Re: [NTG-context] Can modes be used for content control?

17 Nov 2021

      On Tue, 16 Nov 2021, Idris Samawi Hamid ادريس سماوي حامد wrote:
...
Hi Aditya,
Many thanks; see below:
On Tue, 16 Nov 2021 17:23:59 -0700, Aditya Mahajan via ntg-context
 wrote:
...
On Tue, 16 Nov 2021, Idris Samawi Hamid ادريس سماوي حامد via ntg-context
wrote:
...
Dear gang,
For creating/authoring content in ConTeXt: Can modes or the like be used
for content control? For example, someone wants to write at least two
versions of a book managed from a single file. So, e.g., we may have
a) abridged content
b) unabridged content - includes a)
c) abridged content + translation
d) unabridged content + translation
[:]
One can author and organize this in XML - pre-ConteXt - but perhaps one
prefers to write in ConTeXt (take advantage of shortcuts etc.). So maybe
\defineparagraphs[unabridged]
\defineparagraphs[abridged]
\defineparagraphs[translation]
Then one authors the complete work in a single project, but you can
produce a variety of versions, depending on the mode chosen:
\definemode[unabridged]
etc.
Can one do this in context?
Yes!
This is what I do (for solutions in homework assignments):
\definebuffer[solution][local=yes,nested=yes]
\startmode[solution]
\defineenumeration[solution][....fancy setup...]
\stopmode
Then, in the main tex file:
....
\startsolution
...
\stopsolution
....
By default, gives the version without solution. Compile with --mode=solution
to get the version with solution. The same thing should work in your case by
defining two modes: unabridged and translation. And then use
--mode=unabridged,translate etc to get multiple modes.
Here's a working sample:
=======
% \definebuffer[unabridged]
% \definebuffer[abridged]
\setupwhitespace[big]
\starttext
\startmode[unabridged]
\input knuth
\startblockquote
\input ward
\stopblockquote
% \startmode[abridged]
% \input knuth
% \stopmode
\stopmode
\startmode[abridged]
\input knuth
\stopmode
% \startmode[abridged]
% \input zapf
% \stopmode
\stoptext
=======
Unfortunately - as pointed out on the wiki - modes cannot be nested.
But you don't have to directly use the modes. The following will work:

\definestartstop[abridged]

% By default, don't show the unabridged text
\definebuffer[unabridged][local=yes, nested=yes]

\startmode[unabridged]
% In the unabridged mode, show the abridged text
\definestartstop[unabridged]
\stopmode

\starttext
\startabridged
\input knuth

\startunabridged
\startblockquote
\input ward
\stopblockquote
\stopunabridged

\input zapf
\stopabridged

Blocks are a better mechanism, but I still prefer modes here because I find the \beginblock ... \endblock syntax to be a bit awkward in a context document.

Aditya