG movie. For example, if mask is 100120, then the first and
fourth sets of adjacent graphics cells will be combined into three
MPEG movies and the second, third, and sixth sets will be displayed
as separate GIF images. The fifth set will be combined into an
MPEG movie and they will also be displayed separately. The mask is
applied cyclically, so that 110 is equivalent to 110110110 and 1 is
equivalent to 1111111.
-p paramfile
Specifies a parameter file for mpeg_encode. In the parameter file,
dummy values can be used for the filename and the frame numbers.
math2html will replace these with whatever values it needs. If
this option is not included, default settings specified in the
math2html script will be used. See mpeg_encode's man page for a
description of parameter files. math2html will create .param
files. These files may be modified later and mpeg_encode could be
used directly to re-create the MPEG movies.
-r color
Convert color to transparent in in-line GIF images. Color may be
specified in index form, in rgb.txt from, or in #rrggbb form. For
example, the color white may be specified as white, White, or
#ffffff, or if white happens to be color 0 in the color table,
color may be specified as 0.
-s scalefactor
Scale all in-line GIF images by a factor of scalefactor.
-T prolog
fied during the installation of math2html, will be used.
-t prolog
A statement to be placed at the beginning of the root html document
in the unevaluated version. If not set, the default prolog, speci-
fied during the installation of math2html, will be used.
-u Create only an unevaluated version of the HTML documents.
-x cgifile
The URL of a MathLink-based CGI program to evaluate Mathematica
input and to return the output in HTML format. This option is only
meaningful if the -i option is also used.
-Z epilog
A statement to be placed at the end of the root html document in
the unevaluated version. If not set, the default epilog, specified
during the installation of math2html, will be used.
-z epilog
A statement to be placed at the end of the root html document in
the unevaluated version. If not set, the default epilog, specified
during the installation of math2html, will be used.
#------------- Sample Options File for Use with -f Option ----------
-----
# Specifications for Mathematica notebooks developed under the
# Interactive Calculus and Differential Equations Project.
m:
100110
l:
/MathDept/Projects/CalcDEMma/InterCalcDELogo.gif
# Notice that html formatting directives can be included in the prolog.
# ${filebase}0.html refers to the unevaluated version of the root html
# document and $filebase.html refers to the evaluated version.
# $filebase will be replaced by the name of your Mathematica notebook
# file.
T:
<HR>This is an evaluated
<A HREF="http://mathsource.wri.com"><I>Mathematica</I></A>
notebook developed for the <A
HREF="http://www.ma.iup.edu/MathDept/Projects/CalcDEMma/Summary.html">
Interactive Calculus and Differential Equations Project</A> under
<A HREF="stis.nsf.gov">NSF</A> ILI grant number DUE-9351896. Since the
notebook is intended to be interactive, it may be helpful to also view
the <A HREF="${filebase}0.html">unevaluated version</A>.<HR><P>
<I>Mathematica</I></A> notebook developed for the <A
HREF="http://www.ma.iup.edu/MathDept/Projects/CalcDEMma/Summary.html">
Interactive Calculus and Differential Equations Project</A> under
<A HREF="stis.nsf.gov">NSF</A> ILI grant number DUE-9351896. If you do
not have a copy of <I>Mathematica</I> handy, you may want to also view
the <A HREF="$filebase.html">evaluated version</A>.<HR><P>
Z:
Go up to <A HREF="/MathDept/Projects/CalcDEMma/Summary.html">
Calculus and Differential Equations Project Description</A>
z:
Go up to <A HREF="/MathDept/Projects/CalcDEMma/Summary.html">
Calculus and Differential Equations Project Description</A>
p:
drum.param
------------------------ End of Options File --------------------------
PROCEDURE
1. Prepare the Mathematica notebook for conversion:
a. Evaluate all of the input cells.
b. Eliminate any non-standard characters that are part of special
fonts, because the web server has no control over which fonts
are used by web clients. Eliminate subscripts and superscripts.
c. Close any cell groups that are to be placed into their own HTML
documents with links to the parent document.
2. Create the HTML documents:
a. Create a directory and copy the Mathematica notebook to it. All
of the HTML and graphics files will be created in this directory.
If the Mathematica notebook has many closed cell groups and/or
many graphics cells, then math2html will create many files.
b. Run
math2html -m1 mathfile
where mathfile is the name of the Mathematica notebook, using
whatever command line options you wish. This will create a
number of html, PostScript, ppm, GIF, and MPEG files.
c. Delete the intermediate graphics files, unless you have some use
for them. The .ps files are Encapsulated PostScript and the .ppm
files are in portable pixmap format. The .param files supply
parameters to mpeg_encode for creating the MPEG animations.
rm *.ps *.ppm *.param
d. If the first cell in any of the closed cell groups was a text
cell, then the title of that html document is the first eight
words of the text cell followed by "...". If the first cell
is a graphics cell, the title of the html document is
"Graphics Group n". The html documents can be edited to give
them more descriptive titles.
3. Install the html and gif files on the web server:
a. Create a directory on the web server.
b. Copy all of the .html, .gif, and .mpg files to this directory.
Mathematica notebook.
RESTRICTIONS
The Mathematica notebook must have exactly one Title cell and it should
be the first cell in the notebook.
Graphics cells that are not created from Mathematica graphics commands,
are given .gif filenames and referenced in the HTML document, but the
GIF files are not created. They will have to be created individually.
For example, a PICT file placed into a Mathematica notebook for Macin-
tosh could be copied and pasted into GIFConverter and saved in GIF for-
mat.
Sounds are not converted. The program creates an empty GIF image where
the waveform graphic ought to be. You will have to convert the sound
and graphic yourself. For example, if you have a copy of the Mathema-
tica front end for Macintosh, you can copy and paste the sound into the
shareware program SoundEffects and save it in aiff format. You can copy
and paste the waveform graphic into the shareware program GIFconverter
and save it in GIF format. If you want to be able to click on the
graph to hear the sound, include the following line in your HTML docu-
ment:
<A HREF="file.aiff"><IMG SRC="file.gif"></A>
where "file" is replaced by the filename of your GIF waveform graph and
your aiff sound file.
Only standard ASCII characters are supported. Font information in the
Mathematica notebook is ignored.
BUGS
ppmtogif generates the warning:
ppmtogif: a file read or write error occurred at some point
but it seems to have no ill effect.
The bottom few rows of pixels are missing from MPEG movies.
SEE ALSO
rasterps, ppmtogif, mpeg_encode
AUTHOR
Copyright (C) 1995 by Ed Donley <hedonley@grove.iup.edu>.
Inspired by Terry Robb's nb2html <tdr@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au>.
Suggestions, corrections, or comments should be sent to
<hedonley@grove.iup.edu>