Section 7.2 PreTeXt Cheat Sheet

202606012315 | pretext xml authoring

A comprehensive guide to PreTeXt XML elements and structure for authoring mathematical content.

Subsection 7.2.1 Document Structure

PreTeXt documents follow a strict hierarchical organization.

<pretext>
  <docinfo> ... </docinfo>
  <book xml:id="my-book">
    <title>Book Title</title>
    <chapter xml:id="ch-demo">
      <title>Chapter</title>
      <section xml:id="sec-demo">
        <title>Section Title</title>
        <introduction>
          <p>
            <tag>202606012315</tag> |
            <tag>topic</tag>
          </p>
        </introduction>
        <subsection xml:id="sub-demo">
          <title>Subsection</title>
          <p>Content with <m>E=mc^2</m> and <xref ref="ch-demo"/>.</p>
        </subsection>
        <conclusion>
          <p>🖇️ <alert>Linked Notes:</alert> <xref ref="other-note"/></p>
        </conclusion>
      </section>
    </chapter>
  </book>
</pretext>

Subsection 7.2.2 Inline Elements and Tags

Inline elements are used within paragraphs (p) to style text or add semantics.

Table 7.2.1. Common Inline Elements

Element	Usage	Example
`m`	Inline Math (LaTeX)	\(E = mc^2\)
`tag`	Semantic Tags (Metadata)	`quantum mechanics`
`c`	Inline Code/Verbatim	`git status`
`em`	Emphasis (Cooler Blue/Italic)	Nuance
`term`	Defining a term (Orange Gradient)	Bivector
`strong`	Strong emphasis (Prominent Cyan)	Key Term
`alert`	Metadata labels (Glassmorphic Pill)	Warning!
`em class="alert"`	Critical Emphasis (Blue Gradient)	Important!
`xref`	Cross-reference	See Section 7.2
`url`	Hyperlink	PreTeXt

Note: In this project, tag elements are styled as glassmorphic pills.

Subsection 7.2.3 Mathematics

PreTeXt supports various math environments using standard LaTeX notation.

Inline Math.
Use m>...</m for inline expressions.
Single Line Equations.
Use md for equations. Single-line equations no longer use me or men (deprecated). Use @number="yes" on md for numbering.
```
                        <md number="yes">
    <mrow xml:id="eq-schrodinger">i\hbar\frac{\partial}{\partial t}\Psi = \hat{H}\Psi</mrow>
</md>
```
Output:

\begin{gather} i\hbar\frac{\partial}{\partial t}\Psi = \hat{H}\Psi\tag{7.2.1} \end{gather}

🔗
Aligned Equations.
Use md with mrow for multiple lines. Use \amp for alignment.
```
<md>
  <mrow> \nabla \cdot \mathbf{E} \amp = \frac{\rho}{\epsilon_0} </mrow>
  <mrow> \nabla \cdot \mathbf{B} \amp = 0 </mrow>
</md>
```
Output:

\begin{align*} \nabla \cdot \mathbf{E} \amp = \frac{\rho}{\epsilon_0} \\ \nabla \cdot \mathbf{B} \amp = 0 \end{align*}

🔗

Subsection 7.2.4 Common Blocks

Structural blocks organize content into logical units with specific styling.

<definition xml:id="def-unitary">
  <title>Unitary Operator</title>
  <statement>
    <p>An operator <m>U</m> is unitary if <m>U^\dagger U = I</m>.</p>
  </statement>
</definition>

Output:

Definition 7.2.2. Unitary Operator.

An operator \(U\) is unitary if \(U^\dagger U = I\text{.}\)

<theorem xml:id="thm-noether">
  <title>Noether's Theorem</title>
  <statement>
    <p>Every differentiable symmetry ... has a corresponding conservation law.</p>
  </statement>
</theorem>

Output:

Theorem 7.2.3. Noether’s Theorem.

Every differentiable symmetry ... has a corresponding conservation law.

<assemblage>
  <title>Key Concept</title>
  <p>Assemblages are used for boxed summaries (Glassmorphic in this theme).</p>
</assemblage>

Output:

Key Concept.

Assemblages are used for boxed summaries (Glassmorphic in this theme).

Subsection 7.2.5 Comprehensive Element Table

Table 7.2.4. PreTeXt Element Categories

Category	Elements	Description
Structure	`book`, `part`, `chapter`, `section`	High-level document organization
Blocks	`definition`, `theorem`, `example`	Semantic mathematical environments
Admonitions	`note`, `warning`, `insight`, `remark`	Side-bars or callout boxes
Technical	`program`, `image`, `table`, `figure`	Non-textual data, code, and graphics
Lists	`ul`, `ol`, `dl`	Unordered, ordered, and description lists
Backmatter	`idx`, `biblio`, `glossary`, `colophon`	Indices, references, and metadata

Subsection 7.2.6 Project Conventions

Custom styles and standards used in this Zettelkasten.

Note Metadata: Every note should include a metadata block (Note ID, Tags, etc.). This block can be placed in introduction, blockquote, aside, or paragraphs.

<!-- Traditional Introduction -->
<introduction>
  <p>
    <tag>202606012315</tag> |
    <tag>topic1</tag> <tag>topic2</tag>
  </p>
</introduction>

<!-- Alternative using Blockquote (Always visible, no title) -->
<blockquote>
  <p>
    <tag>202606012315</tag> |
    <tag>topic1</tag>
  </p>
</blockquote>

Output (approximate):

202606012315 | topic1, topic2 | PreFigure Demo:🔗 Interactive

Note IDs: Use YYYYMMDDNNNN or HHMM format. The first tag in a supported metadata block (Introduction, Blockquote, etc.) is automatically styled as a purple glassmorphic Note ID.

Conclusion Metadata: Conclusions use alert tags for metadata labels (e.g., Linked Notes, References), which are automatically styled as blue glassmorphic pills.

<conclusion>
  <p>
    🖇️ <alert>Linked Notes:</alert> <xref ref="sec-topic" />
  </p>
  <p>
    🔖 <alert>References:</alert> <xref ref="biblio-item" />
  </p>
</conclusion>

List Titles: Headings inside list items (e.g. li><title>...</title></li or li class="li"><title>...</title></li) are styled in prominent cyan with the heading font.
Assemblages: Use for primary takeaways or "atomic" notes within a section.

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