What is Matdown?

Matdown is a compact, dependency-free equation parser that turns lightweight math expressions into styled, semantic HTML - no LaTeX, no external libraries, no regrets.
It's inspired by the realization that game engines, like cloud services, are just real-time systems - and HTML/CSS are expressive primitives that deserve more credit.
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Why ?

• ✅ No parser generators
• ✅ No ASTs
• ✅ No LaTeX
• ✅ No DOM hell
• ✅ No stylesheets from the Math Wizard Society™ ruining your vibe Instead:
• ✨ Uses recursive string parsing
• ✨ Renders DOM directly (fractions, exponents, etc.)
• ✨ Leverages the box model & inline layout
• ✨ Comes with a modular, non-intrusive context menu UI  - -

Example Input

(1+x)² / (2x - 3)

⬇️ Becomes

<div class="fraction">
 <span class="numerator">(1+x)<sup>2</sup></span>
 <span class="denominator">(2x - 3)</span>
</div>

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🛠 How It Works

1. Recursive Descent Parsing

• Function: buildNode(exp)
• Splits expression by outermost operator
• Recursively wraps sub-parts into semantic HTML containers

2. Parentheses Matching

• Function: matchingParens(str)
• Uses a counter-based matcher to balance () pairs safely

3. Operator Precedence

• Left-to-right scan
• Evaluates only outermost operators unless overridden by parentheses
• Fast and linear for common math expressions

4. Symbol Search Filtering

• Smart input filtering using .filter() on a static symbol list
• Zero-cost search experience for inline math menus  - -

Why Not KaTeX or LaTeX?

They're bloated, margin-fighting, box-model-reinventing beasts.
You don't need a compiler to render a fraction.

You need a <div>. Matdown leans into browser-native layouts - because HTML is the universal rendering target anyway.

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📦 Install / Use

Matdown is zero-dependency and browser-ready.

 - -

Philosophy

hakuna matata what a wonderful phrase - just making sure you are still there.
 - -

🧩 Roadmap

• [ ] Inline editing
• [ ] Touch-friendly symbol picker
• [ ] Expand support for integrals/summations
• [ ] Export to SVG or Canvas  - -

Built By

Daniel Chahla 
Matdown was born from frustration - and built for clarity.
 - -

Github -> https://github.com/dchahla/Project-Matdown

See the Pen
Matdown: Interactive Math Algorithm Composer by Daniel Chahla (@urdoingitwrong)
on CodePen.

📜 License

MIT License - Bop it, fork it, remix it. Just don't LaTeX it.