Re: question about linespace adjustment

[Lars Huttar <lars_huttar@sil.org>]

Wolfgang, thanks for your response.

On 9/25/2013 5:02 PM, Wolfgang Schuster wrote:
> You can’t expect from \tfa etc. to change the interlinespace because these
> commands can be used in your paragraphs to change the size of certain
> words only and in this case you don’t want a forced change of the interlinespace.

Well... \switchtobodyfont[20pt] can also be used in paragraphs to change
the size of just a few words.
But the above suggests that \switchtobodyfont shouldn't be used for that
purpose, and commands like \tfc should?

> To adapt the interlinespace when you now use \tfa etc. you have to add
> \setupinterlinespace to your code (arguments aren’t needed) to tell context
> to recalculate it.
>

Thank you. What I'm trying to learn now is *why* that's true. Or more
precisely, where is the boundary between the font-changing commands that
automatically adjust interlinespace, and those commands that don't? and
what is the conceptual model that motivates the boundary, and helps
users remember and predict where the boundary lies?

What I think I'm hearing is that \switchtobodyfont is intended for
changes of longer duration, say, at least a paragraph. Whereas \tfa and
so on are intended for brief changes, to set off a phrase, for example.

As an example of "where's the boundary", experimentation shows that
\setsmallbodyfont is in the same category as \switchtobodyfont: it
automatically affects the interlinespace. Nevertheless I can't find
anywhere in the manual or on the wiki that tells me that
\setsmallbodyfont differs from \tx in this way (let alone *why* it
differs). Maybe I should expect that any command that has "bodyfont" in
its name is intended for long-term changes, and other commands aren't?

Sorry if I'm being slow on the uptake.
Documentation like
http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Command/switchtobodyfont just doesn't seem
to explain this difference in intention.

Thanks again. I do hope to use this experience to contribute
clarifications to the manual. I've already done that some on the wiki
(hoping that if I get it wrong, someone will correct my mistakes!)

Lars

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