This paper presented the challenges of converting from XML to TeX. Even if the general structure of XML and TeX seem simple at first glance, math, tables, different TeX engines and packages make configuring a converter very complex. Speedata, ConTeXt[25] and other approaches could also have been presented, but that would no longer have been within the scope of this paper.
There exist various methods for the task, ranging from lightweight converters to powerful programming languages. However, many of the solutions are experimental, immature and/or require additional programming work. Besides, the versatility of XML on the one hand and TeX on the other hand makes it difficult to find a universal approach.
The presented xml2tex[26] library addresses the problem by providing ready‐to‐use conversions for specific problems and, on the other hand, introducing an XML‐based, declarative configuration vocabulary that can be used to create a common interface between XML and TeX.
[25] Hans Hagen (2001) context – The ConTeXt macro package. Available at https://ctan.org/pkg/context (Accessed: May 30, 2023)
[26] A TeX version of this paper converted with xml2tex can be downloaded here: https://xporc.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/MarkupUK/Martin_Kraetke_Bridging-the-Gaps-Between-TeX-and-XML.tex