[NTG-context] options that I don’t understand: align and tolerance

[NTG-context] options that I don’t understand: align and tolerance

[Henning Hraban Ramm]

Hi again,

there are many options of setup commands that aren’t properly 
documented, and I’d like to fix that.

Additionally, I’m using a few commands that might be outdated or 
replacable by better alternatives.


* \setupalign:
– disable
– broad (wider lines, for tables?)
What is the difference to flushleft? When would I use these?

* \setupalign vs. \setuptolerance:
- Does it make a difference where I set the tolerance?
- Does it influence more than hyphenation?
- Is it still necessary to set vertical and horizontal tolerance 
separately? (AFAIR vertical does only influence special cases?)
- Does it make sense to set penalties “manually”? (I guess, if I want to 
have more control.)
- e.g. I have the following, does it make sense?

\setuptolerance[vertical,verystrict]
\setuptolerance[horizontal,verytolerant,stretch]
\startsetups[*default]
\widowpenalties 3 10000 1000 0
\clubpenalties 3 10000 1000 0
\orphanpenalties 2 5000 1000
\stopsetups
\emergencystretch=2em


Hraban
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[NTG-context] Re: options that I don’t understand: align and tolerance

[Wolfgang Schuster]

Am 11.09.2025 um 19:24 schrieb Henning Hraban Ramm:
> Hi again,
> 
> there are many options of setup commands that aren’t properly 
> documented, and I’d like to fix that.
> 
> Additionally, I’m using a few commands that might be outdated or 
> replacable by better alternatives.
> 
> 
> * \setupalign:
> – disable
> – broad (wider lines, for tables?)
> What is the difference to flushleft? When would I use these?

broad is a modifier for flushleft, flushright and middle and not meant 
to be used on its own.

\starttext

\startalignment[flushleft]
\samplefile{knuth-gpt}
\stopalignment

\startalignment[flushleft,broad]
\samplefile{knuth-gpt}
\stopalignment

\stoptext

> * \setupalign vs. \setuptolerance:
> - Does it make a difference where I set the tolerance?

The space option is the only thing which can't be set with \setupalign 
and the only reason to use \setuptolerance.

> - Does it influence more than hyphenation?
> - Is it still necessary to set vertical and horizontal tolerance 
> separately? (AFAIR vertical does only influence special cases?)

With vertical/horizontal you choose one of two setup modes (horizontal 
is the default) which set completely different values.

Wolfgang

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[NTG-context] Re: options that I don’t understand: align and tolerance

[Henning Hraban Ramm]

Thank you!

Am 11.09.25 um 20:08 schrieb Wolfgang Schuster:
>> * \setupalign:
>> – disable
>> – broad (wider lines, for tables?)
>> What is the difference to flushleft? When would I use these?
> 
> broad is a modifier for flushleft, flushright and middle and not meant 
> to be used on its own.

oh, ok

> \starttext
> 
> \startalignment[flushleft]
> \samplefile{knuth-gpt}
> \stopalignment
> 
> \startalignment[flushleft,broad]
> \samplefile{knuth-gpt}
> \stopalignment
> 
> \stoptext

So it means: no hyphenation? That’s the difference that I can see.
Is the "ragged zone" wider?

>> * \setupalign vs. \setuptolerance:
>> - Does it make a difference where I set the tolerance?
> 
> The space option is the only thing which can't be set with \setupalign 
> and the only reason to use \setuptolerance.

ok

>> - Does it influence more than hyphenation?
>> - Is it still necessary to set vertical and horizontal tolerance 
>> separately? (AFAIR vertical does only influence special cases?)
> 
> With vertical/horizontal you choose one of two setup modes (horizontal 
> is the default) which set completely different values.
Ok, so that didn’t change.
I found a note that vertical tolerance influences more or less only 
\startcolumns.


Hraban

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[NTG-context] Re: options that I don’t understand: align and tolerance

[Wolfgang Schuster]

Am 11.09.2025 um 20:23 schrieb Henning Hraban Ramm:
> Thank you!
> 
> Am 11.09.25 um 20:08 schrieb Wolfgang Schuster:
>>> * \setupalign:
>>> – disable
>>> – broad (wider lines, for tables?)
>>> What is the difference to flushleft? When would I use these?
>>
>> broad is a modifier for flushleft, flushright and middle and not meant 
>> to be used on its own.
> 
> oh, ok
> 
>> \starttext
>>
>> \startalignment[flushleft]
>> \samplefile{knuth-gpt}
>> \stopalignment
>>
>> \startalignment[flushleft,broad]
>> \samplefile{knuth-gpt}
>> \stopalignment
>>
>> \stoptext
> 
> So it means: no hyphenation? That’s the difference that I can see.
> Is the "ragged zone" wider?


It just increases the zone which is useful when you don't want 
hyphenated words without causing overfull lines or underfull box warnings.

Wolfgang

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