I have two questions: 1. How to define a start-stop command to accept options? I want to define a start-stop command which can accept options (as \startitemize [packed]), however the \definestartstop does not support this. I found a solution in the list: http://www.ntg.nl/pipermail/ntg- context/2007/025969.html Unfortunately, when I use \startbuffer in it, context prints "*" in the terminal and waits for input. So it comes to the second question 2. Can \startbuffer be used in other commands? My code is as following: %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% \def\startabstract{% \dosingleempty\dostartabstract} \long\def\dostartabstract[#1]#2\stopabstract{% \startbuffer[#1] #2\stopbuffer} \let\stopabstract\relax \startabstract [long] a long abstract \stopabstract \startabstract [short] a short abstract \stopabstract %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% -- ruini