On 2014-04-19 04:55, Wolfgang Schuster wrote:
\setuphead
  [section]
  [alternative=text,
   command=\SectionCommand,
   distance=0pt,
   insidesection={\blank[overlay]}]

\define[2]\SectionCommand
  {\inmargin{#1 – #2}}

\setuplayout[backspace=4cm]

\starttext

\startsection[title={First}]

\input ward

\stopsection

\startsection[title={Second}]

\startitemize
\item One
\item Two
\stopitemize

\stopsection

\startsection[title={Third}]

\starttabulate
\NC Knuth \NC \input{knuth} \NC\NR
\NC Tufte \NC \input{tufte} \NC\NR
\stoptabulate

\stopsection

\stoptext

Wolfgang

Thank you, Wolfgang. This works mostly, but not completely, for start/stop sectioning (not for classic sectioning).

I do notice that there is still a problem with tabulations if you add a horizontal line (\HL or \FL) to the beginning of the table. New example, building on yours:
\setuphead
  [section]
  [alternative=text,
   command=\SectionCommand,
   distance=0pt,
   insidesection={\blank[overlay]}]

\define[2]\SectionCommand
  {\inmargin{#1 – #2}}

\setuplayout[backspace=4cm]

\starttext

\startsection[title={Okay with text here}]

Text here
\starttabulate
\FL \NC Knuth \NC \input{knuth} \NC\NR
\NC Tufte \NC \input{tufte} \NC\NR
\stoptabulate

\stopsection

\startsection[title={Fails with no text}]

\starttabulate
\FL \NC Knuth \NC \input{knuth} \NC\NR
\NC Tufte \NC \input{tufte} \NC\NR
\stoptabulate

\stopsection

\stoptext

--
RIk Kabel