April 2026 - ntg-context

buffer question
by Jim 16 Apr '26

16 Apr '26

Hi buffer experts, Is it possible to combine two buffers into one? Google (ha ha!) told me %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% \starttext \startbuffer[one] Content from buffer one. \stopbuffer \startbuffer Content from buffer two. \stopbuffer \startbuffer[combined] \getbuffer[one] \getbuffer \stopbuffer ... %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% but that only combines them in a useful way if I do \getbuffer[combined] If I do \typebuffer[combined] I don't get Content from buffer one. Content from buffer two. (I realize that if I have two named buffers "one" and "two" I can do \typebuffer[one,two] but what if I want to use the unnamed buffer?) Thanks. Jim

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Yet Another buffer question
by Jim 16 Apr '26

16 Apr '26

Possibly the last buffer question for IBD 2026... Suppose someone wants to use a buffer in a solution to some typesetting problem which involves more than a simple \getbuffer or \typebuffer or \typesetbuffer. They could define something like \def\usebuf#1{...use buffer #1 as needed...} and later do \startbuffer[mybuf] <content> \stopbuffer \usebuf{mybuf} But this isn't in the spirit of the \startsomething <content> \stopsomething paradigm. How does one define a \start-\stop "environment" that -> collects some content into a buffer, and then -> does whatever one needs to do with that content ? Thanks. Jim

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Re: synctex issue
by Alan Bowen 16 Apr '26

16 Apr '26

The series of exchanges bearing on this thread was broken when Jim Diamond found that his messages to the list were no longer getting through and we further communicated directly. By way of summary, I report that the issue was resolved by making a clean installation of the latest TeXShop (ver. 5.58) and reinstalling ConTeXt/LuaMetaTeX (ver. 2026.04.10)—and carefully following the instructions about setting synctex up that come with TeXShop and in the Garden wiki. As one who is forever editing and typesetting a journal, Han’s implementation of synctex and Dick’s incorporating it in TeXShop are a great help and much appreciated. Alan

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synctex issue
by Alan Bowen 15 Apr '26

15 Apr '26

Hi— I now have synctex working successfully for : PDF output—> single source file single source file—> PDF output any one of many included source files—> PDF output. What I have yet to get is PDF output—> one of many component files. (This last promises to be very useful in editing my journal.) I have no idea how to troubleshoot this and so any advice or guidance will be gratefully received. I am running the latest ConTeXt ( ver: 2026.03.25) and the latest TeXShop (ver. 5.58 with the luametatex engine) on macOS 26.4 Alan

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Ineraction between \startframedtext and \startcolumns?
by Jim 15 Apr '26

15 Apr '26

Hi, I have some small amounts of text inside \startcolumns ... \stopcolumns where I want the columns to be all on one page. I could use a \testpage (or something similar) in front of it, but that would require me knowing how much space to test for. I could probably put it in a vbox and test on the height+depth of the box, but I imagine ConTeXt has something that doesn't require that level of trickery. I see an example where someone put similarh material inside a frame, so I tried that. But in the example below, when I compile it there are three oddities: (1) The frame (which I would eventually make invisible with frame=off) does not include the entire width of the enclosed \startcolumns environment. (Not a major problem, but a bit mysterious to me.) (2) In the framed version, the line spacing of the lines on the right match those on the left, whereas in the non-framed example the line spacing on the text on the right is smaller. (3) After the \stopframedtext, the textwidth is too small. Q: Is putting \startcolumns ... \stopcolumns inside \startframedtext ... \stopframedtext a "forbidden configuration"? If not, can someone tell me how to make oddities (2) and (3) go away? If so, can someone tell me what the best practices are for keeping short sections of multi-column text together? (Aside from floating it.) Thanks. Here is the MWE: %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% cut here %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% \starttext \showframe \startbuffer Some text which will get set between two lines. The bottom line goes across the page. \stopbuffer % What I want to see looks like this: \startcolumns[n=2,distance=0.75cm,separator=rule] \typebuffer \column \switchtobodyfont[small] \getbuffer \stopcolumns \smallskip\line{\hss M\hss} \startframedtext[offset=none] %, frame=off] \startcolumns[n=2,distance=0.5cm,separator=rule] \typebuffer \column \switchtobodyfont[small] \getbuffer \stopcolumns \stopframedtext \smallskip\line{\hss M\hss} This is more text to see what happens next. This is more text to see what happens next. \stoptext %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% cut here %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Thanks to anyone who can help out. Jim

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[ context -> helix editor ]
by vm 14 Apr '26

14 Apr '26

Has anyone on this list gone through the voyage of setting up support for ConTeXt in de helix editor? is there is link to the steps? .Floris

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The missing comma
by Matthias Weber 14 Apr '26

14 Apr '26

Dear All, When a matrix entry contains a comma (or, I suppose, a semicolon), it is considered a separator instead of a textual element, and hence disappears, like in this MWE: \starttext \startformula \pmatrix{ \lambda(u,v) , 0; 0 , \lambda(u,v) } \stopformula \stoptext How do I get my comma back? Thanks, Matthias

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Apparent bug in columnset
by Jethro Djan 14 Apr '26

14 Apr '26

Dear List, I cannot get any \startcolumnsetspan[wide]...\stopcolumnsetspan block to show apart from the first. MWE: \starttext \definecolumnset[TwoColumns][n=2] \definecolumnsetspan[wide][n=2] \startcolumnset[TwoColumns] % This shows \startcolumnsetspan[wide] First span \stopcolumnsetspan % This doesn't \startcolumnsetspan[wide] Second span \stopcolumnsetspan % This shows \startsection[title={Section One}] Some text here to fill columns. \stopsection \stopcolumnset \stoptext Is it my own error or a bug? I have tried to update to the latest but no change. Jethro

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Math Parameters Can Not Be Resolved From Libertinus Math.
by scerac＠mail.ustc.edu.cn 14 Apr '26

14 Apr '26

\definefontfamily [MF] [rm] [libertinusserif] \definefontfamily [MF] [ss] [libertinussans] \definefontfamily [MF] [tt] [libertinusmono] \definefontfamily [MF] [math] [libertinusmath] \setupbodyfont [MF,10.5pt] \starttext 1234567890 \im{12_{34}} \stoptext resolvers | formats | executing runner 'run luametatex format': /home/lsl_046/Project-Outer/tex/texmf-linux-64/bin/luametatex --jobname="./test.tex" --socket --shell-escape --fmt=/home/lsl_046/Project-Outer/tex/texmf-cache/luametatex-cache/context/5fe67e0bfe781ce0dde776fb1556f32e/formats/luametatex/cont-en.fmt --lua=/home/lsl_046/Project-Outer/tex/texmf-cache/luametatex-cache/context/5fe67e0bfe781ce0dde776fb1556f32e/formats/luametatex/cont-en.lui --c:currentrun=1 --c:fulljobname="./test.tex" --c:input="./test.tex" --c:kindofrun=3 --c:maxnofruns=1 --c:once --c:synctex="repeat" --c:texmfbinpath="/home/lsl_046/Project-Outer/tex/texmf-linux-64/bin" system > system > ConTeXt ver: 2026.02.19 11:49 LMTX fmt: 2026.4.3 int: english/english system > system > 'cont-new.mkxl' loaded open source > level 1, order 1, name '/home/lsl_046/Project-Outer/tex/texmf-context/tex/context/base/mkxl/cont-new.mkxl' system > beware: some patches loaded from cont-new.mkxl close source > level 1, order 1, name '/home/lsl_046/Project-Outer/tex/texmf-context/tex/context/base/mkxl/cont-new.mkxl' system > files > jobname './test', input './test.tex', result './test'fonts > latin modern fonts are not preloaded languages > language 'en' is active system > synctex functionality is enabled, expect 5-10 pct runtime overhead! open source > level 1, order 2, name './test.tex' fonts > bodyfont '10.5pt' is defined (can better be done global (maybe use \usebodyfont) tex error > tex error on line 8 in file ./test.tex: Math error: parameter 'subshiftdown' with id 49 in style 2 is not set <macro> \im #1->\relax \ifmmode \mathconstruct {\textstyle \indisplaymath \conditionalfalse #1}\else \Ustartmathmode \textstyle \indisplaymath \conditionalfalse \expand \everyinsidemathematics \relax #1\Ustopmathmode \fi <line 3.8> \im{12_{34}} 1 \definefontfamily [MF] [rm] [libertinusserif] 2 \definefontfamily [MF] [ss] [libertinussans] 3 \definefontfamily [MF] [tt] [libertinusmono] 4 \definefontfamily [MF] [math] [libertinusmath] 5 \setupbodyfont [MF,10.5pt] 6 \starttext 7 1234567890 8 >> \im{12_{34}} 9 10 \stoptext 11 Sorry, but I can't typeset math unless various parameters have been set. This isnormally done by loading special math fonts into the math family slots. Your font set is lacking at least the parameter mentioned earlier. mtx-context | fatal error: return code: 1

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Cron <context@cgl> /var/www/aanhet.net/context/bin/cron/context-mirror
by root＠ntg.nl 11 Apr '26

11 Apr '26

receiving incremental file list ./ ctan.lsr document-2.htm download-1.htm download-2.htm logo-ade.png logo-cts.png logo-pod.png rss.xml show-fil.pdf context/latest/ context/latest/cont-lmt.zip context/latest/cont-mpd.zip context/latest/cont-ppc.zip context/latest/cont-sci.zip context/latest/cont-tmf.zip context/latest/cont-tst.7z context/latest/cont-tst.tar.xz context/latest/cont-tst.zip general/ general/manuals/ general/manuals/lowlevel-boxes.pdf general/manuals/luametatex.pdf general/manuals/musings-basic.pdf general/specials/ general/specials/math-repertoire-bonum.pdf general/specials/math-repertoire-dejavu.pdf general/specials/math-repertoire-modern.pdf general/specials/math-repertoire-pagella.pdf general/specials/math-repertoire-termes.pdf sent 216,380 bytes received 110,950,978 bytes 6,737,415.64 bytes/sec total size is 765,959,047 speedup is 6.89 Running archiver: New dir: /var/www/aanhet.net/context//htdocs/archives/context-2026-04-11.00 373546532 /var/www/aanhet.net/context//htdocs/archives/context-2026-04-11.00/latest 126741221 /var/www/aanhet.net/context//htdocs/archives/context-2026-04-11.00/current 500287753 /var/www/aanhet.net/context//htdocs/archives/context-2026-04-11.00 500287753 total

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