[trueismywork]

LaTeX grammar is actually very good to type and quite powerful and compact. It's not a programming grammar, it's a markup language.

The problem with LaTeX was always the lack of underlying proper programming language and data model. The syntax always has been excellent.

[Ar-Curunir]

The syntax is full of inconsistencies and it generally user-unfriendly: why is _ allowed only in math mode? Why can't macros have numbers in their names? Why does a simple thing like bolding text require a \textbf?

LaTeX is powerful and I use it every day, but let's not pretend it's got qualities it doesn't.

[trueismywork]

> why is _ allowed only in math mode?

Because it has different meaning in different context. It's a nice shorthand for subscript in math mode and you still need it as an underscore when you write code or normal text.

> Why can't macros have numbers in their names?

I give you that. That's due to underlying lack of proper programming language.

> Why does a simple thing like bolding text require a \textbf?

What else do you want there? The markdowns * has famously bitten me multiple times when it interfered with my multiplication in math (math + mathjax). Or when the bold needs to cover a full paragraph. I don't have a better suggestion. I'll be happy to hear another one.