The context
script has two main uses: (1) compiling ConTeXt MkIV documents, and (2) recompiling the ConTeXt core format after you change one of the source files. It is one of ConTeXt's four command-line scripts, together with Mtxrun
for running general ('meta-TeX') helper scripts, First-setup
for installation and updating, and texexec
for compiling MkII documents.
Compiling
To compile a document myfile.tex
, simply pass it as an argument to context
:
context myfile.tex
Remaking the format
When you change one of ConTeXt's core files – as a temporary patch, or to try out something new, or for whatever reason – the change won't take effect immediately. Instead, you must first recompile ConTeXt, a process known as '(re)making the format'. In fact, ConTeXt has several formats: the English-language interface is a separate format from the English or the Persian one.
To make all formats:
context --make
To make just the format for a single interface language:
context --make cont-en # English context --make cont-uk # British English context --make cont-de # German context --make cont-fr # French context --make cont-nl # Dutch context --make cont-cs # Czech context --make cont-it # Italian context --make cont-ro # Romanian context --make cont-pe # Farsi (Persian)
All options
--run process (one or more) files (default action) --make create context formats --ctx=name use ctx file (process management specification) --interface use specified user interface (default: en) --autopdf close pdf file in viewer and start pdf viewer afterwards --purge(all) purge files either or not after a run (--pattern=...) --usemodule=list load the given module or style, normally part of the distribution --environment=list load the given environment file first (document styles) --mode=list enable given the modes (conditional processing in styles) --path=list also consult the given paths when files are looked for --arguments=list set variables that can be consulted during a run (key/value pairs) --randomseed=number set the randomseed --result=name rename the resulting output to the given name --trackers=list set tracker variables (show list with --showtrackers) --directives=list set directive variables (show list with --showdirectives) --silent=list disable logcatgories (show list with --showlogcategories) --nostatistics disable runtime statistics at the end of the run (--expert option) --noconsole disable logging to the console (logfile only) --purgeresult purge result file before run --forcexml force xml stub --forcecld force cld (context lua document) stub --arrange run extra imposition pass, given that the style sets up imposition --noarrange ignore imposition specifications in the style --once only run once (no multipass data file is produced) --batchmode run without stopping and don't show messages on the console --nonstopmode run without stopping --generate generate file database etc. (as luatools does) --paranoid don't descend to .. and ../.. --version report installed context version --global assume given file present elsewhere --nofile use dummy file as jobname --help show this help --help --expert show help for expert options