The process for new releases of MathCAT

[MartheGjelstad]

Hi @daisy/mathcat-translators

MathCAT is continuosly being updated. New translations are added, and the English translation is improved and updated. For this reason, a description of the process for new releases of MathCAT has been created, see below. This description includes information on how to keep the translations up to date with the English files.

A new release candidate of MathCAT has just been created, so there will be no new release this month. However, tomorrow, we will get our first notification about changes to the English rule files.

Please don't hesitate to ask questions or share your feedback :)

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Description of the MathCAT Release Process

This document describes the process for new releases of MathCAT.

The release process

1. On the first day of every other month, we do a "string freeze". We create a beta branch from the main branch. In the beta branch, no new code will be added, except for necessary bug fixes. In addition, there will be no changes to the English rule files.
2. In the beta branch, translators will update their translations to bring them up to date with the English files. See How do translators know what changes they need to make? for more information. The translators will have until the 14th to update their translations.
3. Starting on the 15th, organizations and companies that use MathCAT will have one week to test the beta version.
4. When the new version is released, the beta branch is merged into the main branch.

Each new release of MathCAT will contain release notes with the most important changes and updates.

How do translators know what changes they need to make?

• On the first and 15th of every month, the MathCAT-Translators team will be notified about changes to the English rule files since the last notification. The notification will be posted as a new GitHub Discussion here under the Announcements category.
• The notification will be a list of commits to the English rule files that have been made since the last notification. Each commit will be marked with the date it was commited.
• If you don't have time to update your translation for a release, you can catch up before the next release. The list of commits to the English files will help you keep track of which commit your language is up to date with.
• It is also helpful to use the Audit-tool. In short, this tool compares the translated rule files with the English rule files and identifies differences.

If you want to update your language outside the "beta period", this will still be possible. Make the changes in your fork of the repository and submit a pull request to the MathCAT repository.

[MartheGjelstad]

@daisy/mathcat-translators
Correction, the first notification will be on September 15 :)

[MartheGjelstad]

We are having a few startup issues with this new workflow. I will let you know here once it is up and running.

[hjy1210]

I noticed that MathCAT Demo (using v0.7.7-alpha.1) in https://daisy.github.io/MathCATDemo/ already use the newest version of english rules. For example, in navigation, we can navigate and hear "zoomed in to first character"/"zoomed to character". We can use $\frac{123}{4567}$ to experiment with.

But in NVDAnvda_2026.3beta2.exe, released at 2026-9-14, we still cannot navigate and hear "zoomed in to first character".

What is the schedule of newest version of MathCAT merge into NVDA?

[MartheGjelstad]

Hopefully, there will be a new release in some days. If not, it will be released in the coming weeks. It depends on Neil's capacity. This will be the release of this release candidate: https://github.com/daisy/MathCATForPython/releases/tag/build-release-candidate with some fixes.

This release will be available in the add-on store in NVDA.

[hjy1210]

I seems https://github.com/daisy/MathCATForPython/releases/tag/build-release-candidate is version 0.7.6-rc.4 and that libmathcat_py-64-3.13-win.zip(put libmathcat_py.pyd in NVDA root directory) do not solve the issue #625. I have checked v0.7.7-alpha.1 used in https://daisy.github.io/MathCATDemo/ have solved the issue #625.

…

On Tue, Sep 29, 2026 at 3:04 PM MartheGjelstad ***@***.***> wrote: Hopefully, there will be a new release in some days. If not, it will be released in the coming weeks. It depends on Neil's capacity. This will be the release of this release candidate: https://github.com/daisy/MathCATForPython/releases/tag/build-release-candidate with some fixes. This release will be available in the add-on store in NVDA. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#737?email_source=notifications&email_token=ABZGXVJKPTEHPLLGUTZTKM35RNNILA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOBWGU2DGMZRUZZGKYLTN5XKY5DFMFWV63LFNZ2GS33OUVSXMZLOOSWGM33PORSXEX3DNRUWG2Y#discussioncomment-18654331>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABZGXVNTOL7QLVL5PUAGY7D5RNNILAVCNFSNUABIKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHMZTQOJQGAZDCMJXHNCGS43DOVZXG2LPNY5TCMBXGE4DENJXUF3AE> . Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/ios/ABZGXVO565UAQON77FAFVML5RNNILA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOBWGU2DGMZRUZZGKYLTN5XKY5DFMFWV63LFNZ2GS33OUVSXMZLOOSVGM33PORSXEX3JN5ZQ> and Android <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/android/ABZGXVM5YVMXCNFDPI4W7PD5RNNILA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOBWGU2DGMZRUZZGKYLTN5XKY5DFMFWV63LFNZ2GS33OUVSXMZLOOSXGM33PORSXEX3BNZSHE33JMQ>. Download it today! You are receiving this because you are on a team that was mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[MartheGjelstad]

I tested 0.7.6-rc.4 in NVDA 2026.2. Both expressions sound correct and I can navigate in both of them.

[moritz-gross]

I haven't worked with https://github.com/daisy/MathCATForPython at all so far, so it would take a while for me to understand what's going on.

Wouldn't it make sense to postpone work on release process until Neil is back again?

[hjy1210]

@MartheGjelstad @moritz-gross

YES, 0.7.6-rc.4 with NVDA 2026.2 DO solve the #625 issue. Thanks MartheGjelstad for information.
My procedures is:

1. Install NVDA2026.2
2. replace NVDA/libmathcat_py.pyd by that in 0.7.6-rc.4(in libmathcat_py-64-3.13-win.zip)
3. replace whole directory NVDA/include/nvda-mathcat/assets/Rules by uncompressed Rules.zip in 0.7.6-rc.4(inner zip files need uncompressed also)

Expect the date new MatCAT merged into NVDA!

[MartheGjelstad]

@hjy1210 great that it worked!

When I downloaded MathCAT 0.7.6-rc.4, I did the following: (I had NVDA 2026.2):

1. I started NVDA
2. I downloaded the NVDA add-on from https://github.com/daisy/MathCATForPython/releases/tag/build-release-candidate
3. I clicked on the download. Then I was asked something like "Do you want to add this add-on?" and I accepted.

[hjy1210]

@MartheGjelstad
Your method is more simpler, but not work for me. May be I use NVDA in portable way and I have many versions of NVDA.