ConTeXt: Getting the correct line breaks in a table of contents

Question

I'm using the table of contents mikep described: ConTeXt: Can I exclude entries from a placelist table of contents?.

I was inspired to style the sections in the table of contents by Max Chernoff's answer: Context: a custom chapter title.

In the table of contents, I want a horizontal layout, with each section name and it's page number to be on the same line. My MWE achieves this, but there are 3 problems:

1 - A section can extend into the right margin. I want a line break before Another~section~looooooooong · 3.

2 - My macro myTOC inserts a \hskip 10mm after every section name & number in the table of contents. Can I prevent this for the last one before a new chapter?

3 - I have put tildes between words in a section name so the name doesn't line break in the table of contents. Is there a way to use spaces and not have a break?

\showframe
\define[3]\myTOC{{#2}~·~{#3}\hskip 10mm}%   Write a section TOC entry
\setuphead[part][placehead=yes, number=no,]
\definehead[mypart][part][number=no,]
\setuphead[chapter][sectionsegments={chapter:section},]
\setuphead[section][sectionsegments={chapter:section},]
\setuplist[part][style={\bfa}, pagenumber=no,]

\setuplist[chapter][style={\bf}, pagenumber=no,]

\setuplist[chapter,section][headnumber=no,]
\setuplist[section][command=\myTOC,alternative=command,]
%\setuplist[section][alternative=d,]
\setupcombinedlist[content][list={part,chapter,section}]
\starttext
\unhyphenated{ {\raggedright % no bad line breaks in horizontal
\completecontent }}
\chapter[title={Introduction chapter}]
\section[title=Section~one]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=Section~two]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=Third~section]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=Another~section~looooooooong]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=Yet~another~section]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=A~following~section]\samplefile{douglas}
\stoptext

It isn't exactly what you want, but this code comes fairly close (sample output). I'll maybe write a proper answer later if I get some time. — Max Chernoff, Dec 16 '22 at 02:57
Wow, that seems like magic. In the sense of an advanced technology ... I'd like to use it just for handling the widows & orphans. — Stanley, Dec 16 '22 at 08:15

mickep · Accepted Answer · 2022-12-16T21:27:06.203

You shall never need to insert manual tildes like that. To keep stuff together, put it into a box (also with some strut after barbara's comment):

\define[3]\myTOC{\dontleavehmode\hbox{\begstrut #2 · #3\endstrut}\hskip 10mm}%

Also, instead of the \unhyphenated and \raggedright, you can try

\startalign[flushleft,broad]
\completecontent
\stopalign

Thus, with

\showframe
\setuphead[part][placehead=yes,number=no,]
\definehead[mypart][part][number=no,]
\setuphead[chapter][sectionsegments={chapter:section},]
\setuphead[section][sectionsegments={chapter:section},]
\setuplist[part][style={\bfa}, pagenumber=no,]

\setuplist[chapter][style={\bf}, pagenumber=no,]

\setuplist[chapter,section][headnumber=no,]
\define[3]\myTOC{\dontleavehmode\hbox{\begstrut #2 · #3\endstrut}\hskip 10mm}%
\setuplist[section][
    alternative=command,
    command=\myTOC,
]
\setupcombinedlist[content][list={part,chapter,section}]
\starttext
\startalign[flushleft,broad]
\completecontent
\stopalign
\chapter[title={Introduction chapter}]
\section[title=Section one]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=Section two]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=Third section]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=Another section looooooooong]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=Yet another section]\samplefile{douglas}
\section[title=A following section]\samplefile{douglas}
\stoptext

I get the following output:

If we show boxes and struts (\showboxes and \showstruts) it looks like this:

Image from the old answer without the strut:

Maybe it's just my screen or my eyes, but the line "Introduction chapter" appears to be closer to the next line than the three lines of the entry are to each other. — barbara beeton, Dec 16 '22 at 21:12

ConTeXt: Getting the correct line breaks in a table of contents

1 Answers1