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About python-markdown-mathjax

This is a trivial python-markdown extension for embedding LaTeX math markup in Markdown so that MathJax can process it.

I assume that you'll be using $...$ and $$...$$ to surround your LaTeX math markup. MathJax already recognizes $$...$$ by default, but you need to tell it to recognize $...$:

<script type="text/javascript">
    MathJax.Hub.Config({
        "tex2jax": { inlineMath: [ [ '$', '$' ] ] }
    });
</script>

The python-markdown processor doesn't normally recognize $...$ or $$...$$, so it tends to wreak havoc on your math markup by treating * and _ as delimiters for italics and boldface and removing backslashes. This extension tells python-markdown not to look for markup inside $...$ and $$...$$.

Installing the extension

You can install the extension in one of two ways:

  • You can put it right into your python-markdown installation. Run this command:

    python -c 'import markdown; print markdown.__path__[0]'

    That prints the path of the markdown module. It should have a subdirectory named extensions. Rename mdx_mathjax.py to mathjax.py and copy it to that extensions subdirectory.

    If python-markdown was installed as a zipped egg file, you won't find that markdown/extensions directory because it's inside the egg file. You'll have to delete the egg file (you can find the name in the output of the command above) and reinstall it unzipped: easy_install -Z Markdown. Then you should have a markdown/extensions directory in which to put mathjax.py.

  • You can put it in your PYTHONPATH. If you do this, don't rename the file. It needs to be named mdx_mathjax.py.

Using the extension from the command-line

After you've installed the file, you need to tell python-markdown to use it. If you're using the markdown command-line program, use -x mathjax on the command line, like this:

markdown -x mathjax p-equals-np-proof.md > p-equals-np-proof.html

By default, markdown won't report an error if it can't find the extension. It will just silently continue on, and your math markup will probably get munged. If you give markdown the -v flag, it will report the problem, but it will still continue on and won't exit with an error code.

Using the extension from a Python program

If you're using the markdown module from a Python program, you will need to import mdx_mathjax if you put the file mdx_mathjax.py in your PYTHONPATH. If you renamed it mathjax.py and put it in the markdown/extensions directory, you don't import it. You can use a try/except block to handle both cases:

import markdown
try: import mdx_mathjax
except: pass
mdProcessor = markdown.Markdown(extensions=['mathjax'])
myHtmlFragment = mdProcessor.convert(r"Euler's identity, $e^{i\pi} = -1$, is widely considered the most beautiful theorem in mathematics.")

If you're using the markdown module from a Python program, and it can't load the mathjax extension, it will raise a markdown.MarkdownException error.