Difference between revisions of "What is ConTeXt"

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== In short ==
+
ConTeXt is software for typesetting high-quality documents. Unlike familiar word processors where the formatting of the final document is crafted while writing the content, ConTeXt documents are written without formatting, in plain text, using a macro language. This means that the document's content can change independently of its formatting and vice versa.
  
 +
== Features ==
  
'''ConTeXt''' is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/document_markup_language document markup language] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/document_preparation_system document preparation system] based on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TeX TeX] typesetting system. It was designed with the same general-purpose aims as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTeX LaTeX] of providing an easy to use interface to the high quality typesetting engine provided by TeX. However, while LaTeX insulates the writer from typographical details, ConTeXt takes a complementary approach by providing structured interfaces for handling typography, including extensive support for colors, backgrounds, hyperlinks, presentations, figure-text integration, and conditional compilation. It gives the user extensive control over formatting while making it easy to create new layouts and styles without learning the TeX macro language. ConTeXt’s unified design avoids the package clashes that can happen with LaTeX.
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ConTeXt supports colors, configurable page backgrounds, hyperlinks, presentations, figure-text integration, cross-references, bibliographies, indices, typesetting for [[Chemistry|chemistry]] and [[Command/unit|physics]], [[Modes|conditional compilation]], non-latin languages, and [[Imposition|binding and imposition]].
  
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== Graphics ==
  
ConTeXt provides a multi-lingual user interface with support for markup in English, Dutch, German, French, and Italian and support for output in many languages including western European languages, eastern European languages, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. It also allows the user to use different TeX engines like
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ConTeXt integrates a superset of [[MetaPost]] called [[MetaFun]], which allows drawing page backgrounds and ornaments.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pdfTeX pdfTeX], [[XeTeX]], and [[LuaTeX]] without changing the user interface.
 
  
ConTeXt integrates a superset of [[MetaPost]] called [[MetaFun]] which allows the users to use the drawing abilities of MetaPost for page backgrounds and ornaments. Metafun can also be used with stand alone with MetaPost.
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== Internationalization ==
  
ConTeXt also provides a macro package for typesetting chemical structure diagrams with TeX called '''PPCHTeX'''. This package can also be used with plain TeX and LaTeX.
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ConTeXt provides a multi-lingual user interface with support for markup in English, Dutch, German, French, and Italian and support for output in many languages including western European languages, eastern European languages, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
  
ConTeXt was developed from 1990 by Hans Hagen from [http://www.pragma-ade.com/ PRAGMA Advanced Document Engineering] (Pragma ADE), a Netherlands-based company. It is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/free_software free software]: The program code (i.e. anything not under the <code>/doc</code> subtree) is distributed under the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_GPL GNU GPL]; the documentation is provided under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons Creative Commons] Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike license.
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== Compatibility ==
  
== In a bit more detail ==
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ConTeXt supports TeX engines such as [[wikipedia:pdfTeX|pdfTeX]], [[XeTeX]], and [[LuaTeX]] without changing the user interface.
  
(From in-en-04.pdf)
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== History ==
  
ConTEXt can be used to typeset complex and large collections
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ConTeXt was developed from 1990 by Hans Hagen from [http://www.pragma-ade.com/ PRAGMA Advanced Document Engineering] (Pragma ADE), a Netherlands-based company.  
of documents, like educational materials, user guides
 
and technical manuals. Such documents often have high demands
 
regarding structure, design and accessibility. Easy
 
maintenance, reuse of content and typographic consistency
 
are important prerequisites.
 
  
ConTEXt is developed for those who are responsible for producing
+
== Licensing ==
such documents. ConTEXt is written in the typographical
 
programming languages TEX. For using ConTEXt, no TEX--
 
programming skills and no technical background are needed.
 
Some basic knowledge of typography and document design
 
will enable you to use the full power of ConTEXt.
 
  
ConTEXt is parameter driven and the user interface supports
+
ConTeXt is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/free_software free software]. The program code (i.e. anything not under the <code>/doc</code> subtree) is distributed under the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_GPL GNU GPL]; the documentation is provided under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons Creative Commons] Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike license.
several languages, like english, german and dutch. This
 
means that those less familiar with the english language can
 
choose the interface that suits them best. Of course ConTEXt
 
can typeset in many languages.
 
  
Originally ConTEXt was written as tool for writing complex,
+
== Example ==
constantly changing and extensive educational documents.
+
 
Although much functionality originates there, ConTEXt has
+
A simple ConTeXt document resembles:
proven to be quite suitable to perform many other complex
+
 
typesetting tasks. Some features are:
+
<context source="yes" text="This produces:">
 +
\setuphead[section][color=red]
 +
 
 +
\starttext
 +
 
 +
\section{Hello}
 +
World!
 +
 
 +
\stoptext
 +
</context>
 +
 
 +
== Technical Details ==
 +
 
 +
ConTeXt can be used to typeset complex and large collections of documents, like educational materials, user guides and technical manuals. Such documents often have high demands regarding structure, design and accessibility. Ease of maintenance, reuse of content and typographic consistency are important prerequisites.
 +
 
 +
ConTeXt is developed for those who are responsible for producing such documents. ConTeXt is written in the typographical programming language TeX. For using ConTeXt, no TeX programming skills and no technical background are needed. Some basic knowledge of typography and document design will enable you to use the full power of ConTeXt.
 +
 
 +
ConTeXt is parameter driven and the user interface supports several languages, like English, German and Dutch. This means that those less familiar with the English language can choose the interface that suits them best. Of course ConTeXt can typeset in many languages.
 +
 
 +
Originally ConTeXt was written as tool for writing complex, constantly changing and extensive educational documents. Although much functionality originates there, ConTeXt has proven to be quite suitable to perform many other complex typesetting tasks. Some features are:
  
 
* automatic placement of figures, formulas, tables and other kind of floating bodies
 
* automatic placement of figures, formulas, tables and other kind of floating bodies
Line 48: Line 54:
 
* automatic numbering of footnotes
 
* automatic numbering of footnotes
 
* adapting footers and headers to the current page content
 
* adapting footers and headers to the current page content
* extensive formatting of itemizations in more levels
+
* extensive formatting of itemizations in many levels
 
* consistent typesetting of legends to formulas
 
* consistent typesetting of legends to formulas
 
* maintaining several registers, if needed with extensive interactive support
 
* maintaining several registers, if needed with extensive interactive support
* extensive cross referencing capabilities
+
* extensive cross-referencing capabilities
 
* generating lists of used figures, tables, formulas and more
 
* generating lists of used figures, tables, formulas and more
 
* forcing rigourous consistency in emphasizing parts of the text
 
* forcing rigourous consistency in emphasizing parts of the text
Line 58: Line 64:
 
* typesetting in more than one column
 
* typesetting in more than one column
 
* identifying textual elements in such a way that they can be hidden, moved and reused when needed (questions, answers, definitions, etc.)
 
* identifying textual elements in such a way that they can be hidden, moved and reused when needed (questions, answers, definitions, etc.)
* using text in more that one document, if needed with a different layout
+
* using text in more that one document, with a different layout if needed
* automatic hyphenation of words as well as adapt to language specific typographic needs
+
* automatic hyphenation of words as well as adaptation to language specific typographic needs
 
* inclusion of illustrations in standardized formats from other applications
 
* inclusion of illustrations in standardized formats from other applications
 
* using color
 
* using color
Line 68: Line 74:
 
* automatic makeup of tables and formulas
 
* automatic makeup of tables and formulas
  
ConTEXt supports the PDF format and is able to directly produce
+
ConTeXt supports the PDF format and is able to directly produce highly interactive PDF files, using pdfTeX. All cross-references are automatically converted to hyperlinks. Such documents
highly interactive PDF files, using PDFTEX. All cross references
+
can be viewed and consulted with Acrobat. ConTeXt can provide all kinds of navigational aids that can be activated without programming. Electronic versions of documents thereby become very useful in educational settings. The potential of PDF is available to the user: complex forms and JavaScripts are no problem for ConTeXt. [http://www.pragma-ade.nl/ PRAGMA ADE] has developed ConTeXt in-house mainly to suit its own and customers' wishes concerning developing educational
are automatically converted to hyperlinks. Such documents
+
documents. Flexibility in layout, reuse of content, and maintenance are keywords.
can be viewed and consulted with Acrobat. ConTEXt
 
can provide all kind of navigational aids, that can be activated
 
without programming. Electronic versions of documents
 
thereby become very useful in educational settings. The potentials
 
of PDF is available to the user: complex forms and
 
JavaScript’s are no problem for ConTEXt.
 
PRAGMA ADE has developed ConTEXt in--house mainly to suit
 
its own and customers wishes concerning developing educational
 
documents. Flexibility in layout, reuse of content, and
 
maintenance are keywords. For more information and examples
 
we refer you to www.pragma-ade.nl.
 
 
 
{{todo|This should be expanded and somewhat rewritten.  Once it is expanded and rewritten, it should probably be ported back to Wikipedia as well, since it's a fairly small article for them.}}
 

Revision as of 20:21, 14 January 2014

ConTeXt is software for typesetting high-quality documents. Unlike familiar word processors where the formatting of the final document is crafted while writing the content, ConTeXt documents are written without formatting, in plain text, using a macro language. This means that the document's content can change independently of its formatting and vice versa.

Features

ConTeXt supports colors, configurable page backgrounds, hyperlinks, presentations, figure-text integration, cross-references, bibliographies, indices, typesetting for chemistry and physics, conditional compilation, non-latin languages, and binding and imposition.

Graphics

ConTeXt integrates a superset of MetaPost called MetaFun, which allows drawing page backgrounds and ornaments.

Internationalization

ConTeXt provides a multi-lingual user interface with support for markup in English, Dutch, German, French, and Italian and support for output in many languages including western European languages, eastern European languages, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Compatibility

ConTeXt supports TeX engines such as pdfTeX, XeTeX, and LuaTeX without changing the user interface.

History

ConTeXt was developed from 1990 by Hans Hagen from PRAGMA Advanced Document Engineering (Pragma ADE), a Netherlands-based company.

Licensing

ConTeXt is free software. The program code (i.e. anything not under the /doc subtree) is distributed under the GNU GPL; the documentation is provided under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike license.

Example

A simple ConTeXt document resembles:

\setuphead[section][color=red]

\starttext

\section{Hello}
World!

\stoptext

This produces:

Technical Details

ConTeXt can be used to typeset complex and large collections of documents, like educational materials, user guides and technical manuals. Such documents often have high demands regarding structure, design and accessibility. Ease of maintenance, reuse of content and typographic consistency are important prerequisites.

ConTeXt is developed for those who are responsible for producing such documents. ConTeXt is written in the typographical programming language TeX. For using ConTeXt, no TeX programming skills and no technical background are needed. Some basic knowledge of typography and document design will enable you to use the full power of ConTeXt.

ConTeXt is parameter driven and the user interface supports several languages, like English, German and Dutch. This means that those less familiar with the English language can choose the interface that suits them best. Of course ConTeXt can typeset in many languages.

Originally ConTeXt was written as tool for writing complex, constantly changing and extensive educational documents. Although much functionality originates there, ConTeXt has proven to be quite suitable to perform many other complex typesetting tasks. Some features are:

  • automatic placement of figures, formulas, tables and other kind of floating bodies
  • automatic generation of lists of abbreviations, synonyms, and whatever needs to be sorted
  • automatic numbering of footnotes
  • adapting footers and headers to the current page content
  • extensive formatting of itemizations in many levels
  • consistent typesetting of legends to formulas
  • maintaining several registers, if needed with extensive interactive support
  • extensive cross-referencing capabilities
  • generating lists of used figures, tables, formulas and more
  • forcing rigourous consistency in emphasizing parts of the text
  • managing documents in a project environment
  • automatic placement of marginal notes
  • typesetting in more than one column
  • identifying textual elements in such a way that they can be hidden, moved and reused when needed (questions, answers, definitions, etc.)
  • using text in more that one document, with a different layout if needed
  • automatic hyphenation of words as well as adaptation to language specific typographic needs
  • inclusion of illustrations in standardized formats from other applications
  • using color
  • easy change of layout, while guarding consistent typography
  • providing multiple tables of contents and lists, at all levels, to provide optimal accessibility
  • automatic numbering of definitions, lemmas and other structural components
  • automatic numbering of figures, tables, and other floating bodies
  • automatic makeup of tables and formulas

ConTeXt supports the PDF format and is able to directly produce highly interactive PDF files, using pdfTeX. All cross-references are automatically converted to hyperlinks. Such documents can be viewed and consulted with Acrobat. ConTeXt can provide all kinds of navigational aids that can be activated without programming. Electronic versions of documents thereby become very useful in educational settings. The potential of PDF is available to the user: complex forms and JavaScripts are no problem for ConTeXt. PRAGMA ADE has developed ConTeXt in-house mainly to suit its own and customers' wishes concerning developing educational documents. Flexibility in layout, reuse of content, and maintenance are keywords.