Re: First go at book with ConTeXt, questions

[Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl>]

Frans Goddijn wrote:

> First this: I have several (MAPS) ConTeXt manuals opened
>       on a chair nearby. I'm also lucky to have an old
>       big printed manual version 960122 at hand. The MAPS
>       manuals are pleasant appatizers but not so handy for
>       looking things up. For instance, in the table of
>       contents in MAPS 19 defining commands is said to be
>       on page 85, but that page is not in that MAPS. The
>       next manual in MAPS has a new page numbering and no
>       table of contents...

I admit that this is not handy, but it was decided that the second half
should follow the maps layout. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

>       I couldn't find the ConTeXt syntax replacing my
>       familiar \Large, \Huge etcetera. Taco told me this is
>       {\tfa foobar} for a small word "foobar" and then tfb,
>       tfc etcetera for bigger characters. This \tfa...e
>       command is not in the command list in the big PDF
>       manual though. The old paper manual showed (page 111)
>       that big characters can be printed (I need those for
>       the title page), but it's not shown how that is done.
>       The example "Grote Woorden" is shown as result, but

\definebodyfont[10pt,11pt,12pt][rm][tfe=cmr10 sa 5]

\tfe Hi Frans

(The sa 5 means scaled at 5 times the 10,11,12 pt)

>  HH> \setuplayout[rugwit=19mm,breedte=midden,kopwit=8mm,hoogte=midden]
> 
> Currently I have
> 
> \stellayoutin[plaats=midden,markering=aan,hoogte=midden,
>               kopwit=2cm,
>               hoofd=0mm,
>               voet=10mm,
>               rugwit=18mm,
>               breedte=110mm
>               ]
> 
> Does that look o.k. to you as well?

Looks ok. 

> Is the order/sequence of these settings of influence on the results?

No, never. 

>  HH> Of course you must also specify
>  HH>    [header=,footer=]
> 
> Is this a "must" from the start or could I wait until I know if I want to
> have headers and/or footers, and if so, what I want to put in them?

The must was meant for your specific document. You only need to specify
what you want. The defaults automatically scale with the papersize, so 

\setuppaperformat[A5]  
\stelpapierformaatin[letter]

indeed gives an acceptable layout to start with. 

>  HH> Putting the pagenumber in the middle,
>  HH>   \stelnummeringin[plaats={voet,midden},letter=\os]
> 
> I currently have this:
> 
> \stelnummeringin[plaats={voet,midden},letter=\oldstyle]
> 
> * are \os and \oldstyle identical?

I suppose Taco defined \oldstyle for you. Actually you could have said: 

  letter=mediaeval

because this is defined as (see font-ini)

  \definealternativestyle [mediaeval] [\os]  []

So, if you say \def\os{\oldstyle}, you can use this. 

> * I understand I must do {\oldstyle 123} to get 23 in oldstyle
>   but I would visually prefer a syntax like \os{123}.
>   Is this easy to accomplish?

All commands defined as alternative style act both ways! So you can say:

  \mediaeval{123}456

and 

   {\mediaeval 123}456

> * What is the ConTeXt equivalent for \thispagestyle{empty}?
>   On some pages I want no pagenumbers.

The dutch one is (use wybo's script to translate):

  \geenhoofdenvoetregels

or maybe you prefer:

  \stelkopin[hoofdstuk][hoofd=leeg] % of hoofd=hoog

> * I want to put an EPS file (the publisher's logo) on the inner title
> page.
>   If I look at page 106 of MAPS 20, I think I could do
> 
> \regelmidden{

or 

  \steluitlijnenin[midden]

  \leavevmode\externfiguur[..]

> \externfiguur
>         [c:/ourfiles/eps/lsylogo.eps] % can I specify path here?

yes, but how about adding in cont-sys.tex 

  \stelexternefigurenin[gebied=c:/ourfiles/eps]

furthermore, specifying the extension is not actually needed here, only
for metapost illustrations (which have numbers as extensions). 

>         [breedte=4cm,methode=eps]

No: [breedte=4cm] ; the method is only uses for special cases, where tex
should use the type to find the dimensions and the method to include the
graphic (in pdftex: a metapost fig is scanned as eps for dimensions and
converted by tex using a method). You could have said type=eps, but that
is default, so it can be omitted

The good news is that in the next version (which is tested by some folks
now) 
you don't need to specify types and methods etc. When you say: 

  \externalfigure[lsylogo][width=4cm]

Context starts looking for the best suit: outlines first, bitmaps last,
using several method for scanning dimensions (direct parsing,
texutil.tuf parsing or eventually calling texutil itself); multiple
directories can be searched etc etc. Figures are stored in the object
mechanism and reused when possible. 

>         % I wonder what mps means in the original example...
>         }

MetaPostEps

> The old LaTeX command was:
> \hspace*{35mm}{\includegraphics[width=4cm]{c:/ourfiles/eps/lsylogo.eps}}%
> 
> Am I right?

I don't know what this \hspace is supposed to do. 

> The other ConTeXt manuals show very advanced tricks, with text around the
> pictures, figure numbers and text under the pictures and reference info
> which cloud my view... In the PDF manual an example is given which should
> show a cow in the text, but the cow is missing... ;=}

I never noticed. 

> Furthermore, I am afraid I must convert the eps into pdf in some new way
> to be able to later generate a PDF file of the book, right? Whjat's the
> best way to do this? Send the eps to a friendly someone with Adobe's
> Distiller?

For instance. But first correct the page:

  texutil --figures --epspage yourfile 

(get the latest version or let me know if I should mail it): 

  texutil --figures --epspage --epstopdf yourfile

That one lets GhostScript do the job (using Sebastian R.'s page
correction trick). 

> PS: I enjoy this process of learning ConTeXt. It's a sort of TeX adventure
> game for me and as much fun as getting a new PC is. New possibillities!
> Hidden doors and options to be found! ;=}

You can bet on that, because many features do their work autimatically,
many are not documented yet, and many will be added. 

Hans

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