Command/setuphead

\setuphead

Summary

\setuphead is used to configure headings and titles. Being structuring elements of any document, the possibilities are quite extensive.

Settings

\setuphead[...,...][...=...,...]
[...,...]	section
frontpartlabel	name
bodypartlabel	name
appendixlabel	name
backpartlabel	name
expansion	yes no xml
catcodes	name
sectionresetset	name
sectionseparatorset	name
sectionconversionset	name
conversion	name
sectionstarter	command processor->command
sectionstopper	command processor->command
sectionset	name
sectionsegments	number number:number number:* number:all section section:section section:* section:all current
referenceprefix	+ - text
style	style command
color	color
textstyle	style command
textcolor	color
numberstyle	style command
numbercolor	color
coupling	section
ownnumber	yes no
beforesection	command
aftersection	command
insidesection	command
incrementnumber	yes no list empty
placehead	yes no hidden empty section
number	yes no
page	see \page
marking	page reset
header	start stop high none normal empty nomarking name
text	start stop high none normal empty nomarking name
footer	start stop high none normal empty nomarking name
before	command
after	command
inbetween	command
continue	yes no
aligntitle	yes no float
interlinespace	name
interaction	list reference
internalgrid	name
grid	normal standard yes strict tolerant top bottom both broad fit first last high one low none line strut box min max middle math math:line math:halfline math:-line math:-halfline name
align	see \setupalign
tolerance	see \setuptolerance
strut	yes no
hang	line broad fit none number
margin	dimension
indentnext	yes no auto
alternative	text paragraph normal margin inmargin top middle bottom reverse margintext name
width	dimension
numberwidth	dimension
textwidth	dimension
distance	dimension
textdistance	dimension
commandbefore	command
commandafter	command
command	twoarguments
textcommand	oneargument
deeptextcommand	oneargument
numbercommand	oneargument
deepnumbercommand	oneargument
location	name
criterium	strict positive all
hidenumber	yes no

Option	Explanation
Section level, e.g. chapter, section, subsection or number (1=part, 2=chapter). Can be a list.
frontpartlabel	Prefix of this section if it appears in frontmatter.
bodypartlabel	Prefix of this section if it appears in bodymatter.
appendixlabel	Prefix of this section if it appears in appendix.
backpartlabel	Prefix of this section if it appears in backmatter.
expansion	yes expands the xml reference to actual content for title and bookmark \xmlatt {xml:name::4}{title} → First section, see TUC file. To expand userdata also use \normalexpanded{\startsection[title=\xmlatt{#1}{title}]} instead of expansion=yes. \normalexpanded{} and are not in conflict, so you can use both. no no expansion, xml reference is used xml  ?
sectionresetset	Controls which section numbers get reset after a higher level section. See \definestructureresetset or \defineresetset.
sectionseparatorset	Controls the characters between section number elements.See \definestructureseparatorset.
sectionconversionset	Controls the number conversion of section number elements. See \definestructureconversionset.
conversion	Number conversion setting, e.g. "romannumerals", see \defineconversion.
sectionset	Name of a section set (defined with \defineprefixset) that sets the order of section segments (levels).
sectionsegments	Which heading level(s) should be included in numbering? section only this level, e.g. "chapter" section:section range of levels, e.g. "chapter:subsubsection" section:* range of levels “this and all below”, e.g. "chapter:*" current only the current level (makes sense if you use \setuphead with several levels)
style	The style to use for the heading text and number. See manual Context: an excursion" section 33, Fonts and font switches, e.g. for large, bold, sans serif section headers use style=\tfa\bf\ss. style style keywords ("boldface") or commands ("\ss\bf") command custom macro
color	Color to use for the heading text and number. color defined color name
textstyle	Style to use for the heading text.
textcolor	Color to use for the heading text.
numberstyle	Color to use for the heading number.
numbercolor	Color to use for the heading number.
ownnumber	Set a custom section number; doesn’t change the numbering, e.g. the next chapter after \startchapter[ownnumber=12] will not get numbered 13.
beforesection	Command to run before the section.
aftersection	Command to run after the section finishes e.g. at a \stopchapter statement.
number	yes Show number in chapter/section title no Do not show number in chapter/section title
page	- yes: The section header must be on the top of a new page - left: The section header must be on the top of an even page - right: The section header must be on the top of an odd page
header	Set a particular header style, see \setupheader.
footer	Set a particular footer style, see \setupheader.
before	Command to run before the heading is written
after	Command to run after the heading is written, e.g. after={\blank[3cm]}
continue	yes If the section immediately follows a higher level section it will be on the same page even if page=yes. no If the section immediately follows a higher level section it will start on a new page.
aligntitle	yes use the current local hsize; flush side float first no use the current global hsize float use the current local hsize; do not flush side floats
interlinespace	Set the line height differently from the body text, see \setupinterlinespace.
grid	How to vertically align this title in grid mode. Find examples in details manual.
align	Alignment of the title text
tolerance	Line breaking tolerance
strut	Use a \strut to ensure the full line height?
hang	Control protrusion (hanging)
indentnext	Indent following paragraph?
width	Width of the whole title.
numberwidth	Width of the section number.
textwidth	Width of the section title.
command	Command to use for typesetting the title; overrules all other styling. First argument is the number, second the title text.
textcommand	Command to use for typesetting the text of the title; argument is the formatted text.
deeptextcommand	Like textcommand, but text is unformatted.
numbercommand	Command to use for typesetting the number of the title; argument is the formatted number.
deepnumbercommand	Like numbercommand, but number is unformatted.

Description

To headings is associated the text, i.e. the content of the heading, but can also be associated numbers.

These data can be processed for typesetting :

• add a dot between the text and the number,
• add a generic text before the "pure text"
• appearance can be different for the text if we use it in the headers / footers, or in the Table of Content.
• add vertical spaces before or after the text
• add rules before or after the whole section under the heading
• select if the title should appear on a right or a left page.

Examples

First example

\setuppapersize[A5]
\setuplabeltext[chapter=CHAPTER~]

\setuphead[chapter][
	header=empty,
	alternative=middle,
	style=bold,
	numbercommand=\groupedcommand{}{\blank[2cm]},
	after={\blank[3cm]},
	]

\starttext

\chapter{Title of chapter}

The first paragraph begins 3 cm below the title. In this chapter, we will discuss...

\stoptext

produces

Big space before a smaller space behind the heading

\setuphead
  [subject]
  [before={\blank[2*big]},
   after={\blank[big]},
   style=bold]

\starttext

\subject{Headline 1}
text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text vtext text text text text text text text text text text text text\par
\subject{Headline 2}
text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text vtext text text text text text text text text text text text text\par

\stoptext

produces

Setting label of a new section head

\definehead[mychapter][chapter][bodypartlabel=mychapter]

\setuplabeltext[en][mychapter=My Chapter~]

\starttext
\mychapter{Animals}
\stoptext

produces

Inline headings similar to LaTeX’s \paragraph{}

Modified from (https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/375922/paragraph-title-in-context-similar-to-latex-paragraph).

\definehead[paragraph][subsubsubsubject]
\setuphead [paragraph]
           [
             textdistance=0pt,
             commandafter={.},
             alternative=text,
             style=sc,
          ]

\startparagraph[title=Knuth quote]
  \input knuth
\stopparagraph

produces

Setting label of a part

If you want parts to be labeled as "Part 1" etc., add bodypartlabel=part:

\setuphead[part][placehead=yes, bodypartlabel=part]

\starttext
\part{A part}

\stoptext

Example of hidden sections

\setupheadnumber[section]      [8]
\setupheadnumber[subsection]   [3]
\setupheadnumber[subsubsection][5]

\setuphead[section,subsection][placehead=hidden]
\setuphead[subsubsection]     [placehead=yes]

\starttext

\section{} % hidden 8th section

\subsection{} % hidden 3rd section

\subsubsection{This is complete numbering of subsubsection} % view 9.4.6 subsubsection

\stoptext

produces

Modifying the page before a chapter

Here is an example which shows how you can change the background color of an empty page before the chapter title.

% next five lines just to show the effect on this wiki
\setuppapersize[A8][A5,landscape]
\setuppaper[nx=4, ny=2]
\setuplayout[page][location=middle, marking=on]
\setuparranging [XY]
\setupbodyfont[6pt]

% actual example starts here
\setuppagenumbering
  [alternative=doublesided]

\startsetups [chapter:before]
  \doifoddpageelse
    {}
    {\pushbackground[page]
     \setupbackgrounds[page][background=color,backgroundcolor=gray]
     \page[right]
     \popbackground}
\stopsetups

\setuphead
  [chapter]
  [page=yes,
   before=\directsetup{chapter:before}]

\starttext

\startchapter[title={Knuth}]
\dorecurse{2}{\samplefile{knuth}}
\stopchapter

\startchapter[title={Ward}]
\dorecurse{1}{\samplefile{ward}}
\stopchapter

\startchapter[title={Zapf}]
\dorecurse{2}{\samplefile{zapf}}
\stopchapter


\stoptext

produces

The command \pushbackground stores the values of the background which is modified. After the execution of \page[right] the old values of background are restored by \popbackground.

Special facing pages for chapters

On March 7, 2022, Julian asked on the mailing list about some method to place an image on the facing page of each chapter in a (double-sided) book. Chapters might also end on an even (equivalently, left) page, in which case, an empty right (odd) page should be introduced after so that the next chapter still has its image on its facing (left) page. (https://www.mail-archive.com/ntg-context@ntg.nl/msg101455.html)

In the discussion that ensued, Wolfgang posted the following elegant solution using \definepageinjection [slightly re-formatted from (https://www.mail-archive.com/ntg-context@ntg.nl/msg101462.html)] —

% to render examples in the wiki
\definepapersize[sheet][width=24cm,height=24cm]
\definepapersize[page][width=6cm,height=6cm]
\setuppapersize[page][sheet]
\setuppaper[nx=4, ny=4]
\setuparranging [XY]
\setupbodyfont[6pt]

% actual example starts here
\setupexternalfigures
   [location=default]

\setuppagenumbering
   [alternative=doublesided]

\definepageinjection
   [chapter:start]
   [empty]
   [page=left]

\definepageinjection
   [chapter:insert]
   [previouspage]
   [pagestate=stop,width=\paperwidth]

\setuphead
   [chapter]
   [beforesection={\pageinjection[chapter:start]},
    insidesection={\pageinjection[chapter:insert][name=\structureuservariable{image}]}]

\starttext

\startchapter [title={Cow}] [image=cow]
\dorecurse{2}{\samplefile{klein}}
\stopchapter

\startchapter [title={Mill}] [image=hacker]
\dorecurse{4}{\samplefile{lorem}}
\stopchapter

\startchapter [title={Mill}] [image=mill]
\dorecurse{2}{\samplefile{klein}}
\stopchapter
\stoptext

which produces

The source code is in page-inj.mklx.

Different order of number elements

You need a new prefix-set to rearrange the order of the section numbers:

\defineprefixset [reverse-section]    [section,chapter] []
\defineprefixset [reverse-subsection] [subsection,section,chapter] []

\setuphead[section][sectionset=reverse-section]
\setuphead[subsection][sectionset=reverse-subsection]

\starttext

\startchapter [title={A}]

\startsection [title={B}]

\startsubsection [title={C}] \stopsubsection
\startsubsection [title={D}] \stopsubsection
\startsubsection [title={E}] \stopsubsection

\stopsection

\startsection [title={F}]

\startsubsection [title={G}] \stopsubsection
\startsubsection [title={H}] \stopsubsection
\startsubsection [title={I}] \stopsubsection

\stopsection

\stopchapter

\stoptext

produces

(Example by Wolfgang Schuster on 2023-01-01)

Leading zeros in section numbers

You can create your own conversion format:

\startluacode
interfaces.implement {
    name      = "FourDigits",
    public    = true,
    arguments = "string",
    actions   = function(s) context("%04d",tonumber(s)) end
}
\stopluacode

\defineconversion [FourDigits] [\FourDigits]

\setuphead
  [chapter]
  [conversion=FourDigits]

\starttext

\startchapter [title={Chapter}] \stopchapter

\stoptext

produces

(Example by Wolfgang Schuster on 2023-01-01)

See also

• \definehead
• \page
• \setupalign
• \setuptolerance
• strc-sec.mkiv
• page-inj.mklx (page injections)

Help from ConTeXt-Mailinglist/Forum

All issues with:

• \setuphead on the mailing list (all results)
• \setuphead on the mailing list (subject only)
• \setuphead on stack exchange
• \setuphead in ConTeXt's source