Hans van der Meer via ntg-context schrieb am 26.05.2023 um 21:38:
> Calling "\bf\tfa  TEXT" for example leaves the TEXT not in bold 
> because \tfa does not respect the current style. As does \small, etc.
> Shown by looking at the meaning of for example \small:
>
> \small=protected macro:\triggergroupedcommand {\setsmallbodyfont \tf }
>
> and
>
> \tx=protected macro:\currentxfontsize \plusone \ifmmode \scriptstyle 
> \orelse \ifconditional \c_font_inherit_scale \font_scale_inherit_x 
> \else \font_scale_defined_x \fi \al­ ways\let \tx \txx
>
> Thus in contrast \tx and \txx do respect the current style setting.
>
> My question: It seems most convenient if I could retrieve the current 
> style and reset that after a size command. I rather would refrain from 
> tinkering with those. Since there is a \currentxfontsize is there an 
> analogue for the style?
>

\tf is the switch for the normal upright style and when you have \bf\tfa 
the first font switch is just replaced by the second switch.

To get a larger text in bold style you can use \bfa.

\starttext

text {\tfa\bf text} text

text {\bfa text} text

\stoptext

Wolfgang