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ConTeXt is a ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markup_language markup language]'' used to primarily create PDF files. To use ConTeXt, create a text file (typically with a <code>.tex</code> extension) with ConTeXt markup and ''compile'' the file by running the command <code>context filename</code>. This creates a PDF file. This page explains how to create your very first ConTeXt document.
== First steps ==
Make sure that ConTeXt is installed on your system. To check that, go to the command line and type
<pre>context --version</pre>
You should get an output as follows:
<pre>
mtx-context | ConTeXt Process Management 0.61
mtx-context |
mtx-context | main context file: /opt/context-minimals/texmf-context/tex/context/base/context.mkiv
mtx-context | current version: 2014.12.29 10:01
</pre>
If ConTeXt is not installed on your system, check the [[Installation|installation]] page for installation instructions.
Follow the steps below to create a simple document using ConTeXt:
== Create a ConTeXt file ==
Open a [[Text Editors|text editor]], type the following content, and save the file as <code>hello.tex</code>:
<texcode>\starttext
\startsection[title={Testing ConTeXt}]
This is my {\em first} ConTeXt document.
\stopsection
\stoptext</texcode>
Words starting with a backslash (such as <code>\starttext</code>) are called '''command sequence''' or '''macros'''. The macros
<texcode>\starttext
....
\stoptext</texcode>
mark the content to be typeset. The material before <code>\starttext</code> (called ''preamble'') is used to change the style of the output; any material after <code>\stoptext</code> is ignored.
The macros
<texcode>\startsection[title={...}]
...
\stopsection</texcode>
mark the title and the content of a section.
The macro <code>{\em ...}</code> is a [[Font Switching| font switch]] that emphasizes the content (by showing it in slanted font).
== Compile the ConTeXt file ==
Go to the command-line and type:
<pre>context hello</pre>
ConTeXt will then process your document, display some logging information on the console, and generate a <tt>hello.pdf</tt> output file.
<pre><nowiki>
mtx-context | run 1: luatex --fmt="/opt/context-minimals/texmf-cache/luatex-cache/context/5fe67e0bfe781ce0dde776fb1556f32e/formats/luatex/cont-en" --jobname="hello" --lua="/opt/context-minimals/texmf-cache/luatex-cache/context/5fe67e0bfe781ce0dde776fb1556f32e/formats/luatex/cont-en.lui" --no-parse-first-line --c:currentrun=1 --c:fulljobname="./hello.tex" --c:input="./hello.tex" --c:kindofrun=1 "cont-yes.mkiv"
This is LuaTeX, Version beta-0.74.0-2012122511 (rev 4541)
\write18 enabled.
(/opt/context-minimals/texmf-context/tex/context/base/cont-yes.mkiv
ConTeXt ver: 2013.01.27 21:24 MKIV fmt: 2013.1.28 int: english/english
...
...
mkiv lua stats > current memory usage - 23 MB (ctx: 23 MB)
mkiv lua stats > runtime - 0.316 seconds, 1 processed pages, 1 shipped pages, 3.165 pages/second
system | total runtime: 0.468
</nowiki></pre>
== View the generated PDF file ==
Open the generated <tt>hello.pdf</tt> PDF file using a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PDF_software#Viewers PDF viewer]. It should look as follows:
<context mode="mkiv">
% Draw a white frame so that the page is not truncated.
% But it does not seem to work :(
\setupbackgrounds[text][frame=on]
\starttext
\startsection[title={Testing ConTeXt}]
This is my {\em first} ConTeXt document.
\stopsection
\stoptext
</context>
Note that the section has been numbered, the section number and the section title appear in a slightly larger fonts, and the emphasized word comes out in a slanted font.
== Modifying the output style ==
</context>
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