From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Msuck: nntp://news.gmane.io/gmane.comp.tex.context/40448 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Willi Egger Newsgroups: gmane.comp.tex.context Subject: Re: Discussion: correspondence with ConTeXt Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:50:12 +0200 Message-ID: References: <115224fb0804170113w70db8dadpb8528a18ef20c338@mail.gmail.com> Reply-To: mailing list for ConTeXt users NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v753) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1208505122 1589 80.91.229.12 (18 Apr 2008 07:52:02 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:52:02 +0000 (UTC) To: mailing list for ConTeXt users Original-X-From: ntg-context-bounces@ntg.nl Fri Apr 18 09:52:37 2008 connect(): Connection refused Return-path: Envelope-to: gctc-ntg-context-518@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from ronja.vet.uu.nl ([131.211.172.88] helo=ronja.ntg.nl) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1JmlOL-0008Ta-C7 for gctc-ntg-context-518@m.gmane.org; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:52:17 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by ronja.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id 815631FC78; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:51:35 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from ronja.ntg.nl ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (smtp.ntg.nl [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP id 01466-01-8; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:50:50 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from ronja.vet.uu.nl (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by ronja.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id BD7F41FC54; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:50:50 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by ronja.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id C6D441FC6B for ; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:50:49 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from ronja.ntg.nl ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (smtp.ntg.nl [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP id 01466-01-7 for ; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:50:13 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from mail.7values.nl (pluto.digitpaint.nl [83.98.197.3]) by ronja.ntg.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id 59CC71FC39 for ; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:50:13 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mail.7values.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5D69618143 for ; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:50:13 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from mail.7values.nl ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (pluto [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP id 10553-01-68 for ; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:50:13 +0200 (CEST) Original-Received: from [192.168.0.17] (a80-126-172-1.adsl.xs4all.nl [80.126.172.1]) by mail.7values.nl (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1939318141 for ; Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:50:13 +0200 (CEST) In-Reply-To: <115224fb0804170113w70db8dadpb8528a18ef20c338@mail.gmail.com> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.753) X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at ntg.nl X-BeenThere: ntg-context@ntg.nl X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.9 Precedence: list List-Id: mailing list for ConTeXt users List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: ntg-context-bounces@ntg.nl Errors-To: ntg-context-bounces@ntg.nl X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at ntg.nl Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.comp.tex.context:40448 Archived-At: Hi Wolfgang, First of all thanks for this initiative! - Until now I composed a = letter based on a "template" I build one day. Nothing special though. = - Still a module which would allow for writing letters and quotes = consistently would make live easier. As I am living in the Netherlands, we use commonly block-style = letters. Will your module provide the possibility to use a header on = the first page and e.g. a smaller something in the margin on the = second and following pages? Will your module provide page-numbering = switched on beginning at the second page if the document is longer = than 1 page? - This last point is in my environment always a struggle... The Dutch TeX users group has released on CTAN a ntgclass.zip = (LaTeX). There are three articles which might help to "enlighten" = you. Unfortunately two of the three articles are written in Dutch = (briefdoc.pdf, brief.pdf). In case you intend to include ideas = contained in this NEN-1026 style letter I am happy to help you = translating the important parts of those articles. I am looking forward to your module Kind regards Willi On Apr 17, 2008, at 10:13 AM, Wolfgang Schuster wrote: > Hi all, > > > Preface > > > most of the discussions in the last weeks on the list > concerned LuaTeX and MkIV with the topic fonts, xml and bugs, > currently not implemented functions and bug and in the last > few days also mplib. I will try start with this mail a > hopefully interesting discuassions wuth many people about the > current state to use ConTeXt for correspondence in personal > and business live. > > > > Introduction > > > Although ConTeXt has many features and can be used for nearly > every type of document with many features to adapt the layout > to ones personal requirements we have still a few places where > something is missing or force us to use another tool. I will > focus myself for the moment on the missing support for a real > module to write letter and other correspondence. > > > > The Past and the present > > > A few modules had been written in the past to write letter but > wether they are not available like Hans own module or it is to > complicated to use. > > Hans own module m-letter.tex was never included in the main > distribution and the documentation [1] was never finished but > it is now possible to find a older version in the list > archives. The strong point on the module are the possibility > to change the size and position of the address and reference > fields but it was nearly impossible to add extra information > like values for sender or to make big changes in the layout. > > The second option to write a letter was and is Holger Sch=F6ners > letterstyle environment [2], he provided a layout for german > letters with a DIN style and macros to store address and > sender information. What looked like a good solution to me at > first glance had also many disadvatages, the names for the > fields in the refrence line used hard to memorize name like > \lettersenderkey... and no high level interface to set them. > Another point to me which prevented me from using the style > was the hard way to change the layout, the environment > provided commands to change the values but all was done with > simple definition and no setup command. > > A few user write their own simple setups and environemnts to > write letter [2,3] but none of them was really confugrable or > provided a real interface. > > > > The future > > > The lack of any good soution for this topic forced me to write > my own letter module for ConTeXt. I started myself with Hans > letter module and added a extra field to add my own address > but this was at a time where I was still new to ConTeXt and > most of the content in m-letter.tex where confusing to me and > I had problem to adapt the layout to my own requirements. > After I gained a little bit more knowledge in TeX and ConTeXt > is started to write a new module from scratch with the option > to load style files and set the information for the address > and all other information with a better interface. > > After nearly one and a helf years and 2 major revisions I have > nearly finished my module and would will make it now available > also to other users. But before I make my last stable version > online I want to discuss a few points with interested users. > > > > The discussion > > > Before I start to give you information about my module and > give you the chance to mention your own wishes or thoughts > about the inteface I'm interested what do you use currently to > write you own correspondence (letter, invoices etc.). > > After this interesting question for me I will now make a few > information about my module available. > > The module use by default the definition for german business > letters as layout where the position for the address block and > the reference line are defined. To change the layout for your > own letter I provide the option to change the default settings > with the one for all command \setupletterstyle, you could use > it to set the page layout, the position for the different > blocks for address and sender information and also for the > bodyfontsize and parskip and parindent. To use once defined > for many letter you could save them in so called letterstyle > files which can be loaded either with the module > \usemodule[letter][style=3D...] or within the letter with the > command \useletterstyle[...]. > > The lettertext is written between the \startletter ... > \stopletter environment and it is possible to write in > adcouemnt as many letters as you want, you could write serial > letters and use the correspodence modul to save the address > information in a XMl file. > > The values for letter are set with the \setupletter command > but this is one of the still open points, the current > implemtation requires sometimes to many lines for just a few > information and I plan to replace it with a simpler system. > > Take the following minimal example > > \usemodule[letter] > > \setupletter > [sender] > [name=3D{Mike Meiers}, > address=3D{Mustergasse 12\\25694 Musterstadt}] > > \setupletter > [address] > [name=3D{Hans Hansen}, > address=3D{Zielweg 34\\78561 Tiny Town}] > > \starttext > > \startletter > [opening=3D{Dear Hans,}] > > letter text > > \stopletter > > \stoptext > > As you can see the opening for the letter is set as optional > argument for \startletter because it is also possible to write > it in the long form \setupletter[data][opening=3D...] but a > simpler system could be usefull especially if you want to set > only text for address and something like > \setupletter[fromname=3D...,address=3D...] or > \setlettervalue[address]{...} are options to replace the > current solution. > > Before I release I first public bety version of the modul I > want to hear which interface to set the letter information do > you prefer and do you have things do want in the module. I > could provide more ready to use layout for the module (like > block style for americal letter) but I need information about > the layout and the position for the fields. > > > Wolfgang Schuster > > [1] http://www.pragma-ade.com/show-man-29.htm > [2] http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Letter_style > [3] http://www.tug.org/pracjourn/2006-3/hogg/ > ______________________________________________________________________ = > _____________ > 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 : https://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/ > wiki : http://contextgarden.net > ______________________________________________________________________ = > _____________ ___________________________________________________________________________= ________ If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to t= he Wiki! maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-cont= ext webpage : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net archive : https://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/ wiki : http://contextgarden.net ___________________________________________________________________________= ________