Re: setting size of page headers

[Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl>]

At 08:57 PM 11/17/00 +0100, siepo@client44-3.kabelA.oprit.rug.nl wrote:
>I need a parameterized way to set the font size of page headers, with an
>explicit fontsize as parameter. The following works:
>
>\getparameters[demo][numsize=8pt]
>\xdef\foliofnt{\switchtobodyfont [\demonumsize]}
>\setupheader[style=\foliofnt]
>
>However, this causes a noticable performance hit compared to e.g.
>
>\setupheader[style=small]
>
>Is there a way around this?

I assume that you want to do this in order to speed up processing. 

\switchtobodyfont is slow due the fact that quite some related font info
has to be switched [esp math]. In the case of headers and footers and
alike, there is a switch for each header part, so the more you have
defined, the slower the process. This is why you can set the style for all
layout areas at once, 

  \setuplayout[style={\switchtobodyfont[10pt}]

This is significant faster. BTW, your \xdef is okay in etex, but normally
edef/xdef can be tricky in combination with commands that themselves do
\edef's and alike. In non etex you can prefix the switch with \noexpand.
Also, in this case i suppose that a \gdef would work as well. 

This leaves the difference between style=small and
style={\switchtobodyfont[small]}. A small style is just \tfx, so a small
size of the current text font, and since there are no other swithches
involved it is much faster then a complete bodyfont switch. 

If you know that there is no math, and you know the font, you can do [fast]
things like: 

\definefont[foliofont][Regular at \numsize]

\setupheader[style=foliofont]

if you know what goes left/right you can save a bit by leftstyle=foliofont  

Hans
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