[tex4ht] problem with slow compilation of large latex file with large math content

[Nasser M. Abbasi]

On 3/27/2016 5:13 PM, Karl Berry wrote:

>
>      I call make4ht to compile the file
>
> I don't know anything about make4ht, that's Michal's bag ... Perhaps it
> is already smart enough to avoid multiple runs when it's not necessary.
> (I'm having deja vu, did we already discuss this, Michal?)  -k
>

The file

/usr/local/texlive/2015/texmf-dist/scripts/make4ht/make4ht

has this:

------------------------
if make:length() < 1 then
         if mode == "draft" then
                 make:htlatex()
         else
                 make:htlatex()
                 make:htlatex()
                 make:htlatex()
         end
end
------------------

So, unless the mode is "draft", it calls latex 3 times all the time.

It will be great if one can find out how to decide to call it 3
times or 2 or one time. Since tex4ht is very slow on large files,
any saving in time is very useful. This can cut down the compile from 5 hrs
on typical file I have to may be 2 hrs!  but one needs to know the
rules to use to decide on the number of times to call it.

What are these rules? (that is why we need design documents)

--Nasser