David Wooten said this at Sat, 12 Mar 2005 15:07:25 -0800:

>> Hmm. What do your typescript definitions look like, then? Does ConTeXt
>> know you're using 8r as the encoding for the font?
>
>I believe so. An example from the typescript file:
>
>\usetypescriptfile [type-buy]
>\loadmapfile [8r-stf-andulka-book.map]
>
>\starttypescript [serif] [andulka-book] [name]
>	\definefontsynonym [Serif]	 [Andulka-Book]
>\stoptypescript
>
>\starttypescript [serif] [andulka-book] [8r]
>	\definefontsynonym [Andulka-Book] [8r-andulkabook]

Ah-ha.
ConTeXt isn't *that* clever about names. At the end of the font synonym
chain, you need to associate the font name with an encoding explicitly.
The typescript names are just symbols (for the most part) that signal to
ConTeXt which groups of definitions to use.

Therefore, the above line should be:

 \definefontsynonym [Andulka-Book] [8r-andulkabook] [encoding=8r]

>\stoptypescript
>
>>> Curiously (to me, at least:), if I enter the actual glyph:
>>> ä, it gives me the character I need…but only for a few runs!
>>
>> Okay, that now becomes an interaction between regime (input file
>> encoding) and the rest. It could be coincidence that ä is in the same
>> slot (228) with both regime and encoding. Which regime are you using? 
>> Are
>> you sure it lines up with the encoding in (say) TeXshop?
>
>I use TextMate for the text editing, and it's currently saving in 
>UTF-8. …this area of "regime and encoding" isn't very clear to me. That 
>sounds like a clue.

It does. I started to explain some of this on the list, saved on the wiki:
<http://contextgarden.net/Encodings_and_Regimes>
Regime is the encoding of the input document processed by ConTeXt. If
you're using TextMate in UTF-8, then you should add this to every
document or perhaps your local cont-sys.tex:
\enableregime[utf]

This converts things like ä to the internal named glyph \adiaeresis.

Encodings map these names to numbers from 0 to 255, which are indices
into the font file. The file enco-tbo says for fonts in the 8r encoding,
given a character \thorn, choose character #254 from that font. Look at
the penultimate cell in your \showfont[8r-andulkatext] file, and there's
that thorn.

Perhaps that's too much detail. :)
Choose the encoding that's right for you, and consistently apply it in
your typescripts, and you'll be fine.

You got into trouble because not naming an encoding, ConTeXt assumed you
meant the default encoding, which consists of a bunch of fallbacks that
get you close to what you want, but often not close enough.

>> P.S. As a side point, Andulka does indeed look like a nice, sturdy,
>> legible text font. A bit like the free (but masterfully drawn) Charter,
>> but with a lot more personality.
>
>Yes, I've grown fond of it, especially at a smaller size. Funny you 
>should mention Charter in this regard, as it always had a certain 
>appeal.

And then there's a bit of the legibility innovations of Gentium thrown
in... the low shoulders (look at that 'h'), the wedge serifs, and the
stress on asymmetrical features... nice font.

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 Adam T. Lindsay, Computing Dept.     atl@comp.lancs.ac.uk
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