Automated Quotation/Punctuation Placement

[Tad Ashlock <taashlo@cyberdude.com>]

Hi All,

I'm trying to create a command that will apply a consistent style to a 
word or phrase.  For example, when documenting source code, I'd like to 
be able to mark variables with \Var{var_name}.  Then if I want the 
variable names to be in mono, I can \def\Var#1{\type{#1}}.  No problem 
there.  If I want variable names to be in quotes, then 
\def\Var#1{\quote{#1}}.

The problem is that in my ConTeXt code I'd write "This is 
\Var{var_name}, a variable."  Which would get typeset as "This is 
'var_name', a variable." where punctuation convention (at least in 
American English) would have the comma inside the quote like this: "This 
is 'var_name,' a variable."

I've tried four different ways of implementing this, but none of them 
work consistently.  Here's my last attempt:

==========================
\startluacode
function move_end_punctuation (text, punc, cmd_start, cmd_mid, cmd_end)
    context(cmd_start .. text .. cmd_mid)
    if string.find('.,!?', punc, 1, true) then
        context(punc .. cmd_end)
    else
        context(cmd_end .. ' ' .. punc)
    end
end
\stopluacode

\def\Var#1#2{\ctxlua{move_end_punctuation([==[#1]==],[==[#2]==],
    '\\quote{\\type{','}','}')}}

\starttext

This is \Var{var_name}, a variable.

\stoptext
==========================

This works, until the \Var{} macro appears in the argument of another 
macro.  For example, make the text:

\framed{This is \Var{var_name}, a variable.}

and the following error results:
==========================
systems         : begin file test.tex at line 16
! Missing $ inserted.
<inserted text>
                $
<to be read again>
                   _
l.1 ...spaces quote{unskip  ignorespaces type{var_
                                                  name}
\Var ...=],[==[#2]==], '\\quote{\\type{','}','}')}
                                                 
l.18 \framed{This is \Var{var_name},
                                     a variable.}
?
==========================

I think my problem has to do with parameter expansion, but I don't 
understand the intricacies enough to solve this.  I flailed away, 
unsuccessfully, with various combinations of \unexpanded, 
\normalunexpanded, luaescapestring, etc.

Does anyone have a solution or a pointer in the right direction?

Thank you,
Tad



___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net
archive  : http://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/
wiki     : http://contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________