-inf vs. minf, tex(), web interface updates

Hello,

I'm wondering why "-inf" behaves differently from "minf."  Maxima  
correctly says that

limit(x^3, x, minf)

is negative infinity (minf), yet

limit(x^3, x, -inf)

is evaluated to -inf^3. I'm working on a Maxima web interface  
(math.msarnoff.org), and I'd like to make it as intuitive as possible  
for non-Maxima users, so I'm not fond of having a separate constant  
for negative infinity. (The TI-89's CAS, for example, does not.) Is  
there a way, in Maxima, to make "-inf" evaluate to "minf"?

If that's not possible, I can just perform a string substitution  
before sending the command line to Maxima.


I've also encountered some (small) issues with the tex() function in  
5.9.3.1cvs, built May 29, 2006:
- signum(x) needs to be translated as "\sgn x"
- If a multiplication sign comes between two numbers, it should be  
rendered as a \cdot, not a \, space. For example, "2\,n" works for  
"2*n," but "factor(6)," which evaluates to "2*3," will look like "23."


I'd also encourage you to check out my Web interface, since I've made  
significant progress in the last few weeks. New features include:

- A tabbed "palette" of commonly used symbols and functions at the  
bottom of the page
- Ability to look up function documentation; type the name of a  
function in the "Help" tab, and the script will fetch the appropriate  
section from the manual.
- Usage assistance as you type: when you type a function name, a drop- 
down box appears with the function's parameter list. As you type  
commas and move your cursor around inside the parentheses, the  
argument you're working on is highlighted. Visual Studio and Eclipse  
have similar features, but my interface works for _nested_ functions-- 
the usage is displayed for each function call the cursor is inside  
of. Play with it, I think it's kinda cool.
- I have a system for as-you-type command-completion done, though I  
haven't integrated it into the main interface yet; you can see it at  
http://low.res.cmu.edu/math/completion.html .

The site is very broken in Internet Explorer, but works fine in  
Firefox and Safari. The address is http://math.msarnoff.org/ .

Later,
-matt