ConTeXt frustrations (was: simple problem)

["Gerben Wierda" <Gerben.Wierda@rna.nl>]

> \defineparagraphs[BookQuote][n=1,before={\indenting[never]\whitespace\startnarrower},after={\indenting[yes]\nowhitespace\stopnarrower}]
>
> in my environment file, but that gave me page breaks as soon as
> \startBookQuote was given and the quotes themselves do not receive page
breaks, hence a quote more than one page (I have a few) ends up being a
column of one page but just running from the page.
>
> So, it seems \defineparagraphs is out, because I do not get page breaks
inside the quote. But what should I do?

Another try was simpler, using plain TeX instead of ConTeXt's mechanisms,
but had another unexpected effect:

\def\startBookQuote{\indenting[never]\whitespace\startnarrower}
\def\stopBookQuote{\stopnarrower\indenting[yes]\nowhitespace}

The result of which is close to what I want, but after the first
\startBookQuote-\stopBookQuote pair the whitespace between paragraphs
stays, surprisingly enough (notwithstanding the \nowhitespace).

Si=o, I remove the entire whitespace/nowhitespace and find out that I
*still* get whitespace!? OK, I seem to need to remove
\setupwhitespace[small] from my environment file, where I had:
\setupwhitespace[small]
\nowhitespace
But, contrary to indentation, the \setupwhitespace not only sets it up, it
also turns it on. With indentation, I hat \setupindentation and did not
get that working until I turned it on with \indenting[yes]. In other
words, two opposite behaviours for likewise actions.

I find this kind of chaotic behaviour typical for my experience with
ConTeXt and I get pretty frustrated to the point I start thinking I should
have stayed with LaTeX and use the memoir class. Whatever LaTeX's
limitations in what it can do, it generally does what one expects. In my
own personal experience with ConTeXt I can definitely not say that.

G