Re: decriptions

[Wybo Dekker <wybo@servalys.hobby.nl>]

Hans Hagen wrote:
> 
> Hi all and Wybo in particular, 
> 
> I suppose this is what you want: 
> 
> \setuplayout[width=100mm]
> 
> \definedescription
>   [description]
>   [location=hanging,        % implemented recently 
>    margin=standard,
>    headstyle=bold]
> 
> \definestartstop
>   [descriptions]
>   [before=\blank\startpacked,
>    after=\stoppacked\blank,
>    commands=\let\item\description]
> 
> \starttext
> 
> \dorecurse{10}{This one is for Wybo. }
> 
> \startdescriptions
> 
> \description {aap:} is a monkey, but much more can be told
> about this animal;s for example they are hairy, mostly
> brown or black and they resemble people a lot.
> 
> \item {noot:} is a vegetable; again there are many kinds
> and you will get very fat if you eat lots of them.
> 
> \startdescription {this is a rather long item:}
> 
> it is not very interesting in itself, but gives me the
> opportunity to tell you something about the description
> environment: it is like an itemize, but with user-supplied
> labels which are printed bold.
> 
> \stopdescription
> 
> \stopdescriptions
> 
> \dorecurse{10}{This one is for Wybo. }
> 
> \stoptext 

That's exactly what I meant. Yet a few remarks: 
1: why allow a mix of `item' and `description'? Just `item' would suffice
2: the only need for the \startdescription/\stopdescription pair I see
   is that it allows for more than 1 paragraph in a description/item. Latex
   allows for that without extra's.  And it always separates
   paragraphs in lists with an empty line and with no parindent. And
   if one doesn't want the empty line: use \\
   I like that behaviour.

> I think it makes sense to add such latex counterparts to a specific
> module m-latex or so. If needed, with some \begin \end alike
> substitutes, like 

[...]

I don't think it's a good idea to emulate latex in context. It just
makes people to stick with latex instead of thinking the context way. 

You should do two things:
1: make context alternatives for things that people like in latex, but
   only if they are right in your view.
2: give people hints about how they can do the things they did in
   latex better in context.

A final question: 
As Hans now generously generates new code for me in English, while I
started my book in Dutch (which was the language used during the
course). I decided to translate the book into english, using my `tran'
perlscript. But that doesn't find translations for:

\startstandaardopmaak
\stopstandaardopmaak
\volledigeinhoudsopgave

Those words are not in mult-co[mn].tex. Howcome?
-- 
Hartelijke groet, Wybo
--
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