1 \input texinfo @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @setfilename lilypond-changes.info
3 @settitle LilyPond Changes
8 @macro inputfileref{DIR,NAME}
9 @uref{../../\DIR\/collated-files.html#\NAME\,@file{\DIR\/\NAME\}}@c
11 @macro usermanref{NAME}
12 @inforef{\NAME\,,../user/lilypond/lilypond}@c
17 @macro inputfileref{DIR,NAME}
20 @macro usermanref{NAME}
21 See user manual, \NAME\
25 @macro textanchor{NAME}
32 @documentencoding utf-8
39 @top New features in 2.18 since 2.16
41 @allowcodebreaks false
49 * add new items at the top
51 * only show verbatim input for syntax/input changes
53 * try to be as brief possible in those cases
55 * don't try to provide real-world examples, they often get too big,
56 which scares away people.
58 * Write complete sentences.
60 * only show user-visible changes.
65 Tempo change ranges are now written as @code{\tempo 4 = 60 - 68}
66 rather than @code{\tempo 4 = 60 ~ 68}.
69 Grob @code{OctavateEight} was renamed to @code{ClefModifier}.
70 Related context properties were renamed from @code{xxxOctavationyyy}
71 to @code{xxxTranspositionyyy}.
74 There is a new @code{\absolute} command explicitly marking music
75 as being entered in absolute pitch. While this has been the
76 default previously, an explicit @code{\absolute} also prevents
77 reinterpretation when the passage is placed inside of
79 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
80 \relative c { c'4 \absolute { f'' g'' } c }
84 When @code{\relative} is used without an explicit reference pitch,
85 the reference pitch now is the middle of the first octave, making
86 the first entered pitch indistinguishable from absolute pitch.
87 Previously, omitting the reference pitch would have lead to a
88 default of @code{c'}. Since that choice was somewhat arbitrary,
89 recommended usage was to always specify the reference pitch.
92 A new command @code{\single} can be used for converting a property
93 override into a tweak to be applied on a single music expression:
95 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
96 <a \single\voiceTwoStyle e' a>1
100 Two ways of letting graphical objects not appear in the output are
101 overriding its @code{transparent} property with @code{#t}
102 (retaining the original spacing) or overriding its @code{stencil}
103 property with @code{#f} (not using any space at all). Those two
104 operations now have the shorthands @code{\hide} and @code{\omit},
105 respectively. They can either be given a music expression to
106 tweak, or the name of a graphical object for which an override
107 should be created (for specifying both, use @code{\single} on the
110 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
111 \new Staff \with { \omit Clef }
112 \relative c'' <a e' \hide a>1
116 A new command @code{\temporary} can be applied to overrides in
117 order to not have them replace previous property settings. If a
118 @code{\revert} is applied to the same property subsequently, the
119 previous setting reappears:
121 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
122 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
123 \override NoteHead.color = #green d
124 \revert NoteHead.color e2
125 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
126 \temporary\override NoteHead.color = #green d
127 \revert NoteHead.color e
128 \revert NoteHead.color c
131 This is mainly useful for writing music functions that need to
132 have some property changed just for the duration of the function.
135 @code{\tag}, @code{\removeWithTag}, and @code{\keepWithTag} can
136 now accept a list of symbols rather than just a single symbol for
137 marking, removing, and keeping music with any of multiple tags.
138 This is particularly important for @code{\keepWithTag} since one
139 cannot achieve the same effect by using multiple consecutive
140 @code{\keepWithTag} commands.
143 The @samp{-d old-relative} option has been removed. Not actually
144 accessible from the command line any more, its remaining use was
145 for interpretating @code{\relative} in LilyPond files converted
146 automatically from version@tie{}1.8 or older. It is unclear how
147 much of this was actually still operative.
150 The meaning of @code{instrumentTransposition} has been reversed.
153 \set instrumentTransposition = #@{ b #@}
155 a written @code{c'} now sounds like @code{b}. Previously, this
156 would have been the other way round. This and the following change
157 should make dealing with transposing instruments more
161 The music generated by @code{\set} and @code{\override} commands
162 is no longer affected by @code{\transpose}. The main consequence
163 is that @code{\transpose} will transpose audible/@/concert pitch and
164 printed pitch by the same amount even when the transposed music
165 contains @code{\transposition}. Previously,
167 \transpose c' f' \transposition bes'
169 was equivalent to @code{\transposition f'}. Now it stays
170 equivalent to @code{\transposition bes'}.
173 When checking for collisions, LilyPond no longer treats objects as
174 rectangles. Instead, the actual shape of objects is approximated
175 using an integral-like approach. This generally results in more
176 even and snug positioning of objects and systems:
178 @lilypond[relative=1]
179 #(ly:set-option 'debug-skylines #t)
183 d4-.\downbow a4^"r'venu..." c \tempo "T1" e
186 Previously, the above snippet looked like this:
188 @lilypond[relative=1]
189 #(ly:set-option 'debug-skylines #t)
190 \override Hairpin #'vertical-skylines = #'()
191 \override DynamicText #'vertical-skylines = #'()
192 \override TextScript #'vertical-skylines = #'()
193 \override Score.MetronomeMark #'vertical-skylines = #'()
194 \override Staff.Clef #'vertical-skylines = #'()
198 d4-.\downbow a4^"r'venu..." c \tempo "T1" e
201 Affected objects include @code{Accidentals}, @code{Beams}, @code{Clefs},
202 @code{Dynamics}, @code{FiguredBass}, @code{Flags}, @code{Glissandos},
203 @code{Lyrics}, @code{MetronomeMarks}, @code{OttavaBrackets},
204 @code{Pedals}, @code{RehearsalMarks}, @code{Rests}, @code{Scripts},
205 @code{TextScripts}, @code{Ties}, @code{Tuplets} and @code{VoltaBrackets}.
208 Tuplets are now created with the @code{\tuplet} command, which
209 takes a fraction @code{@var{t}/@var{n}} to specify that @var{t}
210 notes are played in the time usually allowed for @var{n}. One
211 @code{\tuplet} command can create several tuplet groups if their
212 duration is typed after the fraction.
213 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
214 \tuplet 3/2 { c8 d e } \tuplet 3/2 { f e d } c2
215 \tuplet 3/2 4 { c8 d e f e d } c2
217 The @code{\times} command with its inverted fraction order
218 @code{@var{n}/@var{t}} is still available.
221 Introducing two new markup-commands; @code{\draw-dashed-line} and
222 @code{\draw-dotted-line}.
225 The dashed-line extends to the whole length given by @var{dest}, if
226 @code{full-length} is set to @code{#t} (this is the default) without any
227 space at the beginning or end. @code{off} will then be altered to fit.
228 To insist on the given (or default) values of @code{on}, @code{off} use
229 @code{\override #'(full-length . #f)}. Manual settings for @code{on},
230 @code{off} and @code{phase} are possible.
233 The dotted-line always extends to the whole length given by @var{dest},
234 without any space at the beginning or end. Manual settings for
235 @code{off} are possible to get larger or smaller space between the dots.
236 The given (or default) value of @code{off} will be altered to fit the
239 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
241 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
242 \override #'(on . 0.3)
243 \override #'(off . 0.5)
244 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
245 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
246 \override #'(thickness . 2)
247 \override #'(off . 0.2)
248 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
253 Starting with version@tie{}2.17.10, error messages or the
254 @code{textedit} @acronym{URI} used for point-and-click
255 functionality specify column numbers starting with@tie{}1 rather
256 than@tie{}0. The byte offset (also part of @code{textedit}
257 @acronym{URI}s) still starts at@tie{}0.
260 The @code{\clef} command supports optional transposition:
261 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
269 The LilyPond syntax of dot-separated words @code{Voice.Accidental}
270 has been made interchangeable with @code{#'(Voice Accidental)}, a
271 Scheme list of symbols. As one result, code like
273 \override Voice.TextSpanner #'(bound-details left text) = "rit."
277 \override Voice.TextSpanner bound-details.left.text = "rit."
281 \override #'(Voice TextSpanner) bound-details.left.text = "rit."
285 Grob and grob property path no longer need to be specified as two
286 separate arguments to commands like @samp{\override} and
287 @code{\revert}, allowing for the syntax
289 \override Voice.TextSpanner.bound-details.left.text = "rit."
291 Since complementary music functions like @samp{\overrideProperty}
292 cannot support forms with and without separating space at the same
293 time, using a single dotted path is now the preferred form.
294 Specifying grob path and grob property path separately, currently
295 still supported with @samp{\override} and @samp{\revert} for
296 compatibility reasons, is deprecated.
299 Due to words now being accepted as symbol function arguments, the
300 interfaces of @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
301 @samp{\footnote} and @samp{\tweak} had to be redesigned where
302 optional symbol arguments were involved. Please check the
303 respective music function documentation for details.
306 Several commands now accept symbol lists (conveniently entered as
307 dot-separated words) for various kinds of arguments. These
308 include @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
309 @samp{\footnote}, @samp{\hide}, @samp{\omit},
310 @samp{\overrideProperty}, @samp{\shape}, and @samp{\tweak}.
313 The bar line user interface has changed. Bar glyphs now resemble the
314 appearance of the bar line, so a left repeat sign has to be coded
315 as @code{.|:}. The command @code{\defineBarLine} provides an easy way
316 to define additional bar line styles.
319 Accidentals in the key signature may be printed in octaves other
320 than their traditional positions, or in multiple octaves.
321 @lilypond[quote,relative=0]
322 \override Staff.KeySignature #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
323 \override Staff.KeyCancellation #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
324 \clef bass \key es \major es g bes d
325 \clef treble \bar "||" \key es \major es g bes d
326 \override Staff.KeySignature #'sharp-positions = #'(2)
327 \bar "||" \key d \major b fis b2
333 For older news, go to
334 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.16/Documentation/changes/},
335 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.14/Documentation/changes/},
336 or @uref{../,go back} to the Documentation index.