Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search
1,519 bytes added ,  19:39, 4 September 2005
Some header-level changing (for consistency with other pages); added "multi-paragraph item" section (with Howto? in place of answer).
< [[From LaTeX to ConTeXt]] >
== A Basic Description Environment =Lists =
=== LaTeX ===
LaTeX provides a <tt>description</tt> environment, which works just like an itemized or enumerated list except that the item labels are specified by an (optional) argument to the <tt>\item</tt> command, rather than being automatically generated. This is useful for making lists of definitions and other sorts of descriptions that are headed by a keyword.
</texcode>
=== ConTeXt ===
ConTeXt provides a similar mechanism. Unlike the LaTeX version, ConTeXt's description mechanism does not enclose the items in an environment, but instead formats them independently according to formats given in <cmd>setupdescription</cmd> or <cmd>definedescription</cmd>. The <cmd>definedescription</cmd> latter command is used to define a named description class, which can later be called using its name. This example defines a <tt>latexdesc</tt> description, with parameters that roughly approximate the LaTeX defaults.
\stoptext
</texcode>
 
The empty lines (or <cmd>par</cmd>) after each description (here, <tt>\latexdesc</tt>) line are required.
 
The <tt>margin=<i>dimension</i></tt> key specifies the hanging indentation for lines after the first line. In addition, the separation between the label and the text can be specified using a <tt>distance=<i>dimension</i></tt> key.
<context>
</context>
The empty lines (or <cmd>par</cmd>) after each description (here, <tt>\latexdesc</tt>) line are required. The <tt>margin=<i>dimension</i></tt> key specifies the hanging indentation for lines after the first line. In addition, the separation between the label and the text can be specified using a <tt>distance=<i>dimension</i></tt> key. = Multi-Paragraph Descriptions = == LaTeX == Description  Because the LaTeX description mechanism is an environment, it is simple to include multiple paragraphs in a description environment, or even to embed sub-lists. For instance, consider the following example: <texcode>\documentclass{article}\begin{document}\begin{description}\item[Para] This is a shorter item label, and some text that talks about it. The text is wrapped into a paragraph, with minimal successive lines indented.  This is another paragraph under the "Para" item.  \begin{description} \item[Sub-Item] This is a description of an item which is within the "Para" item.  \item[Sub-Item] Another sub-item. \end{description}\item[Short] A short item that's not part of that really long "Para" item.\end{description}\end{document}</texcode> In this example, the code indentation has been used to illustrate the alignment of the typeset output. Everything between <code>\item[Para]</code> and <code>\item[Short]</code> is part of the "Para" item, and is indented by the same amount. The embedded description then embeds any following lines on the "Sub-Item"s by an additional indentation, as one would expect. == ConTeXt == {{Howto}}  = Descriptions with Fixed Label Width = == LaTeX == In LaTeX, the <tt>mdwlist</tt> package can be used to set a fixed label width: ==.
=== LaTeX ===
<texcode>
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{basedescript}{\desclabelstyle{\pushlabel}\desclabelwidth{6em}}
\item[LabelShort] bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla This is a shorter item label, and some text that talks about it. bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla blaThe text is wrapped into a paragraph, with successive lines indented.\item[Very long Rather longer label] bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla blaThis is a longer item label. As you can see, the bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla blatext is not started a specified distance in -- unlike with other lists -- but is spaced a fixed distance from the end of the label.
\end{basedescript}
\end{document}
</texcode>
=== ConTeXt ===
Using an explicit dimension as argument for the 'width' parameter
sets the label to 6em5em<texcode>\definedescription[notation][ headstyle=bold,style=normal,align=left,location=hanging, width=5em]</texcode>
<context>
\definedescription[notation][
headstyle=bold,style=normal,align=left,location=hanging,
width=6em5em]
\starttext
\notation{LabelShort}This is a shorter item label, and some text that talks about it. bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla blaThe text is wrapped into a paragraph, with successive lines indented.
\notation{Very long Rather longer label}This is a longer item label. As you can see, the bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla blatext is not started a specified distance in -- unlike with other lists -- but bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla blais spaced a fixed distance from the end of the label.
\stoptext
</context>

Navigation menu