[texhax] help with identifying some macros

P. R. Stanley prstanley at ntlworld.com
Tue Oct 20 11:24:58 CEST 2009


Hi
Just thought the list might benefit from a repeat of the points below 
coming from a totally blind LaTeX user:

         Paul: The current system of naming control sequences/macros 
isn't so much a problem as the lack of comprehensive and descriptive 
documentation.

         Braille is very similar to LaTeX in a sense that the same 
symbols (dot combos) are used to represent different functions right 
across the various codes: music, maths, literacy etc.
         For example, all six dots, assuming we are using the 6-dot 
system,, represent the letter sequence "for" in grade II literacy 
braille, the equal sign in grade 0 (computer braille) and the f with 
a semibreve or semiquaver value in music. I'm sure there are other 
uses that I've forgotten.
         Of course, one would identify the specific function of the 
symbol based on the context in which it appears.
         The point being that most braillists would've been through 
the process of adjusting to the idea of an elaborate typsetting 
system with overloaded symbols in their formative years.
         Regards
         Paul


At 09:56 20/10/2009, you wrote:
>Uwe Lück wrote:
>>At 13:24 18.10.09, Lars Madsen wrote:
>>>[...] the naming should show the mathematical meaning of the 
>>>symbol, not describing how it looks. Such that when reading the 
>>>code the equation starts to resemble how it is actually read out loud.
>>At this point I just would like to know: do you read out loud "cap" 
>>and "cup", or do you say something like "union of" or "intersection 
>>of", resembling the German reading out loud?
>>-- Uwe.
>
>I would rename them into something like \union and \intersection, X 
>\cap Y does not make any sense.
>
>The major problem is that texts prepared for blind to read, needs to 
>be written with a blind audience in mind.
>
>At least naming symbols in a way such that equations make sense when 
>spoken, then one does not actually need to know that many symbols.
>
>/daleif
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