Re: Re: Learning ConTeXt, typical hurdle

[h h extern <pragma@wxs.nl>]

Gerben Wierda wrote:
>>Hey Gerben,
>>
>>
>>>Now what turns out to solve this? Empty lines before \description and
>>>\stopdescriptions
>>
>>Things that were defined using \definedescription rely on \par as a
>>delimiter.
>>
>>
>>>Though I like ConTeXt if I look at certain design aspects, behaviour
>>>that
>>>depends on whitespace before a command frightens me.
>>
>>Just the way it works :-) Nothing to worry about.
> 
> 
> What this introduces is that the working of the ascii file depends on its
> layout. I can understand that an empty line does a \par (it is convenient
> after all) but I would see that kind of behaviour kept to a minimum. That
> is, now I have this 'invisible' element that is needed to close my
> structure. It is something quite unexpected for me in a TeX workflow.
> Different layout because of a missing empty line, fine. But an error
> message and a halt really surprises me. Another part of a learning curve
> which if you want adoption you should try to avoid. But maybe it is
> impossible to make ConTeXt more 'forgiving'.
> 
> The alternative is \startdescription\stopdescription which is logically
> nicer, but adds inconvenience to the typing/editing
> 
> IMO LaTeX here does a better user-interface job (not just because I happen
> to know LaTeX). Withing the description environment \item starts a new
> item and the item ends with the start of another item or the end of the
> environment. Completely independent of the layout of the ascii file.
> 
> It would IMO be a lot friendlier if my \stopdescriptions and \description
> commands would take care of this and I could do things like:
> 
> \startdescriptions
> \description{Foo} Bar bar bar
> \description{Foo} Bar bar bar
> \description{Foo} Bar bar bar
> \stopdescriptions
> 
> without triggering an error.

this could be made working to some extend, but it would complicate the code; 
this mechanism actually is implemented so that it can handle:

\starttext

\definedescription[test]

\test oeps whow \par

\test oeps

whow

\test {oeps} whow \par

\test {oeps} whow \par

\starttest {oeps} whow \stoptest

\stoptext

nowadays i tend to more verbose coding; anyhow, we can add something

\unprotect

\def\startdescriptions
   {\dosingleempty\dostartdescriptions}

\def\dostartdescriptions[#1]%
   {\begingroup
    \def\item{\getvalue{#1}}%
    \let\dostoppairdescription \donothing
    \let\@@description         \dostartpairdescription
    \let\@@startsomedescription\dostartsomedescription}

\def\stopdescriptions
   {\dostoppairdescription
    \endgroup}

\def\dostartpairdescription[#1][#2]%
   {\dostoppairdescription
    \def\dostoppairdescription{\@@stopdescription{#1}}%
    \bgroup
    \def\currentdescription{#1}%
    \doifelse{\descriptionparameter{\s!do\c!state}}\v!start
      {\@@makedescription{#1}[#2]{}}
      {\@@makedescription{#1}[#2]}}

\def\dostartsomedescription % #1[#2]#3%
   {\bgroup
    \@@makedescription} % {#1}[#2]{#3}}

\protect

\starttext

\definedescription[test]

\startdescriptions
\test{Foo} Bar bar bar
\test{Foo} Bar bar bar
\test{Foo} Bar bar bar
\stopdescriptions

\startdescriptions
\starttest{Foo} Bar bar bar \stoptest
\starttest{Foo} Bar bar bar \stoptest
\starttest{Foo} Bar bar bar \stoptest
\stopdescriptions

\startdescriptions[test]
\item{Foo} Bar bar bar
\item{Foo} Bar bar bar
\item{Foo} Bar bar bar
\stopdescriptions

\stoptext

for those who have problems adapting; so, what does the general context public 
think of such an extension?

Hans

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