Firefox OS Web Apps for Science

Conclusion

In this paper, we have reviewed the HTML5 features and how they could be used to write mathematical user interfaces. In particular, good MathML support is essential to write mathematics in Web apps in a way that is compatible with the classical HTML, CSS, Javascript/DOM and SVG features. We have also presented some of the improvements to mathematical styling in Gecko based on OpenType MATH fonts. We then gave an overview of TeXZilla, a standalone LaTeX-to-MathML converter compatible with Unicode that can easily be integrated in Web apps. Finally, we studied advanced HTML5 features like canvas, WebGL and Web Components and mentioned how they could be used to create 3D-schemas, animations or complex user interfaces. These are suitable to share knowledge in science and help explaining complex concepts more easily, in an interactive way.

In a second part, we explained how these HTML5 features can be used to create Firefox OS Web apps and we provided concrete use cases like a note-taking math app, a math cheat sheet or an interactive app for algebraic manipulations. The idea is to rely on Firefox OS to build a platform for science, not only to consult knowledge but also to generate new knowledge as shown in some of the demos presented in this paper. Although, these apps are still prototypes we expect we will improve them in the future and create a real math suite for mobile platforms. We expect that new contributors could get involved and that the original ideas shared at the MathUI workshop could in turn become real Firefox OS apps.