Introduction
moslatex is a content mambot for the popular Joomla Content Management System (CMS). It parses LaTeX markup embedded in Joomla content and converts the markup to PNG image files using commonly available command line utilities on the server side. The generated images are then displayed to the end user browsing the site without them needing to install any additional plugins or utilities.
moslatex was designed and tested using Joomla revisions in the 1.0.* series on Linux based hosts. It is however believed that improvements in the most recent release should ensure that it will function correctly on alternative platforms including Windows.
Usage
On a Joomla! site with moslatex enabled users can simply insert LaTeX markup directly into the content editor surrounded by a pair of the appropriate tags. As a result of its heritage (originally designed to mirror functionality provided by TWiki's MathModePlugin) moslatex supports several tag variations for identifying blocks of LaTeX to be processed, they are as follows:
- {moslatex}LATEX{/moslatex}
- %$LATEX$%
- %MATHMODE{LATEX}%
- %\[LATEX\]%
As with the MathModePlugin the last two markup styles place the enclosed formula on its own line in the output.
Example Usage
Example 1
This first example illustrates use of moslatex to generate a representation of a complex equation.
{moslatex}
\begin{multline}
{\Bigl(\frac{\sigma'_{kl}}{2{\mu'}^{Vp}}\Bigr)} =
\left(
\frac{1}{4{\mu'}^{Vp}}
\left(
\delta_{ik}\delta_{jl}+\delta_{jk}\delta_{il}
\right)
- {h}^{(\sigma)} \sigma'_{kl} \sigma'_{ij}
\right)
{\sigma'}_{ij} \\
- {h}^{(p)}\sigma'_{kl}{p}
- {h}^{(T)}\sigma'_{kl}{T}
\end{multline}
{/moslatex}
becomes...
Example 2
This example displays a graph using moslatex. The graphic functions, and many others, can be enabled by installing additional latex packages on the server side and including them in the latex preamble.
{moslatex}
\psset{unit=0.5cm}
\begin{pspicture}(-4,-0.5)(4,8)
\psgrid[subgriddiv=0,griddots=5,
gridlabels=7pt](-4,-0.5)(4,8)
\psline[linewidth=1pt]{->}(-4,0)(+4,0)
\psline[linewidth=1pt]{->}(0,-0.5)(0,8)
\psplot[plotstyle=curve,
linewidth=0.5pt]{-4}{0.9}{10 x exp}
\rput[l](1,7.5){$10^x$}
\psplot[plotstyle=curve,linecolor=red,
linewidth=0.5pt]{-4}{3}{2 x exp}
\rput[l](2.2,7.5){\color{blue}$e^x$}
\psplot[plotstyle=curve,linecolor=blue,
linewidth=0.5pt]{-4}{2.05}{2.7183 x exp}
\rput[l](3.2,7.5){\color{red}$2^x$}
\rput(4,8.5){\color{white}change\normalcolor}
\rput(-4,-1){\color{white}bounding box\normalcolor}
\end{pspicture}
{/moslatex}
becomes...
