--- loncom/xml/lonxml.pm	2005/03/17 13:56:32	1.366
+++ loncom/xml/lonxml.pm	2005/03/23 22:02:32	1.367
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # XML Parser Module 
 #
-# $Id: lonxml.pm,v 1.366 2005/03/17 13:56:32 albertel Exp $
+# $Id: lonxml.pm,v 1.367 2005/03/23 22:02:32 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -419,18 +419,17 @@ sub latex_special_symbols {
         $string=~s/([^\\])\#/$1\\\#/g;
     } else {
 	$string=~s/\\/\\ensuremath{\\backslash}/g;
-	$string=~s/([^\\]|^)\%/$1\\\%/g;
-	$string=~s/([^\\]|^)\$/$1\\\$/g;
-	$string=~s/([^\\])\_/$1\\_/g;
-	$string=~s/\$\$/\$\\\$/g;
-	$string=~s/\_\_/\_\\\_/g;
-	$string=~s/\#\#/\#\\\#/g;
+	$string=~s/\\\%|\%/\\\%/g;
+	$string=~s/\\{|{/\\{/g;
+	$string=~s/\\}|}/\\}/g;
+	$string=~s/\\\$|\$/\\\$/g;
+	$string=~s/\\\_|\_/\\\_/g;
         $string=~s/([^\\]|^)(\~|\^)/$1\\$2\\strut /g;
 	$string=~s/(>|<)/\\ensuremath\{$1\}/g; #more or less
 	$string=&Apache::lonprintout::character_chart($string);
 	# any & or # leftover should be safe to just escape
-        $string=~s/([^\\]|^)\&/$1\\\&/g;
-        $string=~s/([^\\]|^)\#/$1\\\#/g;
+	$string=~s/\\\&|\&/\\\&/g;
+	$string=~s/\\\#|\#/\\\#/g;
         $string=~s/\|/\$\\mid\$/g;
 #single { or } How to escape?
     }