Dino: Support rendering LaTeX code blocks

[paulmenzel]

Instant messages have become more than short messages, but are now used for longer texts too. That requires some formatting features not covered by XEP-0393: Message Styling. Colleagues, especially mathematicians, using Zulip like the possibility to use Markdown to format text and even add blocks of LaTeX code, which is then displayed.

For a non-centralized environment like XMPP without only one client, it’s hard to find a standard, so another solution would be to do it on the server somehow. For example, there is an outdated(?) Prosody module mod_latex, but that wouldn’t work P2P encrypted messages.

Zulip documents for LaTeX they are using KaTeX.

[Echolon]

Nothing against LateX, but where is that a feature for most users?

[paulmenzel]

Sorry, I do not fully understand your question.

It’s a feature, scientists, like mathematicians, learned to love the feature, and it would help to get them to migrate to XMPP based chat systems.

[qorg11]

I don't think it's really necessary to add LaTeX to a XMPP client. It's kinda an overkill.

[Echolon]

I was not saying that it should not be done. I like if people are able to change software to their needs. However that should not be in the main track of Dino, maybe a fork

[fiaxh]

I think this would be a neat feature, actually. XMPP seems to have a higher tech-geek percentage than other messengers. Computer scientists, mathematicians or physicists might want to send around a formula now and then.

Since this likely requires a dependency to some latex-rendering-library, it should go into an optional plugin. That way, people who want it can use it. And at the same time Dino won't get overly complex for those who don't want it.

I don't see myself taking this on, but if anyone is interested in putting this idea into a plugin, feel invited to ask potential questions.