[NTG-context] An intelligent nine-year-old writes Context!

[NTG-context] An intelligent nine-year-old writes Context!

[peter.hopcroft--- via ntg-context]

Dear group,

I met a nine-year-old who claimed she could write Context. I asked her to try, but her code had errors. I’m a Context beginner, finding it daunting to learn. Can someone please look at her Context below and advise me if I should ask her for help with learning Context?

Regards,
Peter Hopcroft

=====

Here is what I asked her to create:

One A4 page, 2 cm margins to the text area. The text area has a 3 cm wide column on the left for comments, a 5 mm gutter, then the rest is a single column for running text. Compose the running text in German, describing two aspects of childraising in Vietnam. Each aspect has a heading in IBM Plex Sans and body text in Charter. To the left of the second aspect, put a comment “Beware of AI taking away typographer’s jobs”. Choose suitable typography, font size, line spacing. 

=====

Here is the Context she wrote:


\setuppapersize[A4]

% Layout: 2 cm margins
\setuplayout[
    backspace=2cm,
    topspace=2cm,
    width=middle,
    height=middle,
]

% Define columns inside the text area
\definecolumnset[maincolumns][n=2]
\setcolumnset[maincolumns][
    width={3cm,5mm,\dimexpr\textwidth-3cm-5mm\relax},
    distance=0pt
]

% Fonts
\definefontfamily[mainface][rm][Charter]
\definefontfamily[mainface][ss][IBM Plex Sans]
\setupbodyfont[mainface,11pt]

% Typography tuning
\setupinterlinespace[line=15pt]
\setupalign[hanging,hz,flushleft]

% Heading style
\defineparagraphs[Aspekt]
\setupparagraphs[Aspekt][
    before={\blank[medium]},
    after={\blank[small]},
    style=\ss\bfb,
]

% Comment style
\defineparagraphs[Kommentar]
\setupparagraphs[Kommentar][
    style=\it\tfx,
    color=darkgray,
]

\starttext
\startcolumnset[maincolumns]

% First aspect (no comment)
\column % left comment column (empty)
\column % main text column

\Aspekt{Familiäre Verbundenheit und Respekt}

In Vietnam spielt die Großfamilie eine zentrale Rolle in der Erziehung.
Kinder wachsen häufig in engem Kontakt mit Großeltern, Tanten und Onkeln
auf. Respekt gegenüber Älteren wird früh vermittelt und zeigt sich in
Sprache, Gestik und alltäglichen Ritualen. Gehorsam wird weniger als
blinde Unterordnung verstanden, sondern als Ausdruck sozialer Harmonie.
Entscheidungen werden oft gemeinschaftlich getragen, wodurch Kinder
lernen, ihre eigenen Bedürfnisse im Kontext der Familie zu sehen.

% Second aspect with comment
\column
\Kommentar{beware of AI taking away typographer's jobs}

\column

\Aspekt{Bildungseifer und Leistungsorientierung}

Bildung besitzt in Vietnam einen außerordentlich hohen Stellenwert.
Eltern investieren viel Zeit und Ressourcen in die schulische
Entwicklung ihrer Kinder. Fleiß, Disziplin und Ausdauer gelten als
Tugenden, die nicht nur individuelle Erfolge ermöglichen, sondern auch
zum Ansehen der Familie beitragen. Gleichzeitig entstehen dadurch hohe
Erwartungen, die Kinder motivieren, aber auch unter Druck setzen können.
Die Balance zwischen Förderung und Überforderung ist daher ein
zentrales Thema moderner Erziehung in urbanen wie auch ländlichen
Regionen.

\stopcolumnset
\stoptext

=====

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

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: An intelligent nine-year-old writes Context!

[Wolfgang Schuster]

Am 12.02.2026 um 21:46 schrieb peter.hopcroft--- via ntg-context:
> Dear group,
> 
> I met a nine-year-old who claimed she could write Context. I asked her to try, but her code had errors. I’m a Context beginner, finding it daunting to learn. Can someone please look at her Context below and advise me if I should ask her for help with learning Context?

\defineparagraphs creates an environment for multi columns text which 
has to fit on a single page but the example uses the command created 
with it in a wrong way.

An easier way to have a column for annotations etc. is to use the margin 
area and change the page layout to get the desired dimensions.

\setuplayout
   [backspace=55mm,
    leftmargin=30mm,
    leftmargindistance=5mm,
    topspace=20mm,
    width=middle,
    height=middle]

\definemargindata
   [Anmerkung]
   [inleft]

\showframe[text][leftmargin,text]

\starttext

\Anmerkung{Anmerkung!}

Main text!

\stoptext

Wolfgang

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

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
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archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: An intelligent nine-year-old writes Context!

[Jim]

On Fri, Feb 13, 2026 at 09:46 (+1300), peter.hopcroft--- via ntg-context wrote:

> Dear group,

> I met a nine-year-old who claimed she could write Context. I asked her to try, but her code had errors. I’m a Context beginner, finding it daunting to learn. Can someone please look at her Context below and advise me if I should ask her for help with learning Context?

Peter,

if she also can write emacs lisp AUCTeX could use her help.  ;-)

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

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: An intelligent nine-year-old writes Context!

[peter.hopcroft--- via ntg-context]

Hi Jim,

I asked her:

“Can you write emacs lisp AUCTeX. if so give me a short example.”

She gave a reply,  though I don't know what it means:

Yes, I can write Emacs Lisp for AUCTeX. Here’s a short, practical example.
This snippet adds a custom LaTeX command (\R) and enables a small setup hook specifically for AUCTeX’s LaTeX mode.

;; Ensure AUCTeX is loaded
(require 'tex)
(require 'latex)

(defun my-auctex-setup ()
  "Custom AUCTeX configuration."
  ;; Add a new LaTeX macro \R -> \mathbb{R}
  (TeX-add-symbols
   '("R" "\\mathbb{R}"))

  ;; Enable automatic parsing and saving
  (setq TeX-auto-save t)
  (setq TeX-parse-self t)

  ;; Enable PDF mode by default
  (setq TeX-PDF-mode t))

;; Attach to LaTeX mode (AUCTeX)
(add-hook 'LaTeX-mode-hook #'my-auctex-setup)



> On 13 Feb 2026, at 10:26 AM, Jim <zlists+context@jdvb.ca> wrote:
> 
> On Fri, Feb 13, 2026 at 09:46 (+1300), peter.hopcroft--- via ntg-context wrote:
> 
>> Dear group,
> 
>> I met a nine-year-old who claimed she could write Context. I asked her to try, but her code had errors. I’m a Context beginner, finding it daunting to learn. Can someone please look at her Context below and advise me if I should ask her for help with learning Context?
> 
> Peter,
> 
> if she also can write emacs lisp AUCTeX could use her help.  ;-)
> 
>                                Jim
> ___________________________________________________________________________________
> If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!
> 
> maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
> webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
> archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
> wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
> ___________________________________________________________________________________

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

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________

[NTG-context] Re: An intelligent nine-year-old writes Context!

[peter.hopcroft--- via ntg-context]

Thank you Wolfgang, what you suggest is simpler and better. 
Peter

> On 13 Feb 2026, at 10:17 AM, Wolfgang Schuster <wolfgang.schuster.lists@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Am 12.02.2026 um 21:46 schrieb peter.hopcroft--- via ntg-context:
>> Dear group,
>> I met a nine-year-old who claimed she could write Context. I asked her to try, but her code had errors. I’m a Context beginner, finding it daunting to learn. Can someone please look at her Context below and advise me if I should ask her for help with learning Context?
> 
> \defineparagraphs creates an environment for multi columns text which has to fit on a single page but the example uses the command created with it in a wrong way.
> 
> An easier way to have a column for annotations etc. is to use the margin area and change the page layout to get the desired dimensions.
> 
> \setuplayout
>  [backspace=55mm,
>   leftmargin=30mm,
>   leftmargindistance=5mm,
>   topspace=20mm,
>   width=middle,
>   height=middle]
> 
> \definemargindata
>  [Anmerkung]
>  [inleft]
> 
> \showframe[text][leftmargin,text]
> 
> \starttext
> 
> \Anmerkung{Anmerkung!}
> 
> Main text!
> 
> \stoptext
> 
> Wolfgang
> 
> ___________________________________________________________________________________
> If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!
> 
> maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
> webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
> archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
> wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
> ___________________________________________________________________________________

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

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________