ConTeXt Group Journal 2024
- Editorial Note
- CG Journal 2024, p. 4
- Day Plan
- CG Journal 2024, p. 5–6
- Meeting Review
- Bruce & Paula Horrocks
- CG Journal 2024, p. 7–11
- abstract: 18th ConTeXt meeting took place from 17th to 23th August 2024, in the water tower of Lutten near Hardenberg in The Netherlands.
- Calculating with Tools
- Willi Egger
- CG Journal 2024, p. 12–25
- abstract: Whenever people have worked with numbers, they have developed tools to help with calculations. Early tools, like the abacus, counting boards, and notched sticks, evolved over thousands of years. About 400 years ago, the first mechanical calculators were invented. Recently, electronic calculators were developed in just a few decades. As technology advanced, further miniaturisation and integration led to personal computers and now portable tablets and phones. These use software to perform calculations as well as many other tasks. They sealed the fate of earlier calculators.
- Working with the Soroban
- Willi Egger
- CG Journal 2024, p. 26–40
- abstract: After assembling the small Soroban (Japanese abacus) during the 2024 ConTeXt meeting there was no time to enter deeply into the use of this calculating tool. This article explains how to operate the Japanese abacus and provides exercises to get accustomed to its use.
- Flagging
- Hans Hagen
- CG Journal 2024, p. 41–51
- abstract: In this summary I will describe how one goes from using color clues in a PDF presentation at BachoTeX to an equally colorful signaling feature in ConTeXt processing.
- A Module for Rounding Values
- Tomáš Hála, Tamara Kocurová, Adriana Kašparová, Hans Hagen
- CG Journal 2024, p. 52–55
- abstract: The article describes the module util-rnd.lua, which was created as an extension of a module for drawing statistical charts. The described module implements a total of nine rounding methods, which are presented as source code snippets with the corresponding functions. The results of function calls are clearly compared in the table.
- Drawing Statistical Charts
- Tamara Kocurová, Adriana Kašparová, Tomáš Hála
- CG Journal 2024, p. 56–65
- abstract: This work focuses on the development of a module for creating statistical charts within ConTeXt. The charts supported by the module have been chosen based on an analysis of those found in commonly used spreadsheets. The main part of the work present examples of each chart type, showing the data and parameter values used to create them.
- Making a Generative Art book
- Keith McKay
- CG Journal 2024, p. 66–79
- abstract: It is well known that MetaFun and MetaPost can be used for the creation of graphics which can be imbeded into a document, and typeset using ConTeXt. It is used extensively for creating graphics in scientific and mathematical documents, or for embedding images into non-fiction books. To my knowledge I know of no book of Generated Art that has been published solely of MetaFun created graphics generated in situ. This article describes the process I undertook to create the generative art book, “Asemic Diagrams: Computer Generated Asemic Drawings” and discusses some of the trials, and tribulations on the way, along with thoughts on the code and how it may be improved.
- An Approach to Typesetting Novels in ConTeXt
- Keith McKay
- CG Journal 2024, p. 80–90
- abstract: ConTeXt is widely used for typesetting scientific and mathematical documents, critical editions, and other non-fiction books. But few novels have been typeset with ConTeXt, even though it has potential for authors to produce professional-looking typeset books. This allows them to self-publish and market their work, either online, or by getting it printed by a commercial printer. The vast majority of authors are used to writing their novels using word processing software, since agents and publishers will ask for a Word file when manuscripts are submitted. Many authors would not have the expertise to use ConTeXt to typeset their novel. It would be a steep learning curve which most would not be prepared to undertake. However, it is possible to devise a workflow for converting a Word document to a quality PDF for printing, which has the added advantage of producing an ePub. In this article I will describe the workflow I used to produce such a novel, and the trials and tribulations along the way.
- Making Books
- Henning Hraban Ramm
- CG Journal 2024, p. 91–95
- abstract: This is a response to Keith’s article in this journal, as well as a summary of my talks at ConTeXt meetings about publishing books. It outlines my experience in book production, and the foundation and the workflow of my publishing house.
- How to Write a Module
- Hraban Ramm & Wolfgang Schuster
- CG Journal 2024, p. 96–115
- abstract: Modules are reusable code and should adhere to the same conventions as ConTeXt. How can you achieve all that fancy \setup and key-value parameter stuff?
- Abstracts without papers
- CG Journal 2024, p. 116–118
- Participant list of the 18th ConTeXt meeting
- CG Journal 2024, p. 119