I'll give a talk on the ConTeXt bundle next weekend in Epen/Netherlands. Until then I will enchance it a lot and post it to the ConTeXt mailing list. (And here, if anyobdy is interested.)

Patrick

Patrcick,

Would you mind posting a link to your talk here too? (I don't subscribe to the ConTeXt mailing list anymore)

I suppose that given that the syntax is very similar, we could try to add ConTeXt to the existing LaTeX bundle and try to make the commands work for ConTeXt as well. I'd be happy to help people out with this, but I don't know much ConTeXt. (On the other hand, I do know the workings of the LaTeX bundle pretty well ;) ). So perhaps we can figure out what needs to be done and then start doing it.

Do I understand correctly that ConTeXt is an extension of TeX, i.e. all TeX code is valid in general? In that case we can use the existing TeX syntax and include it, and just add the special features that ConTeXt has.

Really the only reason ConTeXt is not part of the LaTeX bundle at this point is (I think) simply the fact that the people who have worked on the LaTeX bundle haven't had much use for ConTeXt. But I see no reason not to make it work, if there are enough people interested in it and willing to make it work.

Haris Skiadas Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Hanover College

Haris,

In general, I believe that you can use plain tex commands, but ConTeXt also provides a complete macro set built on TeX, so that you do not need to use plain TeX commands. I've attached a good template file from Sanjoy Mahajan that you can typeset in TeXShop.

-paul

% "Hello world!" document for the ConTeXt typesetting system % % === History === % 2006-12-29 Sanjoy Mahajan sanjoy@mit.edu % * Created % % This document is the public domain (no copyright).

\setupcolors[state=start] % otherwise you get greyscale \definecolor[headingcolor][r=1,g=0.0]

% for the document info/catalog (reported by 'pdfinfo', for example) \setupinteraction[state=start, % make hyperlinks active, etc. title={Hello world!}, subtitle={A ConTeXt template}, author={Sanjoy Mahajan}, keyword={template}]

% useful urls \useURL[author-email][mailto:a.u.thor@somewhere.edu][] [a.u.thor@somewhere.edu] \useURL[wiki][http://wiki.contextgarden.net%5D%5B%5D%5B%5CConTeXt%5C wiki] \useURL[sanjoy][mailto:sanjoy@mit.edu][][sanjoy@mit.edu]

% for US paper; the sensible default is [A4][A4] (A4 typesetting, % printed on A4 paper) \setuppapersize[letter][letter] \setuplayout[topspace=0.5in, backspace=1in, header=24pt, footer=36pt, height=middle, width=middle] % uncomment the next line to see the layout % \showframe

% headers and footers \setupfooter[style=\it] \setupfootertexts[\date\hfill \ConTeXt\ template] \setuppagenumbering[location={header,right}, style=bold]

\setupbodyfont[11pt] % default is 12pt

\setuphead[section,chapter,subject][color=headingcolor] \setuphead[section,subject][style={\ss\bfa}, before={\bigskip\bigskip}, after={}] \setuphead[chapter][style={\ss\bfd}] \setuphead[title][style={\ss\bfd}, before={\begingroup\setupbodyfont[14.4pt]}, after={\leftline{\ss\tfa A. U. Thor $\langle$\from[author-email]$ \rangle$} \bigskip\bigskip\endgroup}]

\setupitemize[inbetween={}, style=bold]

% set inter-paragraph spacing \setupwhitespace[medium] % comment the next line to not indent paragraphs \setupindenting[medium, yes]

\starttext

\title{Hello, world!}

Here is a hello-world template document to illustrates a few \ConTeXt\ features. Have fun. You can find a lot more information at \from[wiki]; the preceding text should be colored and clickable, and clicking it should take you to the wiki.

\subject{A list}

Here is an example of a list.

\startitemize[a] % tags are lowercase letters \item first \item second \item third \stopitemize

\subject{Math}

An equation can be typeset inline like $e^{\pi i}+1=0$, or as a displayed formula: \startformula \int_0^\infty t^4 e^{-t},dt = 24. \stopformula % don't use $$...$$ (the plain TeX equivalent) You can also have numbered equations: \placeformula[eq:factorial-example]\startformula \int_0^\infty t^5 e^{-t},dt = 120. \stopformula And you can refer to them by name. I called the previous equation {\tt factorial-example}, and it is equation \in[eq:factorial-example]. \ConTeXt\ figures out the number for you. And with interaction turned on, you can click on the equation number to get to the equation.

\subject{Text with figures}

Now text with a few figures. The first figure goes on the right, with the paragraph flowing around it.

\placefigure[right,none]{}{\externalfigure[dummy]}

\input tufte

The next figure will go inline, like a displayed formula: \placefigure[here,none]{}{\externalfigure[dummy]} \input tufte

Here's another reference to the numbered equation -- equation \in[eq:factorial-example] on \at{page}[eq:factorial-example], so that you can test clicking on it or on the page reference.

% most plain TeX commands work \vfill

\noindent \framed[corner=round, width=\textwidth,height=1in, backgroundcolor=gray,background=color] {This document is in the public domain, so that you can improve it, share it, and otherwise do what you want with it. Suggestions are welcome. You can send them to me at \from[sanjoy] (Sanjoy Mahajan).}

\stoptext