Re: Long compile time

["Gilbert van den Dobbelsteen" <gilbert@login-bv.com>]

>
> 2. Suppose I have a master document with
>
> \input chap1
> \input chap2
> \input chap3

I usually do not use this mechanism (though it is a simple, and solid one).
In context you can use products, and projects. This is not very well
documented I guess, so you have to experiment a little. On the other hand,
it is reasonably simple.

The project stuff has a few commands. Suppose I would like to write a
manual, consisting of several chapters. The project here is clearly the
manual, and each chapter could be called a product:

FILE: manual.tex:

\startproject manual

\environment s-man-01        % Location is *not* in pre-amble: experiment

\product chap-001
\product chap-002
\product chap-003

\stopproject

FILE: chap-001.tex

\environment s-man-01

\startproduct chap-001
\projects manual     % this is optional: experiment

blahblah

\stopproduct

The file s-man-01:

\startenvironment s-man-01

Def's for layout and-the-like

\stopenvironment

OK, what does this bring you (beside some extra typing work)?

1. You can compile the chapters seperately. Ok, the page numbers and
section-numbering wouldn't be correct, but all references and the layout
would be.

2. You can compile the entire product. Ok, that's trivial?

3. You could have differnet authors working on different chapters.

4. Since they all use the same style file, layout will be consistent.

5. The style file in included only once when you compile manual.tex. The
seperate chapters also include the style file (the \environment), but
context *knows* it already included the style file in manual.tex. This is a
bit more complex than I describe here, but experiment where yo put the
\environment command in the project/product and you'll find lots of usefull
combinations.

6. If you write multiple manuals, and you carefully setup the stuff, you can
re-use chapters over and over again.

There is also a lower level command: \startcomponent, \stopcomponent. This
is below the product (a project is composed with products, a product is
composed with components).

So if you setup things carefully, it could save you some time.

Good luck, Gilbert.