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https://github.com/susam/muboard

Self-rendering and distributable mathematics chalkboards
https://github.com/susam/muboard

chalkboard commonmark javascript latex markdown markdown-latex math mathematics npm-package texme

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Self-rendering and distributable mathematics chalkboards

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README 

        
Muboard

=======



[Muboard][Muboard URL] is a tiny utility that runs a mathematics

display board as a web page. Muboard lets you quickly scribble

mathematics snippets using Markdown and LaTeX while presenting your

desktop screen to others during real-world or virtual meetings.



[![View Muboard][Muboard SVG]][Muboard URL]

[![View Demo][Demo SVG]][Demo URL]

[![MIT License][License SVG]][L]

[![Mastodon][Mastodon SVG]][Mastodon URL]



[Muboard SVG]: https://img.shields.io/badge/view-muboard-brightgreen

[Muboard URL]: https://susam.github.io/muboard/

[Demo SVG]: https://img.shields.io/badge/view-demo-brightgreen

[Demo URL]: https://susam.github.io/muboard/mu.html

[License SVG]: https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-%233ea639

[Mastodon SVG]: https://img.shields.io/badge/mastodon-%40susam-%236364ff

[Mastodon URL]: https://mastodon.social/@susam



Contents

--------



* [Get Started](#get-started)

* [Distributable Boards](#distributable-boards)

* [Features](#features)

* [Why?](#why)

* [Mirror](#mirror)

* [License](#license)

* [Support](#support)

* [More](#more)



Get Started

-----------



To get started with using Muboard, [click here][Muboard URL] and start

typing Markdown + LaTeX input at the text field at the bottom.



Here is an example screenshot that shows how Muboard with some content

looks like:










Distributable Boards

--------------------



Muboard can be used to create distributable boards. To try it out,

copy and paste the code below into an HTML file with `.html`

extension:



```html



# The Möbius function



For any positive integer $ n $, the Möbius function $ \mu(n) $ is

defined as follows:



$$ \mu(1) = 1; $$



If $ n > 1, $ write $ n = p_1^{a_1} \dots p_k^{a_k} $ (prime

factorization). Then



\begin{align*}

  \mu(n) & = (-1)^k \text{ if } a_1 = a_2 = \dots = a_k = 1, \\

  \mu(n) & = 0 \text{ otherwise}.

\end{align*}



If $ n \ge 1, $ we have



$$

  \sum_{d \mid n} \mu(d) =

  \begin{cases}

    1 & \text{ if } n = 1, \\

    0 & \text{ if } n > 1.

  \end{cases}

$$

```



Now open this file with a web browser. This is a self-rendering

distributable board file. It renders itself to look like this:

[mu.html][Demo URL].



### Valid HTML5



The code snippet in the previous section shows how we can create a

self-rendering document with a single line of HTML code but this

brevity comes at the cost of standard conformance. For example, the

required `` element is missing from the code. Further the

`` element is not closed. Despite the missing tags, this

example works just fine because all web browsers follow the

[robustness principle][robustness].



For the sake of completeness and correctness, here is a minimal but

complete and valid HTML example:

[mu-html5.html](https://susam.github.io/muboard/mu-html5.html)

([source](examples/mu-html5.html)). It has a few more lines of code

to ensure that this HTML5 code validates successfully at

[validator.w3.org][validator]. In case you are wondering, a valid

HTML5 document does not require explicit ``, ``, or the

closing `` tags, so they have been omitted for the sake of

brevity while maintaining completeness and correctness in this

example.



[robustness]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robustness_principle

[validator]: https://validator.w3.org/#validate_by_input



Features

--------



* Runs in a web browser.

* Keyboard driven user interface.

* Vertical splits.

* Input is just LaTeX, Markdown, and HTML. Avoids any new syntax.

* Conforms to CommonMark specification of Markdown.

* Conforms to GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM), a strict superset of

  CommonMark.

* Supports a [subset of LaTeX][macros] using MathJax.

* Supports creating self-rendering distributable boards with a single

  line of HTML.

* Supports editing commands such as `,i`, `,d`, `,align*`, etc. to

  automatically insert LaTeX delimiters for inline mathematics,

  display mathematics, align environment, etc. (Type `,help` in the

  board input to see a complete list of supported commands.)

* Support for saving/loading snippets to/from browser's local storage.

* Not a [WYSIWYG][wysiwyg] tool.

* Not a collaborative editing tool.



[macros]: http://docs.mathjax.org/en/latest/input/tex/macros/index.html

[wysiwyg]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WYSIWYG



Why?

----



Muboard was created originally for [analytic number theory club

meetings][meet] that I used to host in 2021. During the meetings, I

needed a place to type out mathematics formulas and render them

quickly. I chose to write a tiny non-WSYIWYG tool because I prefer

such tools. It also helps in keeping the LaTeX snippets in an HTML

file that can render itself using JavaScript.



The name *Muboard* is a reference to the Möbius function *μ(n)* which

was the first function definition we discussed using this tool.



[meet]: https://susam.net/maze/meet/iant/



License

-------



This is free and open source software. You can use, copy, modify,

merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of it,

under the terms of the MIT License. See [LICENSE.md][L] for details.



This software is provided "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,

express or implied. See [LICENSE.md][L] for details.



[L]: LICENSE.md



Support

-------



To report bugs, suggest improvements, or ask questions,

[create issues][issues].



[issues]: https://github.com/susam/muboard/issues



More

----



See [TeXMe](https://github.com/susam/texme), a lightweight utility to

create self-rendering and distributable Markdown + LaTeX documents.



See [MathB](https://github.com/susam/mathb), a mathematics pastebin

built using TeXMe. This is the oldest mathematics pastebin that is

still alive on the web and serving its community of users.