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Hyphenate.dev: illustration of TeX's hyphenation algorithm

Hyphenate.dev: illustration of TeX's hyphenation algorithm

by returningfory2·Jun 10, 2026·3 points·1 comment
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AI Analysis

●●SolidNiche GemCozy

Modular TeX re-implementation visualizes Knuth's hyphenation algorithm step-by-step.

Strengths
  • •Modular Texcraft architecture enables algorithm reuse across different contexts
  • •Visual illustration makes Knuth's opaque hyphenation logic accessible and understandable
  • •Clean, focused execution without feature creep or unnecessary complexity
Weaknesses
  • •Very niche audience limited to typography nerds and TeX implementers
  • •Single-page utility with limited depth beyond the core visualization
Category
Education
Target Audience

Typography enthusiasts, TeX implementers, computer science educators

Post Description

As part of the Texcraft project I've been re-implementing Donald Knuth's TeX in a modular way. One of the goals of Texcraft is to be able to use these modular pieces in different contexts. hyphenate.dev is a website that uses my re-implementation of TeX's hyphenation algorithm to visually illustrate how the algorithm chooses hyphens.

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