Math is one of the most universal languages, but it’s not always easy to write mathematical expressions online. For students, teachers, researchers, and even developers, formatting these expressions has always remained a challenge. Symbols, fractions, and integrals don’t fit neatly into plain text, which means content often looks cluttered or worse, unreadable.
Raw LaTeX code is powerful and popular in academia, but it isn’t always friendly to non-experts. For instance, a missed bracket or mistyped command can break an entire equation. On the other hand, HTML and MathML provide structure for equations but require technical knowledge to implement correctly.
A visual HTML editor changes this equation entirely. By turning complex notation into point-and-click actions, it makes math formatting simple, accessible, and accurate. In this article, you’ll learn how visual HTML editors make writing mathematical expressions easier while addressing common complexities in traditional methods.
Key Takeaways
Traditional math formatting methods (plain text, LaTeX, and MathML) are useful but could have significant barriers for non-technical users.
A visual HTML editor streamlines the math formatting process with real-time previews, intuitive toolbars, and accessibility features.
Math-friendly editors make collaboration easier across education, research, and professional fields.
For developers, embedding such editors means fewer support issues, smoother workflows, and better scalability and maintenance.
Accessible math formatting will continue to grow in importance as online education and publishing expand.
Traditional Methods of Math Formatting
Before modern visual HTML editors, users and developers had to use manual code or symbols to write math expressions online. Each method has its strengths and limitations and is still a viable option today depending on your needs.
Plain Text
Some platforms still rely on plain text to approximate math. For example, fractions might appear as 1/2 or exponents as x². While this works for the simplest cases, it quickly breaks down when equations grow more complex.
Imagine typing a quadratic formula, integral, or a matrix this way. While plain text has its place in quick chats or informal notes, it doesn’t scale for professional use. Overall, it lacks structure, visual clarity, and accessibility support.
LaTeX
LaTeX is the gold standard in scientific publishing. It uses a markup-like syntax to produce beautifully typeset equations, such as \frac{a}{b} for fractions. You first write lines of code, adding syntax between the words and numbers, and then produce a PDF.
You can also use it for presentations, but is the output really worth all the mental pain? Researchers and mathematicians (and even math or computer science majors) prefer it because of its precision and flexibility. However, LaTeX has a steep learning curve.
Figure 1: A sample PDF output written in LaTeX, from my research back in university
New users must memorize commands, and even experienced ones face frustration when small syntax errors break output. For educators or students unfamiliar with coding, LaTeX can feel like a barrier rather than a solution.
Tip: LaTeX is ideal for technical experts but slows down collaboration in mixed groups, especially where not everyone likes coding. If you want to learn more about how LaTeX works, check out this formatting cheat sheet.
MathML
MathML is an XML-based markup language that displays math on the web. Used together with HTML, it’s a good solution for organized and accessible math expressions.
Unlike plain text, MathML provides structure that machines and browsers can interpret consistently. And unlike LaTeX, it’s more accessible and easier to share with collaborators. Here’s a sample snippet that displays the quadratic formula using MathML and HTML:
<math display="block">
<mrow>
<mi>x</mi>
<mo>=</mo>
<mfrac>
<mrow>
<mo>−</mo>
<mi>b</mi>
</mrow>
<mo>±</mo>
<msqrt>
<msup>
<mi>b</mi>
<mn>2</mn>
</msup>
<mo>−</mo>
<mrow>
<mn>4</mn>
<mo></mo>
<mi>a</mi>
<mo></mo>
<mi>c</mi>
</mrow>
</msqrt>
</mfrac>
</mrow>
</math>
The downside? Like LaTeX, writing MathML by hand is tedious. Even a simple fraction (like in the quadratic formula) requires multiple nested tags, making it impractical for everyday use. While developers may appreciate its precision, most content creators might avoid it because of the complexity.
What Are Some Challenges in Formatting Math Expressions?
Even with established methods like LaTeX and MathML, creating math content online often feels more difficult than it seems.
The Complexity of Raw Code
As stated earlier, writing in LaTeX or MathML requires technical knowledge, and even small syntax errors can break equations. This discourages non-technical users from contributing, widening the gap between technical and non-technical users. For instance, in an LMS for high school students, they might not want to use complex markup to write equations.
The User Experience Problem
Math doesn’t behave like plain text. Users often need to preview formatting before they gain confidence that it looks correct. Switching between editing and preview modes slows down productivity. Worse, rendering may differ depending on the platform, leaving equations inconsistent.
Collaboration Barriers
Teachers, students, and colleagues often come from varied backgrounds, so expecting everyone to “speak the same code” is unrealistic. Shared documents full of syntax (e.g., LaTeX) can look messy and discourage collaboration.
How a Visual HTML Editor Simplifies Math Formatting
Figure 2: A visual HTML editor that supports extensive math formatting
A visual HTML editor, also known as a WYSIWYG HTML editor or rich text editor, helps address the aforementioned challenges. It does so by combining the precision of markup with the accessibility of a user-friendly interface. Instead of memorizing commands, users click buttons, insert symbols, and preview the output instantly.
Real-Time Preview
Instead of switching between raw code and output, users see results as they type. This feedback loop encourages experimentation and helps users correct errors immediately. Developers also benefit since fewer formatting errors translate into fewer support tickets.
Additionally, this helps educators and students stay focused on their tasks instead of the math markup syntax.
Intuitive Toolbar Options
A visual HTML editor typically includes toolbars with common math functions, such as fractions, exponents, square roots, integrals, and more. For users, this feels closer to word processing than coding. It bridges the gap between technical accuracy and ease of use.
Figure 3: A math-friendly visual HTML editor in action
As a result, the visual HTML editor reduces the steep learning curve for math notations. Users would just plug in an equation, symbol, or expression from the toolbar and insert the variables and constants.
Accessibility for Everyone
By abstracting away the complexity, these editors empower more people to create. Teachers without coding knowledge can prepare lessons, and students can write assignments. Researchers, developers, and colleagues can collaborate on drafts without worrying about syntax.
Note: Many modern editors also integrate with assistive technologies, ensuring equations remain accessible to screen readers and compliant with accessibility guidelines.
Where Math-Friendly Visual HTML Editors Shine
The impact of math-ready editors is most obvious in contexts where accuracy, clarity, and developer-friendliness or ease of implementation are critical.
Education Platforms
Learning Management Systems (LMS) depend on clear, structured math materials. With a visual HTML editor, teachers can prepare equations without coding, and students can focus on solving problems instead of figuring out formatting. This promotes interactive learning and quicker grading, revisions, or feedback.
Research and Academia
Academic publishing often requires strict formatting standards like IEEE. A WYSIWYG HTML editor speeds up the process by producing clean, consistent equations that meet publication requirements. This reduces the time from draft to submission and helps researchers collaborate more effectively.
Tip: Want to ensure that users’ content follows these formatting standards? Try some of the following with your visual HTML editor:
Incorporate an AI writing assistant in your editor. This can make suggestions, fix formatting mistakes or inconsistencies, and help standardize user content.
Create custom templates for research paper elements, assignment answers, or other content structures. For example, you can create a “title” template that automatically appears at the center top and has a 32px (24 pt) font.
Everyday Applications
Math isn’t confined to classrooms or research labs. Blogs or forums might include math snippets, while professionals like data scientists or engineers might need to share math content.
Online graphing calculators like Desmos also often use visual HTML editors, like in the image above. A rich text editor makes math formatting seamless across industries, ensuring clarity whenever math is involved.
The Long-Term Benefits for Developers and Users
For developers, adopting a math-ready visual HTML editor in platforms could mean fewer maintenance headaches, improving scalability. Consistent markup reduces bugs and ensures math displays correctly across browsers and devices.
HTML editors also save time. Instead of debugging formatting issues, developers can focus on the larger application logic, be that for LMS or forums. Furthermore, you won’t have to think about implementing math syntax checking or formatting from scratch or on your own.
For users, the payoff is simpler workflows, better collaboration, and content that looks professional without the technical hurdles.
Conclusion
Formatting math online doesn’t have to feel like solving a problem itself. With the help of a visual HTML editor, your users can write, preview, and share math expressions more easily.
These tools bridge the gap between power and usability, giving developers maintainability while offering creators speed and clarity. They’re almost LaTeX level in terms of precision, and yet they’re significantly easier to use. As education, research, and publishing continue to expand online, the importance of accessible math formatting will only increase.
Note that no math formatting method is better than the rest at everything. Plain text works for simple chats, LaTeX turns into a powerful weapon when wielded correctly, and HTML editors combine usability and accuracy. In the end, check your requirements, and go for the option that works best for you and your users.
Math formatting using LaTeX and MathML is already cool. Why not make it cool and easy with a visual HTML editor?
This article was published on the Froala blog.
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