[Webkit-unassigned] [Bug 114570] New: MathML is not just eye-candy!

[bugzilla-daemon at webkit.org]

https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=114570

           Summary: MathML is not just eye-candy!
           Product: WebKit
           Version: 528+ (Nightly build)
          Platform: Unspecified
        OS/Version: Unspecified
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: Normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: MathML
        AssignedTo: webkit-unassigned at lists.webkit.org
        ReportedBy: manday at gmx.net


Although the particulars of the decision to "disable" MathML, as I've been told, in recent versions remain mostly unclear to me, I'd like to stress that MathML is, contrary to what appears to be general belief, more than just a nice feature on top of a core web technology.

MathML provides a completely new and *much needed* set of semantics for HTML, namely that of math. This is fundamentally different from support of, say, a specific image format or support for specific CSS.

Disabling MathML is not even comparable to disabling a certain styling rule or CSS3 module. Disabling MathML disables a set of semantics, it irreplacably disables *content* *of* *HTML*! [1]

That said, even rudimentary MathML support is crucial. Javascript MathML libraries and what else might be considered an alternative on the first glance (and which have been mentioned as an excuse to disable MathML), such as displaying an SVG are *not* the same. They completely lack the semantic XML information.

Unless there are severe security implications by leaving MathML enabled, I think MathML should be enabled at any cost, even if it's just stub support and doesn't render perfectly. I've been using MathML in webkit for months and never noticed any but ocasionally at most tiny glitches. The "perfectionist's" attitude of not providing MathML support unless it's actually awsome is out of place here.

[1] As opposed to disabling a specific image format, which can readily be replaced by a different, supported format.

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