April 2008 - ntg-context - NTG Mailing Lists

ONE upright beta, please!
by Steffen Wolfrum 22 Apr '08

22 Apr '08

Hi, my whole project is set in Times without problems - except at one spot there is a "beta" needed. Just this single time! But, unfortunately, I only get it italic: \starttext \usetypescript[postscript][\defaultencoding] \setupencoding[default=texnansi] \enableregime[utf] \setupbodyfont[postscript,10pt] \setupinterlinespace[line=12pt] $\beta$ β% same in unicode \stoptext For it is just this one character, used one single time, I don't feel encouraged to start messing around with typescripts. Someone can give me a quick(-and-dirty) advice?? Thank, Steffen

6 11

whizzytex for ConTeXt?
by Suno Ano 22 Apr '08

22 Apr '08

I use AucTeX with Emacs to write ConTeXt documents. Whizzytex is an GNU Emacs minor mode. Can I use whizzytex with ConTeXt as well or is it just usable with LaTeX? http://pauillac.inria.fr/cdrom/www/whizzytex/index.html

1 0

Fonts and other tips for thesis and other academic works
by Matija Šuklje 21 Apr '08

21 Apr '08

Hullo, Now that I'm fairly happy with the citation and basic styling of my template for my seminary, research works and thesis, I'd like to take up the fonts and styling of it. So, what I'd like to know is which fonts do you suggest for academic works and what are the basic styling tips for such works? Cheers, Matija link: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Law_Faculty_University_of_Ljubljana_Styling_a… -- gsm: +386 41 849 552 e-mail: matija.suklje(a)rutka.net www: http://matija.suklje.name aim: hookofsilver icq: 110183360 jabber/g-talk: matija.suklje(a)gabbler.org msn: matija.suklje(a)rutka.net yahoo: matija_suklje

5 9

aligning the stoppers in numbered itemizations
by Alan Bowen 21 Apr '08

21 Apr '08

Can anyone point me to instructions/explanations of how to set up a numbered itemization so that the stoppers (periods) are vertically aligned? What I want should look like this: 1. an entry 2. an entry ... 10. an entry Many thanks. Alan

2 2

Re: [NTG-context] Bibliographic Databases
by Dietrich Rordorf / MDPI 21 Apr '08

21 Apr '08

Hi All, Why not try an existing, online tool.? There are severals, most of them support export to various formats, e.g. BibTeX, RIS, EndNote, etc.. Some of them have a Word plug-in, too. http://www.connotea.org/ Free online reference management tool for scientists Nature Publishing Group http://www.citeulike.org/ Free online reference management tool for scientists Oversity Ldt. http://www.bibsonomy.org/ Free online reference management tool for scientists University of Kassel http://www.zotero.org/ Free online reference management tool for scientists WordPress http://www.2collab.com/ Free online group collaboration tool for scientists Elsevier B.V. Otherwaise, for Desktop solutions see a comparision: Reference Management Software Comparison: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_reference_management_software http://mahbub.wordpress.com/2007/03/04/comparison-of-free-bibliographic-man… Dietrich -- Mr. Dietrich Rordorf MDPI Center Matthaeusstrasse 11 CH-4057 Basel Switzerland E-mail: rordorf(a)mdpi.org Skype: d.rordorf Tel. +41 61 683 77 34 (office) Tel. +41 76 561 41 83 (mobile) Fax +41 61 302 89 18 > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Subject: > Re: [NTG-context] Bibliographic Databases > From: > Robin Kirkham <robin.kirkham(a)csiro.au> > Date: > Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:13:28 +1000 > To: > ntg-context(a)ntg.nl > > To: > ntg-context(a)ntg.nl > > > On 20 April 2008, "George N. White III" <gnwiii(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> On Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 11:19 AM, Robin Kirkham >> <robin.kirkham(a)csiro.au> wrote: >> >>> I want to set up a shared bibliographic reference database for my >>> research group, [...] >> >> I can tell you a few things that don't work! In our lab we have both >> TeX and Word users. Many of them had been using a DOS package >> called papyrus, using a special markup that could be translated >> to tex (.bbl) files. Nothing we found was really satisfactory, so >> we bought EndNote, which could import from papyrus via "refer" >> format and can export to "almost bibtex". One problem is that >> EndNote uses unicode, so we end up with è, etc. that must >> be translated for some user's versions of bibtex. The database >> now has a nearly infinite variety of different quote marks: >> `a`, 'a', ``a'', "a", etc. depending on how the entry was made >> (many are pasted from online or pdf sources). >> >> EndNote is really designed for individual users, although sold >> in bulk. If 2 people open the same database on a shared >> drive they end up with a corrupt database. >> >> In my view, a bibliographic database needs to store each >> reference in the "source" or original format, whether bibtex, >> refer, or one of the newer forms, and provide translators >> and version tracking, so each file can have forks for different >> uses (e.g., ascii vs unicode char. sets) and edits can be >> preserved for the next user. In practice, people just dump >> selected refs to a bib file, make the .bbl file, and fix problems >> there, so fixes rarely make it back to the master database. >> If they did, we would still have accents and quote marks >> being switched back and forth depending on who last used >> the entry. > > > Thanks George. EndNote is I believe the corporately-approved solution > here, and similar disasters occur when people try and share its data > files. For this reason I don't call these sorts of personal-level > programs "databases" (any more than I'll call a .bib file a database). > > The TeX folk don't fare much better. Multiple personal .bib files are > common, often with duplicate references but different citation keys, > leading to rather variable results depending on who run LaTeX/ConTeXt > on the file. Inconsistency in data entry is also a problem, although > for us, accents and quotes don't seem to too big a problem. > (`Authorless', i.e., corporate author documents, like data sheets, > seems to be more of an issue). > > For this reason I'm looking for a proper SQL database solution like > refdb or refbase (or maybe wikindx, thanks Andreas) with a web > front-end that will hopefully enforce somewhat more consistent data > entry, and maybe even auto-generate citation keys. Taco, your remarks > regarding interchange formats are valuable (both refdb and refbase > support MODS XML output). > > Robin > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > ___________________________________________________________________________________ > If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki! > > maillist : ntg-context(a)ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context > webpage : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net > archive : https://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/ > wiki : http://contextgarden.net > ___________________________________________________________________________________ >

1 0

Context to xml
by Olivier Guéry 21 Apr '08

21 Apr '08

Hello, Reading to the xml documentation, I see in the « basic workflow » section that it's possible to have a TeX -> style -> Xml flow. Is this flow availaible ? I can't see it in the doc. I just need a few simple test : Title, author, paragraph. Since Context is the best way to produce pdf, i don't want to do Xml -> Contex -> Pdf but Contex -> pdf (various size) -> xml (-> html ?) Is this possible or just a todo thing ? Regards, Olivier. -- [Message tapé sur un clavier Bépo : http://www.clavier-dvorak.org ] Olivier nemolivier(a)gmail.com http://nemolivier.blogspot.com

3 4

Discussion: correspondence with ConTeXt
by Wolfgang Schuster 21 Apr '08

21 Apr '08

Hi all, Preface most of the discussions in the last weeks on the list concerned LuaTeX and MkIV with the topic fonts, xml and bugs, currently not implemented functions and bug and in the last few days also mplib. I will try start with this mail a hopefully interesting discuassions wuth many people about the current state to use ConTeXt for correspondence in personal and business live. Introduction Although ConTeXt has many features and can be used for nearly every type of document with many features to adapt the layout to ones personal requirements we have still a few places where something is missing or force us to use another tool. I will focus myself for the moment on the missing support for a real module to write letter and other correspondence. The Past and the present A few modules had been written in the past to write letter but wether they are not available like Hans own module or it is to complicated to use. Hans own module m-letter.tex was never included in the main distribution and the documentation [1] was never finished but it is now possible to find a older version in the list archives. The strong point on the module are the possibility to change the size and position of the address and reference fields but it was nearly impossible to add extra information like values for sender or to make big changes in the layout. The second option to write a letter was and is Holger Schöners letterstyle environment [2], he provided a layout for german letters with a DIN style and macros to store address and sender information. What looked like a good solution to me at first glance had also many disadvatages, the names for the fields in the refrence line used hard to memorize name like \lettersenderkey... and no high level interface to set them. Another point to me which prevented me from using the style was the hard way to change the layout, the environment provided commands to change the values but all was done with simple definition and no setup command. A few user write their own simple setups and environemnts to write letter [2,3] but none of them was really confugrable or provided a real interface. The future The lack of any good soution for this topic forced me to write my own letter module for ConTeXt. I started myself with Hans letter module and added a extra field to add my own address but this was at a time where I was still new to ConTeXt and most of the content in m-letter.tex where confusing to me and I had problem to adapt the layout to my own requirements. After I gained a little bit more knowledge in TeX and ConTeXt is started to write a new module from scratch with the option to load style files and set the information for the address and all other information with a better interface. After nearly one and a helf years and 2 major revisions I have nearly finished my module and would will make it now available also to other users. But before I make my last stable version online I want to discuss a few points with interested users. The discussion Before I start to give you information about my module and give you the chance to mention your own wishes or thoughts about the inteface I'm interested what do you use currently to write you own correspondence (letter, invoices etc.). After this interesting question for me I will now make a few information about my module available. The module use by default the definition for german business letters as layout where the position for the address block and the reference line are defined. To change the layout for your own letter I provide the option to change the default settings with the one for all command \setupletterstyle, you could use it to set the page layout, the position for the different blocks for address and sender information and also for the bodyfontsize and parskip and parindent. To use once defined for many letter you could save them in so called letterstyle files which can be loaded either with the module \usemodule[letter][style=...] or within the letter with the command \useletterstyle[...]. The lettertext is written between the \startletter ... \stopletter environment and it is possible to write in adcouemnt as many letters as you want, you could write serial letters and use the correspodence modul to save the address information in a XMl file. The values for letter are set with the \setupletter command but this is one of the still open points, the current implemtation requires sometimes to many lines for just a few information and I plan to replace it with a simpler system. Take the following minimal example \usemodule[letter] \setupletter [sender] [name={Mike Meiers}, address={Mustergasse 12\\25694 Musterstadt}] \setupletter [address] [name={Hans Hansen}, address={Zielweg 34\\78561 Tiny Town}] \starttext \startletter [opening={Dear Hans,}] letter text \stopletter \stoptext As you can see the opening for the letter is set as optional argument for \startletter because it is also possible to write it in the long form \setupletter[data][opening=...] but a simpler system could be usefull especially if you want to set only text for address and something like \setupletter[fromname=...,address=...] or \setlettervalue[address]{...} are options to replace the current solution. Before I release I first public bety version of the modul I want to hear which interface to set the letter information do you prefer and do you have things do want in the module. I could provide more ready to use layout for the module (like block style for americal letter) but I need information about the layout and the position for the fields. Wolfgang Schuster [1] http://www.pragma-ade.com/show-man-29.htm [2] http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Letter_style [3] http://www.tug.org/pracjourn/2006-3/hogg/

10 29

[Fwd: LUG-boards: TUG'08 call for papers deadline April 30]
by Hans Hagen 21 Apr '08

21 Apr '08

1 0

Re: [NTG-context] Discussion: correspondence with ConTeXt
by Wolfgang Werners-Lucchini 21 Apr '08

21 Apr '08

On 19 Apr 2008 at 14:41, ntg-context-request(a)ntg.nl wrote: > > I still use the LaTeX class scrlttr2 for my letters. > > I use adress files bundled with that class. Adresses are macros > > and selected by a string-key. > > I know the \adrentry for scrlltr and could add this function but > not at the moment and only as letter extension. > > > Maybe it would be nice, if there could be a interface to such a > key > > and a lua-function (which defaults to return) taking this key as > > argument. So everybody can write his own adress-import function. > > You should also take a look into Hans correspondence [1] manual, > I prefer to make something based on a xml database on it is > possible > to write serial letters as told in the manual bot not to use some > information for just one letter. > > I will add it on my todo list. The idea was NOT to use THIS or THAT adress format. Instead implementing something like a generic import interface. Gruß, Wolfgang

2 1

Fwd: Stephen Fry and the Gutenberg Press
by Henning Hraban Ramm 20 Apr '08

20 Apr '08

> Von: Martin Schröder > Datum: 20. April 2008 16:55:12 GMT+02:00 > An: TEX-D-L(a)LISTSERV.DFN.DE > Betreff: Stephen Fry and the Gutenberg Press > Antwort an: German Language TeX Users Group Communication List <TEX- > D-L(a)LISTSERV.DFN.DE> > > Wonderful 60 minutes of the BBC showing Stephen Fry recreating an the > original Gutenberg printing process. > > http://www.fontblog.de/auf-den-spuren-gutenbergs > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91smRXrEPRs > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM0FKWpNTUc > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=souzdLjgrzM > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIur4eiOR38 > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgNCvgSICbc > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWeMK-Q9NMQ > > Best > Martin Greetlings from Lake Constance! Hraban --- http://www.fiee.net/texnique/ http://wiki.contextgarden.net https://www.cacert.org (I'm an assurer)

2 2