[NTG-context] ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[NTG-context] ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[seyal.zavira]

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to share a new project with the ConTeXt community: **ConTeXt-StarterKit**, a ready-to-use template designed to streamline the creation of professional documents using **ConTeXt LMTX**.

After working with ConTeXt for some time, I realized there was a need for a robust yet easy-to-use boilerplate that helps users quickly get started, manage their projects efficiently, and maintain a clean structure. ConTeXt-StarterKit aims to address this by providing a comprehensive framework that separates content, configurations, and resources, making document creation more organized and portable.

**Key features of ConTeXt-StarterKit include:**

*   **Modular Structure:** A clear and organized directory layout (`Sections`, `Setups`, `Sources`) that keeps your project tidy.
*   **Automated Resource Discovery:** Recursively finds and registers files in `Sections` and `Sources`, meaning you simply drop your content or resources into the right folder, and they become instantly available.
*   **Portable Font Management:** Use custom fonts by simply placing them in the `Fonts` directory – no system-wide installation required.
*   **Streamlined Symbol Definition:** Includes a dedicated workflow (with Python support) for creating and parameterizing custom symbols effortlessly.
*   **Centralized Bibliography:** Manage all your `.bib` files and citation settings in one place.
*   **Ready to Compile:** Get started immediately with a pre-configured `starter-template.ctx` and a simple `context starter-template.ctx` command.
*   **Dedicated `Backups/` directory:** A safe, isolated place for drafts and old versions, ensuring they don't interfere with your main build.

The goal is to provide a solid foundation, allowing you to focus more on your content and less on initial setup complexities. Whether you're starting a new book, a report, or any other ConTeXt LMTX project, this kit offers a structured and efficient way to manage it.

You can find the project, along with a detailed `README` and usage instructions, on GitHub:

https://github.com/seyalco/ConTeXt-StarterKit

I would be thrilled if other ConTeXt users try it out, share their feedback, and suggest any improvements or features they'd like to see.

Hopefully, ConTeXt-StarterKit can make the document creation process smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.

Best regards,

Seyal
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
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wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[peter.hopcroft--- via ntg-context]

Many thanks for creating this kit Seyal. I’d been thinking about making something myself to make using Context easier for small pieces of writing, but this looks great..

> On 21 Sep 2025, at 1:37 AM, seyal.zavira@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm excited to share a new project with the ConTeXt community: **ConTeXt-StarterKit**, a ready-to-use template designed to streamline the creation of professional documents using **ConTeXt LMTX**.
> 
> After working with ConTeXt for some time, I realized there was a need for a robust yet easy-to-use boilerplate that helps users quickly get started, manage their projects efficiently, and maintain a clean structure. ConTeXt-StarterKit aims to address this by providing a comprehensive framework that separates content, configurations, and resources, making document creation more organized and portable.
> 
> **Key features of ConTeXt-StarterKit include:**
> 
> *   **Modular Structure:** A clear and organized directory layout (`Sections`, `Setups`, `Sources`) that keeps your project tidy.
> *   **Automated Resource Discovery:** Recursively finds and registers files in `Sections` and `Sources`, meaning you simply drop your content or resources into the right folder, and they become instantly available.
> *   **Portable Font Management:** Use custom fonts by simply placing them in the `Fonts` directory – no system-wide installation required.
> *   **Streamlined Symbol Definition:** Includes a dedicated workflow (with Python support) for creating and parameterizing custom symbols effortlessly.
> *   **Centralized Bibliography:** Manage all your `.bib` files and citation settings in one place.
> *   **Ready to Compile:** Get started immediately with a pre-configured `starter-template.ctx` and a simple `context starter-template.ctx` command.
> *   **Dedicated `Backups/` directory:** A safe, isolated place for drafts and old versions, ensuring they don't interfere with your main build.
> 
> The goal is to provide a solid foundation, allowing you to focus more on your content and less on initial setup complexities. Whether you're starting a new book, a report, or any other ConTeXt LMTX project, this kit offers a structured and efficient way to manage it.
> 
> You can find the project, along with a detailed `README` and usage instructions, on GitHub:
> 
> https://github.com/seyalco/ConTeXt-StarterKit
> 
> I would be thrilled if other ConTeXt users try it out, share their feedback, and suggest any improvements or features they'd like to see.
> 
> Hopefully, ConTeXt-StarterKit can make the document creation process smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Seyal
> ___________________________________________________________________________________
> If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!
> 
> maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
> webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
> archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
> wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
> ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[seyal.zavira]

Hi Peter,

Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm really glad to hear that the starter kit looks useful to you.

That's exactly one of the goals I had in mind—to make it easier to spin up smaller projects without the usual setup overhead.

Any feedback you might have would be incredibly valuable.

Best regards,

Seyal
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
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___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[Hans Hagen via ntg-context]

On 9/22/2025 7:56 AM, seyal.zavira@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi Peter,
> 
> Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm really glad to hear that the starter kit looks useful to you.
> 
> That's exactly one of the goals I had in mind—to make it easier to spin up smaller projects without the usual setup overhead.
> 
> Any feedback you might have would be incredibly valuable.

I took a quick look (not much time now) but I'm sure others will reflect 
on details but one thing I noticed is that you use a lot of \input while 
at the same time assuming some project structure. Best look into 
\environment, \component and alike because then one can process units, 
prevent duplicate loading (which at some point will clash with 
overloadprotection), provide cross unit referencing, get level-up file 
lookups for free, etc.

Also, maybe use 'document' instead of 'project' as main variable 
namespace because that one has some other benefits.

Some of the larger manuals are structured this way so they might act as 
example.

When it comes to file lookups: texmf-project and texmf-fonts are also a 
place to put files under (tex/user/<project>) because these are part of 
general the file database lookup; beware of duplicate copied of fonts 
with the same name because of what ends up in the font cache (different 
versions can clash then).

Hans



-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
        tel: 038 477 53 69 | www.pragma-ade.nl | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[seyal.zavira]

Hi Hans,

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at the project and for your valuable suggestions. I truly appreciate feedback from someone with your deep expertise.

Your points about \environment and \component are excellent. In fact, my initial approach was to use these very commands to structure the project. However, during development, I struggled to achieve the straightforward file discovery and loading mechanism I had in mind with them. Ultimately, I opted for \input as it provided a more direct and transparent way to implement the recursive file loading that is central to the kit’s design, especially for users who might be less familiar with ConTeXt’s more advanced structural commands.

Your feedback has certainly encouraged me to revisit the official documentation and the structure of the larger manuals. I believe a deeper look will give me more clarity on how to potentially integrate these powerful features in a future iteration without compromising the initial goal of simplicity.

Regarding the use of texmf-project and the advice on font caching, those are very important considerations. I will definitely look into them and add a note to the documentation to make users aware of potential conflicts.

Thanks again for your insightful comments.

Best regards,

Seyal
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[Hans Hagen via ntg-context]

On 9/22/2025 5:46 PM, seyal.zavira@gmail.com wrote:

> Your feedback has certainly encouraged me to revisit the official documentation and the structure of the larger manuals. I believe a deeper look will give me more clarity on how to potentially integrate these powerful features in a future iteration without compromising the initial goal of simplicity.

There are some examples in the test suite.
Hans

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
        tel: 038 477 53 69 | www.pragma-ade.nl | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

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___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context]

On 9/22/25 18:30, Hans Hagen via ntg-context wrote:
> [...] 
> There are some examples in the test suite.

Hi Hans,

in a similar way to modules, would it be possible that the test suite
could have a script to download all of them and keep them updated?

Many thanks for your help,

Pablo
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[NTG-context] Re: ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[Hans Hagen via ntg-context]

On 9/22/2025 7:06 PM, Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context wrote:
> On 9/22/25 18:30, Hans Hagen via ntg-context wrote:
>> [...]
>> There are some examples in the test suite.
> 
> Hi Hans,
> 
> in a similar way to modules, would it be possible that the test suite
> could have a script to download all of them and keep them updated?

very low priority .. i need to clean up the file set anyway

Hans

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
        tel: 038 477 53 69 | www.pragma-ade.nl | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
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___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: ConTeXt-StarterKit: A Ready-to-Use Template for ConTeXt LMTX

[Bruce Horrocks]

> On 22 Sep 2025, at 18:06, Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context <ntg-context@ntg.nl> wrote:
> 
> in a similar way to modules, would it be possible that the test suite
> could have a script to download all of them and keep them updated?

The test suite is available separately in Github so you can easily track and download changes there.

<https://github.com/contextgarden/context-tests>

Regards,


—
Bruce Horrocks
Hampshire, UK

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