Re: [NTG-context] How to make \def accept block or buffer as part of (long) command argument

2 Jan 2022

      Uff, this is indeed deep tex. Thanks a lot for the example, Hans! I still need to learn a lot.

After a walk and a bit of fresh air, I found another (much easier) way around my problem. This works since I don't need to deal with #2 in any special way:

\tolerant\def\startMyCommand[#1]%
{
\startallbeautifulcontextcommands
% whatever #1 does
}

\tolerant\def\stopMyCommand%
{
\stopallbeautifulcontextcommands
}

Then one can do in the main files:

\startMyCommand

\beginMyBuffer
bla bla
\endMyBuffer

\stopMycommand
...
On Jan 2, 2022, at 14:43, Hans Hagen  wrote:
On 1/2/2022 2:14 PM, Benjamin Buchmuller wrote:
...
Thanks, Hans, for the answer, but I'm not sure if I get the point.
While this is possible in ConTeXt:
\startsection[title={My Title}]
\beginMyBlock
bla bla
\endMyBlock
\stopsection
The following won't work (end of file error):
\startMyCommand[optional={Maybe}]
\beginMyBlock
bla bla
\endMyBlock
\stopMyCommand
I had hoped for a simple command/modifier like \pleaseacceptblocks\def\startMyCommand[#1]#2\stopMyCommand to have #2 work in a similar way.
But maybe, as Wolfgang stated here (https://www.mail-archive.com/ntg-context@ntg.nl/msg73956.html), buffers and blocks can't be used in commands. (To add: Even when passed as arguments during compilation?)
You can bet that WS is right.
You really have to go dirty tex for this kind of magic:
\defineblock[MyBlock]
\keepblocks[MyBlock]
\starttext
\tolerant\def\startMyCommand[#1]%
 {\begingroup
  \setcatcodetable\notcatcodes
  \dostartMyCommand[#1]}
\let\stopMyCommand\relax
\normalexpanded{\def\noexpand\dostartMyCommand[#1]#2\expandtoken\notcatcodes92 stopMyCommand}%
 {\endgroup
  % whatever #1 does
  \setbuffer[foo]#2\endbuffer
  \typebuffer[foo]
  \getbuffer[foo]}
or
\normalexpanded{\def\noexpand\dostartMyCommand[#1]#2\retokenized\notcatcodes {\stopMyCommand}}%
 {\endgroup
  % whatever #1 does
  \setbuffer[foo]#2\endbuffer
  \typebuffer[foo]
  \getbuffer[foo]}
\startMyCommand[optional={Maybe}]
\beginMyBlock
bla bla
\endMyBlock
\stopMyCommand
\stoptext
and then of course further nesting mess ...
Hans
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