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javascriptconfigurationmathjax

Interesting javascript code in configuration options in MathJax

As far as I know the javascript code can be "defined" as file

<script type="text/javascript" src="script.js"></script>

or as inline code

<script type="text/javascript">
....
// some more code
....
</script>

So, how this is done ? Nevertheless this is javascript code !?!

<script type="text/javascript" src="MathJax.js">
   MathJax.Hub.Config({
      extensions: ["tex2jax.js", "mml2jax.js"],
      jax: ["input/Tex", "input/MathML", "output/HTML-CSS"]
   });
</script>

Video configuring MathJax

Solution

  • (Found out from looking at MathJax demos with Chrome's developer tools)

    It's programmatically creating new <script> tags and places them inside the <head> tag, rather like http://requirejs.org/ or http://headjs.com/ does.

    Something along the lines of

    var scr = document.createElement('script');
scr.setAttribute('src', 'path/to/script.js');
headDOMnode.appendChild(src); // 'path/to/script.js' starts to load..

    happens when MathJax.Hub.Config() executes.

    Edit: head.js and require.js does it with rather a lot more bells and whistles, of course.