Enumerations
Contents
Overview of commands
\startitemize
The most basic form of using enumerations in ConTeXt is
\startitemize \item here we list the points, \item one after the other. \stopitemize
The \startitemize command takes optional parameters (see the documentation of \startitemgroup for a complete list), for example a number conversion may be given, with the following predefined types:
| n or N | Usually the default: a numbered list |
| m | A numbered list, with lowercase (“medieval”, aka “oldstyle”) numbers. |
| 1 … 8 | Different kinds of bullets. All items get the same symbol. |
| a | Items are numbered a., b., c., … |
| A | Items are numbered A., B., C., … |
| AK | Items are numbered A., B., C., …, in small caps. |
| r | Items are numbered in lowercase Roman numerals. |
| R | Items are numbered in uppercase Roman numerals. |
| KR | Items are numbered in uppercase Roman numerals, small caps style. |
It is also possible to define your own number conversions; see User-Defined Enumerations. You can also use cn (and some more) for Chinese numbers.
When the selected language is Slovenian or Spanish, items are numbered using their proper alphabets (the Slovenian enumeration includes č, š and ž; the Spanish enumeration includes ñ). You can change to the international enumeration with alphabetic, Alphabetic.
Additional parameters include
- continue (start where the previous itemization was finished, to allow text injections),
- reverse (numbers the items in reverse, i.e. descending, order),
- packed (less vertical space between items),
- inmargin (place enumeration symbols into the margin), and
- text (paragraph enumerations, formats the items as a running text).
\setupitemize
To change the general layout of enumerations, there is \setupitemize. It accepts an integer as its first parameter to denote for which level of itemization the subsequent settings should apply.
You will find more about \setupitemize at \setupitemgroup and \defineitemgroup.
\item (and friends)
- \item to print ordinary items
- \sym to print an item with a custom symbol
- \mar to print an item with margin text
- \sub to print an item with a continuation mark
- \its to print an item with a row of marks (for response ranges)
- \ran to print a range for the \its row
- \head to print a head within the list
- \but to print an item whose mark is an interactive button
\defineitemgroup
For finer control, it is advisable to create new types of itemization, using the command \defineitemgroup. For example:
\defineitemgroup[ltxitm][levels=5] % \setupitemgroup[ltxitm][1][1] \setupitemgroup[ltxitm][2][2] \setupitemgroup[ltxitm][3][3,packed] \setupitemgroup[ltxitm][4][4,packed] \setupitemgroup[ltxitm][5][5,packed] % \starttext % \startltxitm \item Consider \startltxitm \item this part \item and also these subpoints: \startltxitm \item one \item two \item three \startltxitm \item threeandahalf \stopltxitm \item four \stopltxitm \stopltxitm \stopltxitm % \stoptext |
|
Customization details and examples
Manual labels
|
\setupitemize[left=(, right=), margin=4em, stopper=] \startitemize[a] \item one item, \item next item. \stopitemize
|
|
\startitemize[R,fit][itemalign=flushright,stopper={ --- }] \dorecurse{5}{\item blablabla} \stopitemize |
|
You can tell ConTeXt to begin item numbering at given offset [1]: \startitemize[n,fit][start=42,stopper={\space}] \dorecurse{3}{\item Lorem ipsum} \stopitemize |
|
Irregular item types can be inserted via \sym: \sym{#1} [2]:
\startitemize[a] \item bar \sym{1.} foo \sym{2.} bar \sym{3.} foo \sym{5.} bar \sym{8.} foo \sym{13.} bar \item foo \stopitemize Note that the original (alphabetically enumerated) order is not affected by these insertions: it continues after the last one as if they didn't exist. |
Expanded subnumbers
To specify that item numbers should also be leading numbers in any subitemizations, use the repeat keyword.
\setuppapersize[A7] % Indentation is a bit odd; cannot reproduce off-wiki. \setupitemgroup[itemize][1][n,repeat] \setupitemgroup[itemize][2][a,repeat] \setupitemgroup[itemize][3][n] This is our item list: \startitemize \item ... % 1 \startitemize \item ... % 1.a \startitemize \item ... % 1.a.1 \stopitemize \item ... % 1.b \startitemize \item ... % 1.b.1 \item ... % 1.b.2 \stopitemize \stopitemize \item ... % 1 \stopitemize
To add change the separator mark, you have to setup the numberseparatorset key of the itemgroup:itemize counter. This example removes the separator mark entirely.
\setuppapersize[A7] \setupitemgroup[itemize][1][n,repeat][width=1em] \setupitemgroup[itemize][2][a,repeat][width=2em] \setupitemgroup[itemize][3][n] [width=3em] \defineseparatorset[none][][] \setupcounter[itemgroup:itemize][numberseparatorset=none] \startitemize \item ... % 1 \startitemize \item ... % 1a \startitemize \item ... % 1a1 \stopitemize \stopitemize \stopitemize
If you only want the sub-items, use \noitem on the first level:
\startitemize[repeat,n][width=0pt] \noitem \startitemize[a,broad] \item First item \item Second item \stopitemize \noitem \startitemize[a,broad] \item First item \item Second item \stopitemize \stopitemize
Vertical spacing
This is the way how you can set spacing before and after itemize when working with
\setupwhitespace[big]
An option nowhite comes in handy:
paragraph before \startitemize[joinedup,nowhite,after] \item first \item second \stopitemize paragraph after
These are all the four possible combinations of whitespace settings that you might want to use:
It is also (at least in mkiv) possible to do
Text before \startitemize[before={\blank[small]},after={\blank[small]},inbetween={\blank[medium]}] \item test \item test \stopitemize Text after
to control the vertical space.
To prevent an unwanted pagebreak before the list, there is an intro parameter :
The following list is on the same page as this paragraph : \startitemize[intro] \startitem foo \stopitem \startitem bar \stopitem \stopitemize
Horizontal spacing
| To control the space between the item symbol (bullet) and the item text
you can use eather the broad option \startitemize[n*broad] %replace n with a number (e.g "3"). \item Test \stopitemize or you can use absolute values (for fine tuning): \startitemize[width=1em,distance=0pt] \item Test \stopitemize |
|
Multicolumn
Hans posted a solution to the list for a multicolumn enumeration that counts across then down, instead of down then across. When he posted it (Dec 21, 2005), he said the joinedup option does not work, but he would fix that. This is a version without the tufte and zapf text
\starttext Some previous sentence before the list \startitemize[columns,n,joinedup] \item one \item two \stopitemize \startitemize[continue,columns,joinedup] \item one \item two \stopitemize \startitemize[continue,columns,joinedup] \item one \item two \stopitemize And the text continues after the list \stoptext |
|
From a discussion on the mailing list, the following was suggested (note that you have to enclose your items in \startitem and \stopitem, using \item only does not work):
\starttext Some previous sentence before the list \startitemize[a,horizontal,three] \startitem first \stopitem \startitem second \stopitem \startitem third \stopitem \startitem fourth \stopitem \startitem fifth \stopitem \startitem sixth \stopitem \stopitemize And the text continues after the list \stoptext |
|
Other considerations
Randomizing items
It is possible to make ConTeXt randomize the items in enumerations; this can come handy when, e.g., typesetting tests. You have to add a random option to \startitemize. There is a caveat:
- You have to say \startitem ... \stopitem instead of \item ... .
Example:
\startitemize[random] \startitem A \stopitem \startitem B \stopitem \startitem C \stopitem %\startitem F \stopitem \stopitemize |
|
Referring to items
You can also use a reference to an item, just like a chapter or section. See also References.
\starttext \startitemize[n] \item A \item[foo] B \item C \stopitemize \dots As seen in \in{item}[foo] on page \at{page}[foo], B is teh shizzle. \stoptext |
|
Associative lists
Wolfgang suggested a clever use of alignment options using which one can create associative lists (for example, to pose associative questions):
\bTABLE [frame=off, width=.4\textwidth, columndistance=.2\textwidth, align={normal,lohi}] \bTR \bTD \startitemize[8,random][align=righttoleft] \startitem {\lefttoright One} \stopitem \startitem {\lefttoright Two} \stopitem \startitem {\lefttoright Three} \stopitem \stopitemize \eTD \bTD \startitemize[8,random] \startitem First \stopitem \startitem Second \stopitem \startitem Third \stopitem \startitem Foruth \stopitem \stopitemize \eTD \eTR \eTABLE |
|
Further Reading
- User-Defined Enumerations: Defining a new numbering scheme.
- Command/startitemize
- The source: strc-itm.mkvi
- Description (definition lists)
