Dear ConTeXtnicians, I would like suggestions about the following:
For my work, I use EDMAC, a very powerful critical edition Plain macro package with which u r probably familiar. Right naw I am using it with NFSS support. This is done through a LaTeX package that calls just those parts of the LaTeX kernel needed 4 NFSS (After using NFSS, I could never go back to PlainFSS). As soon as EDMAC is invoked, only Plain commands r allowed and the EDMAC output routine is called instead of LaTeX's. The upstart of all this is that I cannot use most LaTeX commands in an EDMAC NFSS- document (it's really shoot-and-miss) and I lose any Plain commands that LaTeX has redefined (I usually copy the ones I need from plain.tex though). So in my work I'm stuck using two dialects of TeX. For some time I have been interested in porting EDMAC to LaTeX. Given the emphasis of ConTeXt on layout issues I think it would make a lot of sense sense to port EDMAC to ConTeXt in a way consistent with the latter. For example, EDMAC's crop mark mechanism would not need to be ported, assuming ConTeXt already supports such a feature. Fortunately, EDMAC is very well documented so there is good foundation on which to begin. And EDMAC's output routine is not that complicated. The 4TeX manual (please freely release part IV!) says "CONTE XT is fully compatible with PlainTEX". Is this meant that ConTeXt is compatible with Plain TeX ways that LaTeX (which redefines or obliterates some PlainTeX) commands is not? Is the ConTeXt output routine more easily accessed/modified? Will it be easier to port EDMAC to ConTeXt than to LaTeX (which I have wanted to do 4 some time) or vice versa? Ultimately I would like to be able to accomplish as much as possible in a single TeX format. That would be heaven compared to the purgatory within which I am working now. And advanced critical edition layout capabilities would be a real boost to ConTeXt (or LaTeX 4 that matter). What r your thoughts or suggestions? Best wishes Idris P.S. Did I mention that part IV of the 4TeX manual should be _freely_ rereleasd? It's an excellent intro to Plain, LaTeX, and ConTeXt and deserves a greater audience, placement on CTAN, TeXLive, tug.org....
