I have some code like this--it is a very reduced minimum-working example, from 10,000+ lines of code:
fileA.tex------------------------------
\datatypeA{fish}{an animal that lives in the sea}
\datatypeA{bear}{a big animal with claws and fur}
\datatypeA{squid}{a sea creature with many legs}
fileB.tex------------------------------
\datatypeB{fish}{an animal that lives in the sea}
\datatypeB{bear}{a big animal with claws and fur}
\datatypeB{squid}{a sea creature with many legs}
main.tex------------------------------
\datatypeA[2]{\startitemize \item #1 #2 \stopitemize}
\datatypeA[B]{#1 -- #2}
\define[8]\activity{
\subject{#1}
#2
\startitemize
\item #3
\item #4
\item #5
\item #6
\item #7
\stopitemize
#8
}
\define[2]\balloongame{
\activity{Balloon Toss Game}{Instructions}{scissors}{plates}{construction paper}{#1}{#2}{\input fileA}
}
\define[2]\fishinggame{
\activity{Fun Fishing Game}{Instructions}{scissors}{plates}{construction paper}{#1}{#2}{\input fileB}
}
\starttext
\balloongame{balloons}{tape}
\fishinggame{crayons}{glue}
\stoptext
Basically, I have different classroom activities, defined as macros. \balloongame gives all details to the teacher about a "Balloon Toss Game" and \fishinggame defines a "Fun Fishing Game". (code has been reduced and simplified significantly).
The main issue I have is I have data being stored in filesA.tex, fileB.tex, etc. (there are often a dozen such files). Note that strangly the datasets are all identical, but a different file is called, and the only difference in the dataset is they call different macros. So "Balloon Game" pulls the list, but displays them in datatypeA format, the other game takes the same data, but its in a different file, and since the macros are different, it displays the information differently.
Basically, I have tons of data files sharing basically the same information, but each one defined inside the file as using a different macro, according to how the information is to be displayed (maybe sometimes as a list, sometimes in a table, etc.)
This method seems horribly inefficient. I should be able to store that data in one file, but display the data in different ways. The problem is if I use one format, like this...
\datatype{fish}{an animal that lives in the sea}
\datatype{bear}{a big animal with claws and fur}
\datatype{squid}{a sea creature with many legs}
...how do I get that dataset to be included, but displayed in a different format each time?
My thinking is perhaps constantly redefine the macro \datatype, but that seems still inefficient and prone to lead to errors in the code. Is that the best solution?
Any suggestion for the most proper way to go about displaying the information from this file, but in different ways in the document?
NOTE: My event code already uses 8 of the #1 #2 variables, so there's not really room to include that information there.
--Joel