Re: Columnsetspan rendered with and without color

Hi Chen Wang !

I also tested the colour variant. It works, but the same effect is obtained
without colour by wrapping the contents of the first span in an explicit
group:

\startcolumnsetspan[wide]
\start
\samplefile{ward}
\stop
\stopcolumnsetspan

So the colour command seems to be a trigger rather than the real cause. It
probably changes grouping or the internal node list. The cleaner workaround
is therefore to group the contents explicitly rather than to add a colour
only to make the span appear.

See below files without and with colors:

File 01

% MWE: first columnsetspan at the beginning of a columnset
% Colour and explicit grouping compared.
%
% Both variants make the first columnsetspan render. This suggests
% that colour itself is probably not the essential factor; the decisive
% point may be that the contents of the first span are wrapped in an
% additional structure.

\definecolor
   [regiontop]
   [b=.8]

\definecolumnset
   [main]
   [n=2,
    balance=yes,
    distance=10mm]

\definecolumnsetspan
   [wide]
   [n=2]

\starttext

\startsubject[title={Variant 1: coloured first columnsetspan}]

\startcolumnset[main]

\startcolumnsetspan[wide]
\startcolor[regiontop]
\samplefile{ward}
\stopcolor
\stopcolumnsetspan

\samplefile{knuth}
\samplefile{tufte}
\samplefile{douglas}

\stopcolumnset

\stopsubject

\page

\startsubject[title={Variant 2: grouped first columnsetspan}]

\startcolumnset[main]

\startcolumnsetspan[wide]
\start
\samplefile{ward}
\stop
\stopcolumnsetspan

\samplefile{knuth}
\samplefile{tufte}
\samplefile{douglas}

\stopcolumnset

\stopsubject

\stoptext


File 02 :

% Wang Chen Test Colors

% Test 03-colours

% Hypothesis: colour is not the real cause; grouping may be enough

% to change how the first columnsetspan is handled.

%

% This variant keeps the Test 02 structure, but adds several colour

% definitions and applies them to different parts of the document.

% The first columnsetspan is still explicitly grouped with \start ... \stop.


% --- colour definitions ---

\definecolor[regiontop] [r=.10,g=.25,b=.80] % first wide span

\definecolor[regiontexta] [r=.00,g=.45,b=.20] % first column text

\definecolor[regiontextb] [r=.65,g=.20,b=.10] % second column text

\definecolor[regiontable] [r=.45,g=.10,b=.60] % table span

\definecolor[regionlast] [r=.20,g=.20,b=.20] % final text


% --- table rules kept (head rule + bottom rule) and float placement ---

\setupfloat[table][default={here,tblr,nonumber}]

\setupxtable[frame=off]

\setupxtable[head][topframe=on,bodyfont=bf]

\setupxtable[lastrow][bottomframe=on]


% --- columnset definitions ---

\definecolumnset[main][n=2,balance=yes,distance=10mm]

\definecolumnsetspan[wide][n=2]


\starttext

\startcolumnset[main]


% First wide span: explicit group + colour.

% This tests whether colour still works when combined with the explicit

% grouping that already made Test 02 succeed.

\startcolumnsetspan[wide]

\start

\startcolor[regiontop]

\samplefile{ward}

\stopcolor

\stop

\stopcolumnsetspan


\startcolor[regiontexta]

\samplefile{knuth}

\stopcolor


\startcolor[regiontextb]

\samplefile{tufte}

\stopcolor


\startcolumnsetspan[wide]

\startcolor[regiontable]


\startplacetable[title={Table 1 \emdash{} Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet 
consectetur.}]

\startxtable

\startxtablehead[head]

\startxrowgroup[lastrow]

\startxrow

\startxcell[align=right] Stage \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] Step \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] Temperature~/~°C \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] Time~/~minutes \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] Number of Cycles \stopxcell

\stopxrow

\stopxrowgroup

\stopxtablehead

\startxtablebody[body]

\startxrow

\startxcell[align=right] Holding \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] UDG Activation \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 50 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 2 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 1 \stopxcell

\stopxrow

\startxrow

\startxcell[align=right] Holding \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] Dual-Lock DNA Polymerase Activation \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 95 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 10 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 1 \stopxcell

\stopxrow

\startxrow

\startxcell[align=right,nr=2] PCR Cycling \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] Denaturation \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 95 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 0.25 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right,nr=2] 35 \stopxcell

\stopxrow

\startxrow

\startxcell[align=right] Annealing \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 60 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 0.75 \stopxcell

\stopxrow

\startxrow

\startxcell[align=right,nr=3] Melt Curve (Continuous) \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] Denaturation \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 95 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 0.25 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right,nr=3] 1 \stopxcell

\stopxrow

\startxrow

\startxcell[align=right] Annealing \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 60 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 1 \stopxcell

\stopxrow

\startxrowgroup[lastrow]

\startxrow

\startxcell[align=right] Denaturation \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] 95 \stopxcell

\startxcell[align=right] Continuous \stopxcell

\stopxrow

\stopxrowgroup

\stopxtablebody

\startxtablefoot[foot]

\stopxtablefoot

\stopxtable

\stopplacetable


\stopcolor

\stopcolumnsetspan


\startcolor[regionlast]

\samplefile{douglas}

\stopcolor


\stopcolumnset

\stoptext


Please, fill the documentation (ConTeXt Garden: 
https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Color/Tutorials) if needed in order to 
help understanding this issue.

Best//JP


Le 11/06/2026 à 04:26, Chen Wang a écrit :
> Dear All,
>
> I am using the latest version of ConTeXt. In "main.tex", the top 
> section is not rendered. All I did was add some colouring and now the 
> top section gets rendered in "main copy.tex" in blue colour.
>
> How do I make the stuff render properly? I do not understand why the 
> top columnsetspan is not being rendered and why trying to colour it 
> makes it render.
>
> Any ConTeXt wizards please help me.
>
> Yours sincerely,
> Wang Chen
>
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