I have been using a letter format and gradually improving the macro format and style each time I use it. It makes a lot of use of backgrounds to set elements on the page. I would like to improve some other elements. The target structure of a letter source would be as follows. \usemodule[lett-01] \setupletter [address=...\\...\\.., signature=Nigel King, thedate=\currentdate, ......] \starttext \opening Further to your ...... %main letter content \closing[Yours ...,] \encl[...] \cc[...] \ps[...] \stoptext A lot of this works quite well using the following typical "macros" in u-lett-01.tex typical parts of which are shown below ---------- \unprotect \def\setupletter{% \dosingleargument\dosetupletter} \def\dosetupletter[#1]{% \getparameters[letter@][#1]} Some other \defs.... \def\opening{ \definelayer [letter@layer@toaddress] \setlayer [letter@layer@toaddress] [x=\backspace,y=50mm] {\framed [height=37.6mm, width=89mm, frame=on, align={right,lohi}, strut=no, offset=overlay] {\getvalue{letter@toaddress}}} \setupbackgrounds [page] [background={letter@layer@toaddress}] }% end of opening \protect ----------- The main problems that I have follow; 1. \usemodule[lett-01] has to be \input u-lett-01 because the definitions are not recognized properly otherwise. "no macros found", I have not found any documentation on macros. I had a look at m-chart.tex but it was too long and complicated to get the simple idea from. Is there another 2. I cannot find a way of defining elements which are effectively in the running text like \openingline=Dear ..., in the setupletter because \getvalue{letter@opening} seems not to pick up the value. A similar problem occurs with closing which has a number of formatting constraints which deosn't want to be seen in the letter source. The only way I have been able to achieve the objective has been to use the following type of construct. In the source letter \signature[Nigel King] In the module \def\signature[#1]{\def\fromsig{#1}} \def\closing[#1]{\par\framed[width=\textwidth,frame=off]{\rbox{ \blank[2*big] #1 \blank[6*big] \fromsig\par}}} Any help would be much appreciated. -- Nigel