Formula DB storage, editing, plus layout standards help

Will_Poulson

This isn't exactly a php question, although the whole thing will be written in PHP.

Mainly I am looking for a standards suggestion, and maybe some links to PHP math functions (I am looking, haven't struck gold yet)

So I am writing a system for bidding, and I have a few tasks to ponder,

Storing master bid examples (math formulas, design interface layouts)
Allowing those to be editable in the web interface(math formulas, design interface layouts)

3.Once you load a master, to be able to edit the formulas
4. Editing of numeric fields in input boxes and formulas (in this case additional formulas that are applied to the current object sum)

Restorage into the database as a unique formula that can later be loaded and edited

[INDENT]* note
I think I can side step a lot of the issues with search via limiting of searches to
bid -> category - item - item type

None of which need to utilize the formulas and such, as those are hardcoded (db structure), so loosing the power of Mysql as it addresses searching is, not an issue[/INDENT]

What I am trying to avoid is rewriting the wheel, I am looking at mathML, but it doesn't address my issues. But, maybe I am wrong, but I haven't seen anything yet

So, here is the actual question:

Is there a standard for non-code based formula handling and page layout manipulation?

Below is the initial basic level of functionality I am after:

When looking at my structure below, each line is a separate dbline (or added during parsing (like these things belong to a group, group fields would be generated on the fly)). The "|" is being used as both a format markup instruction, and a math 'order' indicator. and as an function step indicator

So here would be an example of how the mark up would stand - post loading from the DB - pre-execution

[INDENT]|begin_text|lorem ipsus|end_text|

|globAL.VARIABLE_NAME.20

|start_group|area_1

| |Area |?12 | |?70 |{global.VARIABLE_NAME}

| |Area |?12 |* |?70 |show

|end_header|
|end_formatting

|end_allowable_type|
|end_group|area_1[/INDENT]

Boolean would be nice too. So, some of it gets swapped for html, some of it becomes the table structure, some of it is code for handling of values in the formula.

Any standards suggestions?