Re: Discussion: correspondence with ConTeXt

["Wolfgang Schuster" <schuster.wolfgang@googlemail.com>]

On Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 2:40 PM, Taco Hoekwater <taco@elvenkind.com> wrote:
>
>
> Wolfgang Schuster wrote:
> >
> > The discussion
> >
> > Before I start to give you information about my module and
> > give you the chance to mention your own wishes or thoughts
> > about the inteface I'm interested what do you use currently to
> > write you own correspondence (letter, invoices etc.).
>
> This may be a surprise, but I use only oowriter/oocalc
> currently. Why?
>
>   * I have many different envelopes to cater for, with and
>     without address windows.

This is why I seperate content and layout, the input for the data
and text is always the same but layout and fields/information
depend on the output.

>   * I sometimes need DIN letters, but sometimes just an
>     informal note to accompany an item

Nothing can be more formal than a german letter in DIN style,
lots of rules with fixed values from the typewriter and many
exceptions.

>   * Quite a bit of correspondence is invoices and quotes,
>     with automatic calculations in them (VAT etc).

I already played with a few basic styles but this should go into
a seperate module and should be a MkIV only thing to get
correct values in the output, although MkII is possible but
I won't trust the results.

> Most of this can be done in tex/luatex of course, but it
> is a lot of effort compared to hitting <enter> a few extra
> times in oowriter.  Now, if there was a great letter module
> for context .... ;-)

Hans provides a Example interface for his own interface
but I never got it working for myself but a simple user interface
would be nice.

Ideas for the input are welcome, it is completely independant
from the backend and I could also offer the original interface
from Donal Knuth.

> > Before I release I first public bety version of the modul I
> > want to hear which interface to set the letter information do
> > you prefer and do you have things do want in the module.
>
> I definately would like an easy way to switch envelope
> formats, and automatic page 1 of ... would be nice too.

As I told, saw what you want and I could write a letter style.

The total number of page can be set with subpagenumber and
I tried hard to get it working with MkII and MKIV and spend a few
hours to find the last remaining bugs.

Wolfgang
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