Why is my Latex not working properly after recent changes?

  • Context: LaTeX 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Delta2
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around issues with LaTeX rendering on the Physics Forums platform following recent changes to the system, including a switch to MathJax 3. Participants are experiencing various problems with LaTeX commands not displaying correctly, issues with the preview function, and inconsistencies across different browsers. The scope includes technical troubleshooting and user experiences related to LaTeX functionality.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report that LaTeX commands, such as \lim, are not rendering correctly, with changes in letter casing observed.
  • Others mention that the preview function is not rendering LaTeX at all, making it difficult to verify posts before submission.
  • One participant notes that LaTeX seems to work fine in some areas but not in others, such as specific forum threads.
  • There are claims that caching issues may be affecting LaTeX rendering, with suggestions to clear browser caches.
  • Some participants express frustration over the changes, suggesting that the previous system was functioning well and should not have been altered.
  • There are reports of LaTeX rendering issues being linked to the switch to MathJax 3, with some custom functions breaking as a result.
  • Participants discuss the performance of the new system, with some noting that it appears to load more slowly, particularly regarding LaTeX rendering.
  • Concerns are raised about the editing experience, particularly when refreshing pages causing rendered LaTeX to appear in the editor instead of the code.
  • Some users report that LaTeX disappears when using the select text popup menu, complicating quoting and replying to posts.
  • There are mixed reports about the current state of LaTeX functionality, with some users stating it seems to be working again while others continue to experience issues.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that there are significant issues with LaTeX rendering and the preview function, but there is no consensus on the extent or specific nature of these problems. Multiple competing views remain regarding the effectiveness of the recent changes and the performance of the system.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include unresolved issues with specific LaTeX commands, the impact of caching on rendering, and the variability of experiences across different browsers and operating systems. Some participants mention that the changes may have introduced new bugs or broken existing functionality.

Delta2
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It looks like someone has tweaked latex options and it just doesn't work as before. For example the \lim command seems messed up, some letters are changing from capital to lower case and vice versa (for example if I type $$\lim \Omega R$$ it shows up as r while it is a capital R) and generally it seems messed up
Also the preview function doesn't seem to render latex commands so there is no way for me to know if I ve post all the latex correctly before I hit the Post message button.
So if anyone knows what's going on and can reverse the whole situation, please do, please make latex like it was 2-3 days ago.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
strange it seems it works fine when I write here but not when I write in the forum threads e.g Introductory Physics Homework forum
 
Two things happened, we switched to MathJax 3 which is not yet fully featured, definitely report back any issues. Also I am limited which templates load the script to get better performance. I am working on the preview issue, hold tight. Many issues are the result of caching. Please clear your browser cache.
 
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Also, when posting an answer I have to refresh the page to see my Latex rendered.
 
##latex##
Delta2 said:
Thanks Greg, for example at this thread https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/sphere-attached-to-a-spring.989764/ the rendering of latex just doesn't seem quite right.
Can you be specific so I can send to the dev?

As for the areas where latex doesn't render, there are some broken custom functions due to the changes in how mathjax works. We will either fix them today or revert back to version 2.
 
Also what doesn't work anymore at all is the preview function. When I click on "preview" nothing with LaTeX is rendered. It's very inconvenient to post everything for reviewing and then editing it. The preview function is really necessary to work properly!

Never change a running system! ;-)).

FYI: I type on a usual laptop under Linux (Ubuntu 20.04) and firefox 76.0.1 64-bit.
 
vanhees71 said:
Never change a running system! ;-)).
Then we might have to wait a long time to get this problem fixed.
 
I'll switch back to version 2 for now.
 
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  • #10
Preview functionality has gone completely for me too - it was working for replies but not new threads, but now it isn't working in replies. Layout looks fine to me in Firefox, though - maybe an Edge issue?
 
  • #11
It seems to be working for me again now. This morning Latex was not rendering on a preview - only when I refreshed the screen. Now it seems okay again.
 
  • #12
We're back to version 2. I'm talking to the devs to see how can fix our custom functions. I want to push for version 3 though because it performs much better. Loading mathjax is a major drag on performance.
 
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  • #13
So with v3 you might not get that three step load-as-source, load-kinda-formatted, final-load thing? I'm all for that!
 
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  • #14
anorlunda said:
Then we might have to wait a long time to get this problem fixed.
Of course I meant to have kept the one which worked right! I know that this is not always possible, e.g., for security reasons when you need to update to a newer version of some software or there's really needed new functionality of a new system.
 
  • #15
vanhees71 said:
Never change a running system! ;-)).
You always have to change the running system sometime! Props to @Greg Bernhardt for responding quickly with a rollback.
 
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  • #16
We're back on MJ3. I added a function for the preview. Let me know what issues you find. I know at the moment, if you are creating a post and refresh, the latex will render in the editor.
 
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  • #17
Looks good so far, but I'll keep my eyes open. I think it does seem a bit slicker to load. Thanks Greg!
 
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  • #18
Preview function seems to work fine. Some other minor issues i had seem to have gone as well. All looks good to me, i also updated Microsoft Edge yesterday.
 
  • #19
Greg Bernhardt said:
if you are creating a post and refresh, the latex will render in the editor.

Oh no. Your last change causes big problems.

If you edit Latex, then preview, then refresh the page, the latex is rendered in the edit window. That prevents you from further editing the latex to correct errors. In the edit window, the latex must always show as code, and never rendered.
 
  • #20
Yes, indeed. This miraculously has distorted a posting of mine yesterday. I had to retype all the LaTeX again.
 
  • #21
And I'm afraid that LaTeX vanishes completely if you use the select text popup menu. For example, if you select and quote this sentence which contains ##\LaTeX## you'll find that the LaTeX is gone.
 
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  • #22
Ibix said:
For example, if you select and quote this sentence which contains you'll find that the LaTeX is gone.
...like that.
 
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  • #23
I'll work on this later today, hold tight
 
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  • #25
Greg Bernhardt said:
How about now?
It seems to be working OK, but somewhat slow. I don't know if that's on the server end, or just my internet service being slow with more people online than before Covid.
 
  • #26
Mark44 said:
It seems to be working OK, but somewhat slow.
What exactly is slow? Latex rendering or overall page loading?
 
  • #29
I don't think I see the render-on-reload in the editor, although I hadn't tripped over that one before so I may just be not understanding what was wrong.

Rendering times seem fine in Android Firefox.

LaTeX appears in the preview.

LaTeX is still entirely missing from selected-and-replied text. Replying to the whole email and editing out what I don't want remains a workaround.
 
  • #30
The whole page is coming and going. On the list of threads page and viewing threads. The content appears briefly and then vanishes. This has been happening all evening. Firefox (latest version).
 

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