Updated ConteXt after 10+ yrs
Frans Goddijn <[email protected]> Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:50:06 +0200
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.tex.context |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
--===============6251898113968435173== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_EA7B1B74-F8A6-4D12-A99A-EDC403E0B888" --Apple-Mail=_EA7B1B74-F8A6-4D12-A99A-EDC403E0B888 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Hi all, With the new "ConTeXt LMTX an Excursion=E2=80=9D manual out and also the = recent Hraban=E2=80=99s "Drucksachen gestalten mit ConTeXt und = LuaMetaTeX" on my desk it was high time to update my 10+ years old = ConTeXt setup. In 2015 Willi Egger had helped me install the system and he also = prepared conversions form my LaTeX office stationary designs to versions = of it in ConTeXt plus some other custom applications. Over the years I had modified some things, tentatively hacking my way = through the code that I more or less understood but it had slowly grown = into a spaghetti of commands that were partially revoking each other. The new manuals made me keen to try out the features that I can now read = about. Since no one near me is a TeX user at all I was a bit hesitant to try to = update but I went ahead, first doing it on an older laptop so none of my = every day office TeX work would suddenly come crashing to a halt. I used ChatGPT to figure out all that was needed and I was pleasantly = surprised that it worked well. Next I made use of the summer days (most people I communicate with for = work are on vacation so nobody bothered me) to repeat the process on the = laptop that I use every day and this was also a success. Meanwhile, going through all these steps, I =E2=80=98rediscovered=E2=80=99= where TeX is actually residing on the HD, where my personal font files = are hiding and what the ConTeXt setup files in the =E2=80=9C/user=E2=80=9D= folder are doing exactly. Because I would easily forget these =E2=80=9Cbehind the editor / = compiler / viewer curtain=E2=80=9D machinations, I also set out to write = a 12 pages long personal notebook / manual describing all these things, = step by step, so that in the future it will be easy to upgrade. Until now I=E2=80=99d always used TextMate for writing / editing / = compiling my ConTeXt files but in the latest manual by Willi Egger / = ConTeXt Group I see that Visual Studio Code is suggested instead. I downloaded and installed this one as well. I looked for guidance and on this page I found a little bit of info: = https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Input_and_compilation/Text_editors/Visual_S= tudio_Code but it did not specify how to install it for the Mac exactly.=20 Luckily ChatGPT gave me a step by step guidance again including writing = s .json code that works on my machine for building and viewing. =46rom the wiki page I could not understand what exactly the VSIX would = do since I am not really very tech savvy but I do like the idea of = =E2=80=99syntax highlighting=E2=80=99 and a color check on matching of = braces and brackets so ChatGPT was kind enough to write the code for = that, run tests of it in the background on copies of my setup and = instruct me how and where to install this addition. So I=E2=80=99m happy that I can now actually try out some of the code = that=E2=80=99s shared here! I hope my post is not too annoying for the readers here.=20 I am aware it=E2=80=99s pretty low IQ stuff for most of you ;-) Happy summer day! Frans --Apple-Mail=_EA7B1B74-F8A6-4D12-A99A-EDC403E0B888 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 <html aria-label=3D"message body"><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" = content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body = style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = line-break: after-white-space;">Hi all,<div><br></div><div>With the new = "ConTeXt LMTX an Excursion=E2=80=9D manual out and also the recent = Hraban=E2=80=99s "Drucksachen gestalten mit ConTeXt und LuaMetaTeX" on = my desk it was high time to update my 10+ years old ConTeXt = setup.</div><div><br></div><div>In 2015 Willi Egger had helped me = install the system and he also prepared conversions form my LaTeX office = stationary designs to versions of it in ConTeXt plus some other custom = applications.</div><div><br></div><div>Over the years I had modified = some things, tentatively hacking my way through the code that I more or = less understood but it had slowly grown into a spaghetti of commands = that were partially revoking each other.</div><div><br></div><div>The = new manuals made me keen to try out the features that I can now read = about.</div><div><br></div><div>Since no one near me is a TeX user at = all I was a bit hesitant to try to update but I went ahead, first doing = it on an older laptop so none of my every day office TeX work would = suddenly come crashing to a halt.</div><div><br></div><div>I used = ChatGPT to figure out all that was needed and I was pleasantly surprised = that it worked well.</div><div><br></div><div>Next I made use of the = summer days (most people I communicate with for work are on vacation so = nobody bothered me) to repeat the process on the laptop that I use every = day and this was also a success.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, = going through all these steps, I =E2=80=98rediscovered=E2=80=99 where = TeX is actually residing on the HD, where my personal font files are = hiding and what the ConTeXt setup files in the =E2=80=9C/user=E2=80=9D = folder are doing exactly.</div><div><br></div><div>Because I would = easily forget these =E2=80=9Cbehind the editor / compiler / viewer = curtain=E2=80=9D machinations, I also set out to write a 12 pages long = personal notebook / manual describing all these things, step by step, so = that in the future it will be easy to = upgrade.</div><div><br></div><div>Until now I=E2=80=99d always used = TextMate for writing / editing / compiling my ConTeXt files but in the = latest manual by Willi Egger / ConTeXt Group I see that Visual Studio = Code is suggested instead.</div><div><br></div><div>I downloaded and = installed this one as well.</div><div><br></div><div>I looked for = guidance and on this page I found a little bit of = info:</div><div><br></div><div><a = href=3D"https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Input_and_compilation/Text_editors/= Visual_Studio_Code">https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Input_and_compilation/T= ext_editors/Visual_Studio_Code</a></div><div><br></div><div>but it did = not specify how to install it for the Mac = exactly. </div><div><br></div><div>Luckily ChatGPT gave me a step = by step guidance again including writing s .json code that works on my = machine for building and viewing.</div><div><br></div><div>=46rom the = wiki page I could not understand what exactly the VSIX would do since I = am not really very tech savvy but I do like the idea of =E2=80=99syntax = highlighting=E2=80=99 and a color check on matching of braces and = brackets so ChatGPT was kind enough to write the code for that, run = tests of it in the background on copies of my setup and instruct me how = and where to install this addition.</div><div><br></div><div>So I=E2=80=99= m happy that I can now actually try out some of the code that=E2=80=99s = shared here!</div><div><br></div><div>I hope my post is not too annoying = for the readers here. </div><div><br></div><div>I am aware it=E2=80=99= s pretty low IQ stuff for most of you ;-)</div><div><br></div><div>Happy = summer = day!</div><div><br></div><div>Frans</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><di= v><br></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail=_EA7B1B74-F8A6-4D12-A99A-EDC403E0B888-- --===============6251898113968435173== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline ___________________________________________________________________________________ If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki! maillist : [email protected] / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl webpage : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror) archive : https://github.com/contextgarden/context wiki : https://wiki.contextgarden.net ___________________________________________________________________________________ --===============6251898113968435173==--