Re: A few questions regarding ConTeXt

[Hans Hagen Outside <pragma@wxs.nl>]

Broberg, Mats wrote:

>Dear Sir,
>
>For some time now, I have been looking for suitable software solutions
>for my publication projects. The projects are mainly books up to 500-750
>pages, with alot of figures, CMYK, solid PMS or lineart images, cross
>references, several series of margin notes and footnotes, drop caps,
>list of figures, indices, tables of contents etc.
>
>I have never used TeX or any of the wide array of macro packages, but I
>know from having read about it that it can solve many of my publication
>problems - and with a very high level of typographic quality too (which
>is important to me). Initially, I was looking closely at using LaTeX -
>mainly due to the fact that it is so widely used and has a vast number
>of packages for the functions I need - but when coming across your site,
>I think that ConTeXt may fit the bill better, since it seems to be
>designed in a more parameter-driven way.
>
>However, judging from the documentation on your site, some features that
>I have read about in LaTeX - such as drop caps, complex headers, cross
>references, several series of footnotes etc (i.e. the packages
>"lettrine", "fancyhdr", "varioref" and "ledmac") - don't seem to be
>available in ConTeXt.
>
>I assume packages like these can not be used "out of the box" when using
>ConTeXt, but that one needs to have someone create new packages?
>  
>
I'm a bit in a hurry (need to give a workshop at the practical tex 
conference).

The features you mentioned are present in the core system, often 
providing more features; opposite to latex, where you need packages, 
context has all things  built in.

More information can be get from the rather active context mailing list. 
I cc the mail to there, so that others can confirm this

Hans
 

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