December 2025 - ntg-context

Multi-lingual documents
by Julin S 10 Jan '26

10 Jan '26

I am new to ConTeXt (but comfortable with LaTeX) and was trying to figure out how to have letters of different scripts in the same document. I tried to have a Japanese only document using the snippet in this thread https://mailman.ntg.nl/archives/list/ntg-context@ntg.nl/message/QCXFTDHLPDS… Like this: ``` \definefontfamily [noto-jp] [rm] [Noto Serif CJK JP] \definefontfamily [noto-jp] [ss] [Noto Sans CJK JP] \definetypeface [noto-jp] [mm] [math] [pagella] [default] \setupbodyfont [noto-jp] \mainlanguage [ja] \setscript [nihongo] \starttext \startbuffer 打構セト読役いゆお及層大コモクカ軟毎ホアヲト極書た球87本野ぎレべ襲画売ぎ関負ら断紀チラネキ質紋キタ資私トゃふん。江コキトサ狂毎現ンづ応通サシ続36島性84界ぼゆゃが実書ちぽふず辞躍事シ世図二ハス盛堀人わレをう第紙きかイの浅69乳キメタ事争つょ社以ヨナム法例やほにル済療にしいむ。子け記多ゅくよ正役モ母憲トぞ説帝け務賞ク付打ワナ内桁ぼでクフ因倒おふフ印気地レタケマ冬4雇各裁微ひるぼ。 \stopbuffer \rm \getbuffer \page \ss \getbuffer \stoptext ``` I got all the fonts available in my computer, but the generated pdf contains only the Latin part. Just few numbers: 873684694. I don't know what I am doing incorrectly here. Would anyone be able to help me out? I eventually want to make a document which has multiple scripts in it with English as main language. I tried skipping some of the pdfs at https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Documentation, but am not sure if I missed the relevant section. Thanks.

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References to an external file
by Jan Ulrich Hasecke 01 Jan '26

01 Jan '26

Dear all, between the days, as we say in Germany, I setup a proof of concept for a repository with documents that reference each other. I followed the Wiki: https://wiki.contextgarden.net/References_notes_and_floats/References I had no problems when all master files were in the same toplevel folder: master-1.tex master-2.tex components-for-1/ components-for-2/ I also tried to include files from other folders outside the hierarchy of the main folder with \useexternaldocument, but that does not work. While \from gave the intended result, \at, \about, \in and \page does not. While I did not expect this to work at all, as relative paths and absolute paths may break when you deliver the final pdfs via a web service or put them in an other folder somewhere else I wonder why \from works and the others not. Is it correct that the best and robust way to make a group of documents that reference each other is to put them in the same folder? TIA and a happy new year juh

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Norm of vector
by Fabrice Couvreur 31 Dec '25

31 Dec '25

Hi, I've been looking through the helpful document Mikael wrote about writing texts containing mathematics. I couldn't find the norm of a vector. I tried this: is this the best way ? Thanks Fabrice \starttext \im{\fenced[doublebar]{\vec{AB}}} \stoptext

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Merging pdf files consisting of MPpages - Can it be done?
by Keith McKay 31 Dec '25

31 Dec '25

Hi all, The following example creates a unitcircle scaled to the \recurselevel value on each MPpage. \starttext \dostepwiserecurse{1}{80}{1}{ \startMPpage path a; a := unitsquare xyscaled(80,80) ; draw a; draw unitcircle xyscaled(\recurselevel , \recurselevel); \stopMPpage } \dostepwiserecurse{79}{2}{-1}{ \startMPpage path a; a := unitsquare xyscaled(80,80) ; draw a; draw unitcircle xyscaled(\recurselevel , \recurselevel); \stopMPpage } \stoptext If you run this and scan through pages, the circle starts at 1 and increases to 80 and then decreases from 79 to 2. I use the pdf to create a mp4 movie showing the circle increasing and decreasing when I replay it as a loop. You can download the file here: https://1drv.ms/v/c/de5fffb8e01e255b/IQCLuQ9bYQovSIaOc7S5vc8_AQnAfqudRCjr_P… However if my graphic is complicated, compilation time will increase by quite a bit. So I was thinking that when the circle is decreasing I have already calculated those MPpages as the circle was increasing so could I not reuse those MPpages to create the following sequence of MPpages? 1, 2, 3, ... 78, 79, 80, 79, 78, ...3, 2 i.e I have reused the MPpages 79 to 2 which would loop in a movie when played back. I though I could make a copy the pdf file then add MPpages from the original file to create the sequence of MPpages above. I've had a look through the merging pdf files manual and it suggests using: \externalfigure[myfile.pdf][page=4] but that doesn't seem to work with MPpages since it adds the pdf page as a text page. Any hints on how I can solve this? Best Wishes Keith

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Manual Compilation
by Kostirya 31 Dec '25

31 Dec '25

Hello. I'm trying to compile Context to use it on NetBSD. For now, I'm using FreeBSD to try to compile. I use information from https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Manual_Compilation Just a different git link because the wiki link is old. I also saw that fonts are in the context of the depository. mkdir -p ~/tex cd ~/tex git clone https://github.com/contextgarden/context.git texmf-context cp texmf-context/web2c/contextcnf.lua texmf-context/web2c/texmfcnf.lua cd texmf-context/source/luametatex sh build.sh --native cd - mkdir -p texmf-freebsd-amd64/bin cp texmf-context/source/luametatex/build/native/luametatex texmf-freebsd-amd64/bin cd tex/texmf-freebsd-amd64/bin ln -s luametatex mtxrun ln -s luametatex context cd - cp texmf-context/scripts/context/lua/mtxrun.lua texmf-freebsd-amd64/bin cp texmf-context/scripts/context/lua/context.lua texmf-freebsd-amd64/bin setenv PATH $HOME/tex/texmf-freebsd-amd64/bin:$PATH mtxrun --generate ls -1 tex/ texmf-cache texmf-context texmf-freebsd-amd64 When I compile a test document, I see errors fonts > preloading latin modern fonts (second stage) fonts > defining > font with asked name 'lmroman10-regular' is not found using lookup 'file' fonts > defining > unable to define 'lmroman10-regular' as 'modern-12pt-rm-tf-' fonts > defining > forced type 'otf' of 'latinmodern-math' not found fonts > defining > unable to define 'latinmodern-math.otf' as 'modern-12pt-mm-mr-' fonts > defining > unable to define 'latinmodern-math.otf' as 'modern-12pt-mm-mb-' fonts > 'fallback modern rm 12pt' is loaded fonts > checking > char H (U+00048) in font '' with id 0: missing fonts > checking > char e (U+00065) in font '' with id 0: missing fonts > checking > char l (U+0006C) in font '' with id 0: missing fonts > checking > char o (U+0006F) in font '' with id 0: missing pages > flushing realpage 1, userpage 1, subpage 1 Please tell me what else needs to be done. Thanks.

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Right-to-left Layout of paragraphs switches after first paragraph when in framed section
by Aryeh Zapinsky 29 Dec '25

29 Dec '25

I originally tried to send this question on December 23, but the size of the email was too large and the email bounced. So I have not included the font. It bounced again several times because I was trying to include the image inline. Attaching the image, the email was still too large. So I will follow up with an email that contains the image. Sorry if this question ends up appearing more than once. *Problem:* When using r2l alignment, layout of paragraphs appears to be flipped (from r2l to l2r) after correctly placing the first paragraph inside of a frame. *Questions:* 1. What is going on? (I'm not sure how to describe what's happening.) Is the paragraph not being formatted correctly or the frame? 2. What document can I look at to understand what's happening to format the text? typo-duc.lmt seems to be referencing some other work that has sections and tagged rules. What document is that? 3. What are typo-dir, typo-dha, and typo-duc each doing? I'm curious to know so I can better navigate the codebase going forward. *Context Version:* ConTeXt ver: 2025.11.24 17:55 LMTX fmt: 2025.12.24 int: english/english (LMTX fmt with more of the typesetters enabled for looking at the logs) *Code Example:* \definefontfeature[minimal][default][ script=hebr ] \starttypescript [serif] [hebrew] \definefontsynonym [Serif] [file:/workspaces/context_lmtx/context_2/build_from_cmake_2/context_from_scratch/tex/texmf-fonts/firago/FiraGO-Regular.ttf][features=minimal] \stoptypescript \definetypeface [hebrew] [rm] [serif] [hebrew] \definetypeface [hebrew] [ss] [serif] [hebrew] \setupbodyfont[hebrew, 20pt] \setupalign[r2l] \setupdirections[bidi=on, method=two] \defineframed[Zimmun][width=\textwidth,align={flushleft,nothyphenated,verytolerant,r2l}, frame=off] \defineparagraphs[SubZimmun][n=2,before={\blank},after={},align=r2l] \setupparagraphs[SubZimmun][1][width=.3\textwidth,align=middle] \define[1]\instructionalText{{\switchtobodyfont[hebrew,8pt]#1}} \enabletrackers["typesetters"] \showdirections \starttext \Zimmun { \showdirections \setupalign[righttoleft] \showdirections שלושה שאכלו כאחד חייבין בזימון, וכך מזמנין: \startSubZimmun \showdirections \instructionalText{ המזמן אומר: } \SubZimmun רַבּוֹתַי נְבָרֵךְ: \stopSubZimmun \startSubZimmun \instructionalText{ המסובים עונים: } \SubZimmun \showdirections יְהִי שֵׁם יְהֹוָה מְבֹרָךְ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד־עוֹלָם: \stopSubZimmun \startSubZimmun \instructionalText{ וממשיך: } \SubZimmun בִּרְשׁוּת מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּוֹתַי נְבָרֵךְ (בעשרה אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ) שֶׁאָכַֽלְנוּ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ: \stopSubZimmun } \instructionalText{ המסובים עונים: } בָּרוּךְ (בעשרה אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ) שֶֽׁאָכַֽלְנוּ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ וּבְטוּבוֹ חָיִֽינוּ: \stoptext The above code produces the result (with my line annotations added by hand) that's attached. Image to come. *Comments on image:* Line 2 appears to be formatted as I expect. The smaller text is located on the right of the larger text. Lines 3 and 4 appear to be formatted incorrectly with the smaller text being placed on the left of the larger text instead of the right. I think this placement makes sense if there is something that is causing the layout of the paragraph elements to be l2r at that point. Line 5 appears to be formatted as I expect. It is not using the Zimmun frame or SubZimmun paragraph blocks. Therefore, the small text appears to the right of the larger text. Throughout the generated document the layout shows as l2r. I would expect it to be r2l since I've set that up with \setupalign. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Best, Aryeh

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Section columns + sidebar
by Jeff Smith 29 Dec '25

29 Dec '25

Hi again everyone, Here's hoping a second question so soon will be okay. I'm trying to add a sidebar (a margin rule) to the outer margin of my doublesided layout. This sidebar is bound to a specific kind of section that uses columns with balance=no. In the working example below, the sidebar on the second page goes as far as the length of the second column, which is shorter than the leftmost one. I'd like the sidebar to follow the length of the longest column. Is there a different approach to this? --- \setuppapersize[letter][letter] \setuplayout[topspace=0.5cm, bottomspace=0.5cm,cutspace=4cm, rightmargin=3cm, backspace=2cm, leftmargin=1cm,header=1cm, footer=0.5cm,height=middle, width=middle,margindistance=0.2cm, headerdistance=0.2cm, footerdistance=0.2cm] \setuppagenumbering[alternative=doublesided] \definemixedcolumns[sectioncolumns][n=2, align=right, balance=no] \setupmarginrule[location=outer, rulethickness=0.5pt] \starttext \startsection[number=no] \startsectioncolumns \startmarginrule \dorecurse{8}{\input knuth\par} \stopmarginrule \stopsectioncolumns \stopsection \stoptext --- Thank you, as always! JFS

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Pagenumber in outer margin
by Jeff Smith 28 Dec '25

28 Dec '25

Hi everyone! The last time I wrote an email to this list was around 14 years ago. I was using ConTeXt to write my doctoral thesis. Fond memories of that! After a long hiatus, I'm getting back to it for a personal project I want to typeset. I'm slowly getting back into it, and I'm stumbling over something probably simple, but I can't find a proper answer in the archive. I'm using a doublesided layout with a wider outer margin for margin notes. I'm adding a pagenumber in the footer margin. However, as-is the number is aligned to the inner edge. I'm trying to align the pagenumber on the outer edge of that margin. But I can't manage it. I've tried \setupalign[outer] either as a command or style argument of \setuppagenumbering but it has no effect. My working example: \showframe \setuppapersize[letter][letter] \setuplayout[topspace=0.5cm, bottomspace=0.5cm, cutspace=4cm, rightmargin=3cm, backspace=2cm, leftmargin=1cm, header=1cm, footer=0.5cm, height=middle, width=middle, margindistance=0.2cm, headerdistance=0.2cm, footerdistance=0.2cm] \setuppagenumbering[location={footer, margin}, alternative=doublesided] \starttext \dorecurse{8}{\input knuth} \stoptext Any help would be appreciated! You guys were really helpful too back in the day. :-) Best wishes, JFS

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different header on last page of a chapter
by Hraban Ramm 27 Dec '25

27 Dec '25

Hi, I found a solution for this problem, but I think it’s ugly, because I re-setup the header texts all the time. Is there a better (more elegant…) way? Hraban """ \usemodule[visual] \setuppagenumbering[alternative=doublesided,location=,] \setupheadertexts[chapter][pagenumber][pagenumber][?] % completely empty left page: \definepagebreak[leftempty][yes,header,footer,right] \setuphead[chapter][ page=leftempty, before={\setupheadertexts[chapter][pagenumber][pagenumber][?]}, aftersection={\setupheadertexts[END][pagenumber][pagenumber][END]}, ] \starttext \dorecurse{5}{ \startchapter[title={\fakewords{2}{5}}] \dorecurse{7}{\fakewords{50}{300}\par} \stopchapter } \stoptext """

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{f'}^2 = {f^2}' ?
by Matthias Weber 24 Dec '25

24 Dec '25

Dear All, Here is another relic from my LaTeX days that behaves unexpectedly in ConTeXt: \starttext \startformula {f'}^2\ne {f^2}' \stopformula \stoptext One might argue that I should have written \starttext \startformula {f’(x)}^2\ne {f^2(x)}' \stopformula \stoptext But in complex formulas, there is not always enough room to add the argument. Any suggestions? Thanks, Matthias

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