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{{todo|This FAQ needs to have a lot of things worked on. To avoid clutter from repeated TODO tags, just note missing answers with "...", and put notes about missing information in parentheses.}}
==ConTeXt General == = Is == What is ConTeXt free ? ===:It is a document production system based on Donald Knuth's [http://www.tug.org/ TeX]. It is a set of high-level macros written in the (open sourcesomewhat arcane) softwareTeX language, and these macros simplify the task of designing layouts, making hyperlinks, etc. === How does ConTeXt versioning work? ===:YesThere are 2 different development trees for ConTeXt, called Mark II and Mark IV (MkII, MkIV). They are always released together in a single package because they share a fair amount of code. MkII is stable and is in maintenance-only mode, MkIV is actively developed, including several enhanced features and completely new font handling.:There are 3 different typesetting engines that work with ConTeXt: pdfTeX, XeTeX and LuaTeX. MkIV works only with LuaTeX, MkII with any one of the engines (pdfTeX is the default). Font setups (typescripts) differ per engine. :ConTeXt releases are identified by a time stamp, e. See g. ''2010.06.23 12:45''. At most times, there is both a ''current'' and a ''beta'' ConTeXt release package available. As explained above, both packages contain MkII and MkIV, the difference between ''current'' and ''beta'' is that the latter contains the [[Read Me]] page unstable developments to MkIV for testing by power users.:Since "betas" are declared "current" only a few times a year and no bugfixes happen for "currents" (in contrary to "stable" branches in many software projects), you’re mostly better off with beta. It has some bugs fixed, bur mostly some new bugs. If you need a really stable and reliable system and can’t wait a few days for detailsa fix, stick with MkII. == Starting with ConTeXt ==
=== How do I install ConTeXt? ===
:See [[Installation]]
=== Is there a hello-world document? ===:Yes. See [[InstallationFirst Document]]and [[Hello world]]. === Is ConTeXt free (libre, open source) software? ===:Yes. See the [[Read Me]] page for details.
=== Does ConTeXt support Unicode? ===
:Yes. It supports Unicode (utfUTF-8) . In [[XeTeX]] and [[LuaTeX]] it is the default inputencoding, with the while you need to use <cmd>enableregime</cmd><tt>[utf-8]</tt> commandwhen working with [[pdfTeX]]. See also [[Encodings and Regimes]] (This needs a bit of elaboration!) If you use [[XeTeX]], Unicode should work by default.
=== Why does <code>\startalignment[right]<should I only use letters, digits and hyphens in file/code> or <code>\framed[align=right]{some text}</code> align my text left instead of right and vice versapath names? ===:This is for backward compatibility with older versions; Please see section "Files" of the [http://pmrb.free.fr/contextref.pdf ConTeXt manual]. And also [Right and left]http://www.ntg.nl/pipermail/ntg-context/2011/057342.html here]for some discussion on the mailing-list. Hans was originally thinking of "ragged right" and "ragged left" alignment. Use '''flushleft''' and '''flushright''' instead == ConTeXt vs.LaTeX ==
=== What are the differences between ConTeXt and LaTeX? ===
:Author: Brooks Moses on c.t.t. usenet
:(Note that the internal coding of ConTeXt has become much easier, too, with the use of LuaTeX - or perhaps seemingly more complicated, as one has to then learn lua to understand the internal workings of ConTeXt. Most users will never delve into this level, but do indeed benefit from the increased performance of the ConTeXt system. The loading of the ConTeXt macros and the processing of even very large typesetting projects is not slow!)
=== What are the advantages of ConTeXt over LaTeX? ===
:Source: ''LaTeX in proper ConTeXt'' (by Berend de Boer)
=== What are the advantages of LaTeX over ConTeXt? ===
:It has been a long battle to get publishers of scientific journals, for example, to accept submissions coded in LaTeX. Currently, submitting a ConTeXt document to such journals or to open repositories such as arXiv is problematic. This is one reason to continue using LaTeX for such work.
:Another advantage is that many good books on LaTeX exist. Documentation of ConTeXt is not satisfactory, as attested by much activity on the mailing list, but is slowly being improved. And good books on the use of ConTeXt need to be written!
=== How transcribe this LaTeX macro to ConTeXt? ===
Could you please advice me, how transcribe this macro, controlling that no last line of a paragraph is shorter than the paragraph indenting?
<texcode>
\parfillskip=\hsize
\advance\parfillskip by -1.5\parindent
\advance\parfillskip by 0pt minus \parfillskip
\advance\parfillskip by 0pt minus -1em
</texcode>
Like this:
<texcode>
\installalign
{block}
{\parfillskip=\hsize
\advance\parfillskip by -1.5\parindent
\advance\parfillskip by 0pt minus \parfillskip
\advance\parfillskip by 0pt minus -1em}
% followed by
\setupalign[block]
</texcode>
== XML and other formats ==
=== How can I convert a document into RTF or HTML? ===
=== XML: please tell me more about it ===
There is a section on the wiki dedicated to typesetting [[XML]] under the various flavours of ConTeXt.
== Fonts and Typography ==
=== Can I change to LaTeX’s Computer Modern font? ===
I see differences in screen between default fonts in ConTeXt (Latin Modern) and LaTeX (Computer Modern). Can I switch to LaTeX default font?. I think it's more aesthetical.
: No.
: ''(I mean - of course you can; you only need to modify a few type-xxx.tex files and replace lm with cm in the source. But that solution is not/will not be supported officially.)''
:: Is there any tutorial for doing it?
::: ''No. There are no tutorials for the things that one is not supposed to mess with. Take a look at how things are done in those files and replace any occurrence of lm with cm.''
: There might be a workaround for this. Install the [http://cm-unicode.sourceforge.net/ OpenType version of Computer Modern fonts] on your system and use it with <code>simplefonts</code>.
=== How can I get the “oldstyle numbers” (text figures) in a document? ===
The mediaeval numbers can be inserted locally via the font switch <code>\os</code>.
With OpenType fonts that come with text figures you can just ''add'' the respective
font feature to the set of font features.
<texcode>
\definefontfeature[default][default][onum=yes]
\setupbodyfont[schola,8pt]
\starttext
1234567890
\stoptext
</texcode>
or
<texcode>
\setupbodyfont[schola,8pt]
\definefontfeature[oldstyle][onum=== How do I make a presentaton? ===yes]
\starttext1234567890 {\addff{oldstyle}1234567890}\stoptext</texcode> See mailing list discussion at http://www.ntg.nl/pipermail/ntg-context/2011/058394.html . (You don't need any special package (like prosper or seminar in LaTeX) to make a presentation. In contrast to LaTeX, changing can check whether your font supports the “onum” feature by running<code>otfinfo -f</code> on the document size, changing colors, adding hyperlinks, OTF file.) == Alignment == === Why does <code>\startalignment[right]</code> or <code>\framed[align=right]{some text}</code> align my text left instead of right and vice versa? ===:This is for backward compatibility with older versions; see [[Right and left]]. Hans was originally thinking of "ragged right" and "ragged left" alignment. appears to be extremely simple in ConTeXt Use '''flushleft''' and '''flushright''' instead. See === Why is \framed{} not centred? ===<texcode>\starttext\startalignment[middle] \framed{middle?}\stopalignment\startalignment[Presentationsmiddle] middle!\stopalignment\stoptext</texcode> Answer: \framed switches to vmode, so you need \dontleavehmode:<texcode>\starttext\startalignment[middle] for more specific topics. \dontleavehmode \framed{middle!}\stopalignment\stoptext</texcode>
== Spacing ==
=== <code>\setupindenting[medium]</code> doesn't work? ===
:This does work, but the effect is not what you expect. Without <code>yes</code>, you have now set up the default size, but you have not turned paragraph indenting on. You have to execute <code>\setupindenting[yes]</code> before it starts actually indenting your paragraphs.
=== How can I get a horizontal space with a defined width, so as ex. "\hspace{3em}" or "\hspace*{3em}" in LaTeX? ===:This does work, but A horizontal space can be inserted with the effect is not what you expect. Without TeX-Primitive <code>yes\hskip〈dimension〉</code>or with the ConTeXt command <cmd>hspace</cmd><tt>[identifier]</tt>. === Why is there a line-break in the output after some commands? ===<texcode>\starttext\externalfigure[hacker][width=1cm] Why a new line here?\stoptext</texcode> Answer: \externalfigure switches to vmode, so you have now set up need \dontleavehmode:<texcode>\starttext\dontleavehmode\externalfigure[hacker][width=1cm] Same line!\stoptext</texcode> == Math == === Does $$...$$ work for display math, like in (La)TeX? ===:No; the spacing above and below the default sizeequation will be wrong, but you have not turned paragraph indenting onand maybe other aspects too. You have Instead use <cmd>startformula</cmd> and <cmd>stopformula</cmd> (just as one rather generally prefers to execute use <cmd>begin{equation}</cmd> and <cmd>end{equation}<code/cmd> in LaTeX). === How do I get a numbered equation? ===:Add <cmd>\setupindenting[yes]placeformula</codecmd> before it starts actually indenting your paragraphsthe <cmd>startformula</cmd>. == Misc == === Can I use some simpler bibliography method? === I see that the method of [[http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Bibliography adding references in ConTexT]] is like bibtex in latex. Is there any simple methood like build-in latex method (\thebibliography)?: Perhaps [[http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Simple_Bibliography Simple bibliography (in simple bibliography)]]? === How do I make a presentation? === :You don't need any special package (like prosper or seminar in LaTeX) to make a presentation. In contrast to LaTeX, changing the document size, changing colors, adding hyperlinks, ... appears to be extremely simple in ConTeXt. See [[Presentations]] for more specific topics.
