From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Msuck: nntp://news.gmane.io/gmane.comp.tex.context/20459 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Tobias Burnus Newsgroups: gmane.comp.tex.context Subject: Re: Context, LaTeX, or an XML for academic writing? Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 02:59:00 +0200 Message-ID: <428941D4.8010105@net-b.de> References: Reply-To: mailing list for ConTeXt users NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1116665899 17104 80.91.229.2 (21 May 2005 08:58:19 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 21 May 2005 08:58:19 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: ntg-context-bounces@ntg.nl Sat May 21 10:58:15 2005 Return-path: Original-Received: from ronja.vet.uu.nl ([131.211.172.88] helo=ronja.ntg.nl) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DZPnw-0001To-BR for gctc-ntg-context-518@m.gmane.org; Sat, 21 May 2005 10:57:56 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by ronja.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id 43672127A3; Sat, 21 May 2005 10:59:06 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from ronja.ntg.nl ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (smtp.ntg.nl [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP id 12289-05; Sat, 21 May 2005 10:59:03 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from ronja.vet.uu.nl (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by ronja.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8549B12780; Sat, 21 May 2005 10:59:03 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from localhost (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by ronja.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id E7FDF127D7 for ; Tue, 17 May 2005 02:59:40 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from ronja.ntg.nl ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (smtp.ntg.nl [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP id 06320-03 for ; Tue, 17 May 2005 02:59:39 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from zs04.physik.fu-berlin.de (zs04.physik.fu-berlin.de [160.45.35.155]) by ronja.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id CB87F127CE for ; Tue, 17 May 2005 02:59:39 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from ith.physik.fu-berlin.de ([160.45.32.115] helo=[127.0.0.1]) by zs04.physik.fu-berlin.de with esmtp (Exim 4.51) id 1DXqQr-0006mM-MR; Tue, 17 May 2005 02:59:39 +0200 User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0+ (X11/20050512) Original-To: Tobias Wolf , mailing list for ConTeXt users In-Reply-To: X-Scanned: No viruses found. X-Scan-Signature: 439a7e845b3d558b1aeb1e3c2bfeea77 X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at ntg.nl X-Mailman-Approved-At: Sat, 21 May 2005 10:59:01 +0200 X-BeenThere: ntg-context@ntg.nl X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: mailing list for ConTeXt users List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: ntg-context-bounces@ntg.nl Errors-To: ntg-context-bounces@ntg.nl X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.3 (2005-04-27) on smtp.ntg.nl X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at ntg.nl Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.comp.tex.context:20459 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.comp.tex.context:20459 Hello, Tobias Wolf wrote: >today I went to work to make up my mind about whether it would be a >good idea to go ahead and produce my BSc. Thesis with ConTeXt. >It's clear, I'm very much attracted to it's approach, I do like the >syntax and the focus on PDF output (I never used DVI before) et cetera >pp. > =20 > As John already pointed out: Using "pdflatex" this is also possible with = LaTeX (well, both use PDFTeX behind the scenes). >I've seen Hrabans' ciee juxtaposition of ConTeXt and LaTeX, and after >searching the list I am not sure whether going for a KOMA class >wouldn't be better considering that I definitely don't have time >develop my own ConTeXt environment this time. > =20 > Well, the question is how much you want to change; I think one can (in=20 both cases) live with the defaults provided (plus some minor changes).=20 The defaults in LaTeX are arguably better, ConTeXt on the other hand=20 allows changes much easier. I have also the feeling that ConTeXt's=20 figure placement is better - at least I had so far not as much problems=20 as with LaTeX. (In LaTeX frequently all figures are collected at the=20 very end of the document -- or in between when one does a \clearpage.) >I've also seen the MS thesis of Han The Thanh. It's good. But I would >need something more suited for natural sciences that accomodates >plenty of figures and references. Also I would like to "cloak" my >thesis by avoiding Computer Modern. >Do ready-made "academic templates" by one of you experts exist - or >do you dissuade me from "just using" ConTeXt for for writing academic >literature? > =20 > One reason to favour LaTeX is that many publishing houses are accepting=20 LaTeX submission, while for ConTeXt less so. This is maybe less a=20 problem for BSc/MSc theses, but for PhD theses, where one frequently=20 includes some (own, published) papers, this means extra work. Having=20 said that, I have written my diploma (~ MSc) thesis in physics using=20 ConTeXt and I do plan to do so for my PhD as well. I can send you the environment I used;=B9 the layout could probably done = better, but I think (hope) that it looks quite ok; I used Latin=20 Modern/Computer Modern at 12pt on A4. (For my PhD theses I'll use=20 probably use octavo/A5.) Changing the used font is easy, but one has to=20 find one which contains all characters needed (incl. maths symbols,=20 small caps [if needed], AMS Math symbols [or the font should fit to=20 those AMS fonts], etc.) Tobias =B9 http://www.physik.fu-berlin.de/~tburnus/thesis/thesis.pdf, 5.6 MiB