Skip to content

Home

Jump to bottom
Bart Snapp edited this page May 10, 2024 · 15 revisions

Ximera Virtual Workshop 1: Submit to CTAN

General information

  • Dates: 5/3, 5/6-5/8/2024
  • Participants: Bart Snapp, Jim Fowler, Jason Nowell, Wim Obbles, Andrew Yarmola, Claire Merriman, Anna Davis.
  • Goals: Align the deploying Ximera document classes; Fix critical bugs and implement easy features; Submit the Ximera document class to CTAN; Plan next workshop for deploying in Docker.

Friday 5/3/2024

We presented and discussed Ximera documentclass development. While the goal of this workshop is “submission to CTAN” it is pointed out, that if we are deploying with a Docker App, then the Ximera documentclass can be installed there, thus making local installation redundant.

Activites

  • *.cls files and *.4ht files were submitted by all deploying institutions.
  • Diffs were run and analyzed on the files to produce a "combined" branch of ximeraLatex
  • Example files from UF and OSU will be used to make a master example directory.
  • Discussed various feature requests

Some points to consider (please add and or comment!)

The priority for workshop XV1 (5/2024) is:

Get ximeraLatex ready for CTAN

  • identify the (CTAN-policy-related) problem(s) to submit the current 'master' branch version to CTAN
  • identify differences Ohio/UFlorida/KULeuven version
  • identify key issues with the current deploy process:
    • The version of tikz on OSU's Ubuntu server is incompatible with the (newer) version of tikz on Bart's machine.
    • SVG-viewer missing issues
    • Incompatibilities of the current xake version and tex.
  • identify supported/deprecated/obsolete/optional/wanted functionality.
    • This will include a discussion on what should go in ximeraLatex (general, for all Ximera's, depending on Ximera-versions/releases) and what could go in a preamble.tex (per repo).

Essentials of the Ximera document class

  • By default, the Ximera document class must display all content. All environments should indicate their beginning and ending, as well as their nesting.
  • It needs to support all syntax for interactive elements. Sub-problems must be supported-numbering is necessary here.
  • By adding the option handout a PDF should be produced that is usable as a paper worksheet in an active learning classroom.
  • It must be easy to combine activities into a Xourse, to make a basic course package with a table of contents (I.e. a workbook).
  • Commands are camelCased, and usually not abbreviated.

See also the Timeline, and the extended/extra topics infra.

Other things to consider/discuss

  • explain/discuss some core concepts:

    • xloud: how is it supposed to work, what does exist, what is the planning?
    • gradebook: how is it supposed to work, what does exist, what is the planning?
    • xake: what are the main issues, and which ones can potentially be solved by a dockerized-xake?
    • sage: current status? (KULeuven docker image does not contain sage ..)
    • long-term support of ximeraServer:
      • Mathjax/npm/bootstrap/... all get (very) old
      • dockerized server should make maintenance and deployment much easier
    • documentation:
      • overview of existing author-documentation (Ohio/UFlorida/KULeuven)
      • overview of existing more technical documentation (xloud/ximeraLatex/docker/... ?)
      • end-user documentation (if needed: could/should be self-evident, and if not repo-specific ...?)
      • FAQ/...?

  • Resolve all outstanding issues

  • Review current default styling. The requirements of said styling are:

    • Display all content by default
    • Clearly display the ending/nesting of theorem-like environments.
    • By default, the "handout" option should produce a usable handout to be used in typical active learning classroom

  • Provide various robust basic printStyle *.sty files

  • Have a test repo that all future modifications will be tested against. I suggest:

    https://github.com/XimeraProject/examples

  • Document all behavior

  • Comment all code

  • Incorporate any new technology, desmos3d comes to mind

  • Provide options for randomized numbers/problems.

Clone this wiki locally