Restrict \environment effects to single section

Question

I'm working on something that really benefits from division into multiple files, and so am trying to figure out the Project/Product/Component structure. I do think I've got most of it working, except for some details in (ab)using the \environment feature: I'd like some components to use a particular environment, without affecting the rest of the document.

If I just put it at the beginning of the component, it doesn't unload and winds up affecting every component after this one in the product:

\startcomponent c_acronyms
\project proj_ref
\product prd_data
\environment env_list


\startchapter[title=Acronym definitions]

...

\stopchapter
\stopcomponent

I can hack together a solution using \start and \stop, but that feels rather ugly as far as hacks go, and any successive invocations of that environment are ignored:

\startcomponent c_acronyms
\project proj_ref
\product prd_data


\startchapter[title=Acronym definitions]
\start
\environment env_list

...

\stop
\stopchapter

\startchapter[title=Keeps default formatting]
\start
\environment env_list

...

\stop
\stopchapter
\stopcomponent

I get the feeling that I'm trying to use \environment for something it's not actually designed for, but what would the best replacement be for it? I imagine I could do something with modules, but that seems a lot heavier-weight than necessary for such a small collection of commands (especially in my Windows TeXLive installation, which doesn't seem to recognize modules in the project directory). Should I be putting together a specific \definestartstop?

For reference, here's the minimal contents of the rest of my hiearchy:

\startproduct prd_data
\project proj_ref


\startfrontmatter

\completecontent

\component c_acronyms

\stopfrontmatter
\stopproduct

 

\startproject proj_ref
\environment env_ref


\product prd_data

\stopproject

 

\startenvironment env_ref

\usepath[{data}]


\setupcolors[state=start]
\setupinteraction[state=start]


% Add thin spaces before tall punctuation
\definecharacterspacing[thin]
\setupcharacterspacing[thin][\number`:][left=.16667,alternative=1]
\setupcharacterspacing[thin][\number`;][left=.16667,alternative=1]
\setupcharacterspacing[thin][\number`?][left=.16667,alternative=1]
\setupcharacterspacing[thin][\number`!][left=.16667,alternative=1]
\setcharacterspacing[thin]


% Define look-and-feel for the document
\setupalign[hanging]
\setupindenting[yes,small]
\setupwhitespace[medium]

\definefontfeature[default][default][protrusion=quality]


\stopenvironment

 

\startenvironment env_list


% Override look-and-feel for tabbed lists
\setupindenting[no]
\setupwhitespace[big] % Makes the issue more obvious


\stopenvironment

And while I'm here, does anyone know why compiling the project file doesn't compile each of the products? I'd guess it was originally due to a restriction on one-output-per-invocation, but surely the switch to LuaTeX allows spawning child processes?

Answer 1

One option is to use \setups.

\startenvironment env_list

% Override look-and-feel for tabbed lists
\startsetups[tabbled-list]
  \setupindenting[no]
  \setupwhitespace[big] % Makes the issue more obvious
\stopsetups

\stopenvironment

Then, input the environment in your project file and use

\start
\setups[tabbed-list]
....
\stop

to limit the region where you want to apply setup. Some environments accept a setup key, so depending on how you are implementing the tabbed list, you could even pass setups=tabbed-list to an appropriate \setup... command.

Answer 2

You could write your own \environment wrapper which opens a group, inputs the environment file and ignores the \start ... \stopenvironment inside.

So if you have a file env_test.tex

\startenvironment *

  \def\envtest{Test}

\stopenvironment

you can do

\unexpanded\def\startlocalenvironment{%
  \dosingleempty\dostartlocalenvironment}
\def\dostartlocalenvironment[#1]{%
  \start
  \let\startenvironment\gobbleoptorarg
  \let\stopenvironment\relax
  \input{#1}}

\def\stoplocalenvironment{\stop}

\unexpanded\def\gobbleoptorarg{%
  \doifelsenextoptionalcs\gobbleopt\gobblearg}

\def\gobbleopt[#1]{}
\def\gobblearg #1 {}

\starttext

\startlocalenvironment[env_test]

  \show\envtest

\stoplocalenvironment

\show\envtest

\stoptext

On the command line I then get

> \envtest=macro:
->Test

...

> \envtest=undefined