Description

< From LaTeX to ConTeXt >

A Basic Description Environment

LaTeX

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{description}
\item[Short label] 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 bla
\item[Very long label] 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
\end{description}
\end{document}

ConTeXt

\setupdescription with some special parameters (location=hanging, width=broad, margin=indentation)

\definedescription[notation][
  headstyle=bold,style=normal,align=left,location=hanging,
  width=broad,margin=1cm]

\starttext
\notation{A very very very very long item}
  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 bla

\notation{i}
  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 bla

\stoptext

The empty lines (or \par) after each description (here notation) are necessary.

The result looks like this:

Hint: This solution uses the distance=dimension distance for separation of label and text.

Description with minimal label width:

LaTeX

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{mdwlist}
\begin{document}
\begin{basedescript}{\desclabelstyle{\pushlabel}\desclabelwidth{6em}}
\item[Label] 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
\item[Very long label] 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
\end{basedescript}
\end{document}

ConTeXt

This sets the label width to 6em:

The author of this entry is looking for a solution for the described problem.

(See: How to?)