ConTeXt IDE

This is an IDE for the ConTeXt/LuaMetaTeX typesetting system. It is written in C# 9 / .NET 6 with the Windows App SDK 1.0 framework using only controls from the UI library WinUI 3. In the future, it might be possible to turn this into a .NET MAUI app that runs cross-platform on Windows, MacOS and (highly unlikely) also on Linux.

Usage

Installation

The app can be installed via the Microsoft store on x64/x86 devices with Windows 10 version 17763 and up:

Known bugs and missing features

Bugs and Limitations:

• No ARM support (I dont know why the app crashes on startup)
• No app lifecycle methods (open files from the Windows Explorer)
• No windowing (The pdf output cannot be undocked from the app)
• No line wrapping
• No code folding

Changelog

2.1.1 (2022-06-26)

• Update to Windows App SDK 1.1.1
• 2 additional styles ("Materials"): Mica and Acrylic
• Compiler and installation processes now show a progress bar in the taskbar icon
• The deviders now look more appealing

2.0.0 (2022-05-08)

• Added a markdown previewer
• Added Markdown and CV (inspired from AltaCV) templates
• You can now use an external pdf viewer (like SumatraPDF)
• Adaptation of the new Microsoft Office design (margin and rounded corners for the ribbon)
• The ribbon is now collapsible

1.11.6 (2022-01-29)

• The app now listens to file system changes, meaning that you can add, remove, rename and edit files outside of the app while the project is open
• Multi-instancing is now working, so you can open different ConTeXt projects in seperate windows at once
• The jump list (= context menu of the task bar icon) entries now actually work and open a new instance with the corresponding project
• Bug fixes

1.10.45 (2022-01-16)

• In Windows 11, the Ribbon now extends into the title bar to save space
• The command reference got visually polished
• Drag and drop a command reference entry to your editor to quickly insert the command
• Mark commands as favorite, filter the command reference for your favorites
• The version of your ConTeXt distribution is now displayed
• The "new line" control character is now displayed correctly
• Fixed a bug where the app would not shutdown completely

1.10.40 (2022-01-09)

• Two-way SyncTeX is now implemented: Double-click a word in the PDF viewer to jump to the corresponding position in the source file
• Minor bug fixes

1.10.38 (2022-01-06)

• One-way SyncTeX is now implemented: Press Ctrl+Space to jump to the corresponding position in the pdf
• Fixed some bugs with IntelliSense
• PDF.js viewer got further optimized to integrate into the UI

1.10.25 (2021-12-31)

• The min/max/close buttons returned in Windows 10
• The syntax highlighting colors are now freely adjustable with direct visual impact on the editor
• IntelliSense and the command reference have been improved
• Theme and accent color changes now have smooth transitions
• Viewer has been updated to PDF.js version 2.12.313
• Viewer has been tweaked to update on theme changes
• If an already compiled PDF is in the project folder it gets opened automatically
• A status bar shows when the ConTeXt distribution is getting updated

1.10.5 (2021-11-29)

• Serious design improvements using the new Windows 11 styled controls.
• DropDownButtons are now easier distinguishable from Buttons and ToggleButtons
• Theme and accent color are changeable at runtime without bugs
• The use of the accent color is much more sensible now
• Important bug fixes

1.10.4 (2021-11-28)

• File outline: you always see in which section of your document you are working in.
• Project dropdown instead of side panel: remove all the clutter so you can concentrate on just your tex file(s) and the pdf output.
• Improved application log: You can now also see the console output from the context.exe compiler.
• When you close the app and have unsaved opened files, there will be a prompt that asks you whether you want to save these files.

2021-06-01 (Version 1.5.0)

• You can now install and update ConTeXt modules directly from the source (CTAN or ConTeXtGarden)
• Added a Setting for the editor's font size
• Bug fixes: The "Toggle pin" functionality does not cause app crashes anymore (but is still quite janky); Parsing errors of the *-error.log file have been resolved

2021-05-23 (Version 1.4.7)

• Saving, compiling and other file operations are no longer blocking the UI thread. This increases the "smoothness" of the app tremendously.
• Instead of being forced to the system accent color, you can now choose a different color from the palette. The accent color automatically gets darkened/lightened when the Dark/Light theme is applied.
• Many improvements in the Light theme (whoever would want to use that ... :D), especially the syntax highlighting colors are a lot more readable now.
• Please keep in mind that changing the app's theme and accent color at runtime is a nightmare (even in Project Reunion ...). Bugs regarding theme and accent color changes are to be expected!

2021-05-05 (Version 1.3.44)

• I ported this app from UWP to the new Project Reunion 0.5 framework. This is an exciting first step towards a cross-platform ConTeXt IDE for Windows, MacOS and Linux with .NET MAUI (~Q4 2021)!