Re: super-super-scripts

On 7/3/2026 12:41 AM, Max Chernoff wrote:
> Hi Hans,
> 
> On Thu, 2026-07-02 at 08:51 +0200, Hans Hagen via ntg-context wrote:
>> In a similar fashion we have primes as native feature [...]
>>
>> [...] and so far we have not seen any negative side effects.
> 
> I can't speak for the others, but I've seen some negative side effects
> in my personal documents:
> 
>      https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/764069/270600
> 
> Ideally, it would be nice if the primes and superscripts were always
> displayed in the order that you typed them, but I'd be okay if the
> primes always came _before_ the superscripts instead. Perhaps you could
> add a new option
> 
>      \setupmathematics[primelocation=before] % default: after
> 
> so that users can configure where primes are placed relative to the
> superscripts (without necessarily changing the current default)?

When we implemented primes as native feature (already a few years ago) 
we actually started out with keeping track of order but in the end 
removed that feature when we made multiscripts more flexible. So it was 
a deliberate decision and Mikael can make stong arguments for it.

We also try to stay away from too much fuzzy sequential rendering 
because it's also about meaning. So, if Mikael or Aditya (the context 
math experts) have demands we will look into it, think about if long, 
and come up with something, otherwise "just work within the 
constraints". It also related to spacing, multiple scripts, exports and 
such. It would be some command then, not some option.

Also, talking of primes: it has always been a somewhat weird detail, 
text primes vs presumes scripted primes with different positioning in 
their boundingboxes and opentype math didn't make it any better. Inches 
vs primes etc etc ... so in a way even math unicode isn't much help here.

The tex world had decades to cook up a more reliable approach and think 
of the concept but time flied. It's not like out-of-a-sudden the "you 
should not use context for serious math, read: articles" messaging will 
ever change or stop. So, we (MS/HH) do as we think is best. We made and 
make more decisions like that.

And we don't want some active character prime handling (which has it's 
own side effects) either, that's, we decided, for the dirty macro 
lovers; good riddance.

Hans

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