Am 16.06.2025 um 15:06 schrieb John Was:
Thanks - it's at least useful to know what I needn't waste my time on!
I see that I shall also have to master ConTexT's commands for tables,
though I hope they are customizable (as per my training at OUP a
lifetime ago, I like a half-point rule at the beginning and end but a
quarter-point rule between headings and the data). Plain (Xe)TeX's
\halign command works only for that generally useless item, a table with
only one column - if you try add an extra column the setting halts and
one is presented with the false information that there is more than one
instance of # between instances of & in the setup of the table. They lie!
I'm disappointed that I can't use \catcode = \active to do anything
useful - I do often use that, particularly to fetch a character not in
the typeface. For example, if I want a yogh and am obliged to use a
particular typeface (because of house style for a journal or book
series) that doesn't have the character, I would give in the file header
in XeTeX:
\catcode"0292=\active
\defʒ{\yogh}
(I have \yogh defined as 'put \char"0292 here, grouped within {}, from
Junicode'.) That allows me to keep the character ʒ in the input file
and leave it to TeX to carry out the appropriate instruction whenever it
encounters it.
This is prohibited in ConTexT, I find, but I'll have to learn a new way
of achieving the same thing.
The best solution is use a font which contains all characters needed for
the document but it's possible to set fonts which are used as fallback
for characters which are missing in the main font.
%%%% begin example
\definefallbackfamily [John] [serif] [Stix Two Text] [range=0x0292]
\definefontfamily [John] [serif] [Latin Modern Roman]
\starttext
\setupbodyfont [modern]
Latin Small Letter Ezh: ʒ
\setupbodyfont [John]
Latin Small Letter Ezh: ʒ
\stoptext
%%%% end example
But I /did/ promise not to bombard the list with silly newbie questions!
There is nothing wrong with asking question but you should start a new
threat for each problem where you describe what you're trying to
achieve. Forcing ConTeXt to work as a plain TeX machine is the wrong way
because there are better solutions.
Wolfgang
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