Hello, I am slowly working on a Mathematical problem requiring underlying computation.
As Mathematicians (myself included) are rather "conservative", I need to discuss each "chunk" of code with the full set of Mathematical notation. A couple of years ago I started using ConTeXt-MKIV as a Mathematically-Literate-Programming tool by using its excellent Lua interface to capture the code and dump it to disk for external compilation. I am now revisiting my original design and want to redo my tools using ConTeXt-LMTX. I would *like* to be able to "stop" the ConTeXt typesetting at various points for differing purposes: 1. After all macro expansions (and hence after *my* calls into Lua) but before line/paragraph/page layout begins. 2. After line/paragraph/page layout but before PDF generation. 3. After all PDF generated (ie. a "normal" "full" ConTeXt run). Stopping after all macro expansions would allow my code generation builds to proceed without the un-needed page setting or PDF generation. Stopping after the line/paragraph/page layout would allow multiple "faster(?)" ConTeXt runs while the "*.tuc" file converges to a complete set of page numbers and cross references (etc). Then, once the "*.tuc" file has converged, a full ConTeXt run with PDF output could be done. I am very aware that *internally* ConTeXt is probably structured as a tight pipeline with each of the "traditional" TeX stages "Mouth", "Stomach", "page setting", PDF generation.... tightly "chained"... This means that there is no "one" place in the code where all macro expansions have completed but before the page setting "starts", or similarly, after the page setting has finished but before the PDF generation "starts". ---- QUESTION: Is it possible to use the new LuaMetaTeX callbacks (found in chapter 10 of the "LuaMetaTEX Reference Manual") to "suppress" any further computation at various points in the ConTeXt pipeline? ---- For example, could I use one of the "*_linebreak_filter"s (or the "append_to_vlist_filter") to "return" an empty value and hence reduce further computation downstream in the pipeline? Could I use the "pre_output_filter" to "return" an empty value and hence "stop" PDF generation? (I realize that these callbacks *are* a currently fast moving target. I am happy to follow their changes, equally I would be testing their usefulness and/or impact) ---- ALTERNATIVE QUESTION: Would it be possible to provide official ConTeXt-LMTX "modes" which suppress further computation at these points? ---- This alternative, while some more work for the writing of ConTeXt-LMTX, would ensure less direct external dependence on the LuaMetaTeX callbacks, but would almost certainly be welcomed by the ConTeXt community. ---- QUESTION: Are the "stages" I have identified major, computationally expensive, "steps" in the overall ConTeXt "computation"? ---- Many thanks for an excellent tool! Regards, Stephen Gaito ___________________________________________________________________________________ If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki! maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context webpage : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://context.aanhet.net archive : https://bitbucket.org/phg/context-mirror/commits/ wiki : http://contextgarden.net ___________________________________________________________________________________
