>
> If I have two different \startMPcode ... \stopMPcode sections, is
> there a way (perhaps it does this by default) to have the variables
> stored in the first block available in the second block?  In pure
> MetaPost, I can do
>
> numeric a:=4;
> beginfig(1);
>    label(decimal(a),origin);
> endfig;
> beginfig(2);
>    label(decimal(a),origin);
> endfig;
> end
>
> and both figures have the value of 'a' available to them because 'a'
> was defined before each figure.  What is the ConTeXt way of doing
> this?
>
>
Do you mean something like this?

\starttext
\startMPpage
a := 4;
label(decimal a, origin);
\stopMPpage
\startMPpage
a := a+1;
label(decimal a, origin);
\stopMPpage
\stoptext

Regards, Bostjan