1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 2.1 since 2.0
21 @item There is now a Scheme macro for defining markup
22 commands. Special mark-up commands can be defined in user-files too.
24 @item Many fixes for dimension scaling have been made,
25 resulting in correct results for scores that mix staves in different
28 @item Improved robustness when layout properties are accidentally removed.
30 @item A more cleanly constructed part combiner has been installed.
31 It is more robust and less buggy. The part-combiner can be used with
33 \newpartcombine @var{mus1} @var{mus2}
37 See @file{input/regression/new-part-combine.ly} for an example.
39 (This feature is still experimental.)
41 @item Formatting of rehearsal marks has been improved. The @code{\mark}
42 command now only does automatic incrementing for marks specified as
43 integer. For example, @code{\mark #1} will print an A in the default
44 style. See @file{input/regression/rehearsal-mark-letter.ly},
45 @file{input/regression/rehearsal-mark-number.ly}.
47 @item Formatting of ottava brackets has been much improved.
49 @item Objects in the output can now be documented: the following fragment
50 boxes the note head, and adds the text ``heads or tails?'' three
54 \context Voice \applyoutput #(add-balloon-text
55 'NoteHead "heads, or tails?"
63 @item Default staff sizes are now scalable. There are two new mechanisms for
64 setting staff sizes. Both are demonstrated in this fragment:
67 #(set-global-staff-size 15)
69 #(paper-set-staff-size (* 15 pt))
75 Both have the same effect on the global layout of a
76 piece. Similarly, the paper size may be changed as follows
79 #(set-paper-size "a4")
83 @item Warnings for bar check errors are more cleverly printed. This
84 makes @code{barCheckSynchronize} superfluous, so it is now switched
87 Warning: this will cause problems in scores that use bar checks to
90 @item The black note head was made a little rounder, which causes a less
91 frantic graphic impression.
94 A more concise syntax for checking octaves was introduced. A note may
95 be followed by @code{=}@var{quotes} which indicates what its absolute
96 octave should be. In the following example,
99 \relative c'' @{ c='' b=' d,='' @}
103 the d will generate a warning, because a d'' is
104 expected, but a d' is found.
105 @c @code adds ` ' very confusing.
107 @item There is a new mechanism for putting lyrics to melodies.
108 With this mechanism, @code{LyricVoice}s can be put melodies
109 individually, allowing for different melismatic sections in every
110 @code{LyricVoice}. See @file{input/regression/lyric-combine-new.ly}.
112 @item Bar lines may now be dotted.
115 @item The documentation now has links to a wiki, where everyone can
116 add personal comments to the manual.
118 @item Contexts may now be changed locally for an isolated music
119 expression. For example,
123 \consists "Pitch_squash_engraver"
129 @item The syntax for changing staffs has changed. The keyword
130 @code{\change} should now be used, e.g.
136 @item Features of spanner contexts, like @code{Staff}, can now be changed
137 using @code{\property}, eg.
141 \property Staff.StaffSymbol \set #'line-count = #4
147 puts a quarter note C on a staff with 4 lines.
150 @item Multi measure rests are now truly centered between the
151 clefs/barlines of the staff, their position is independent of symbols
154 @item Collision resolution for dots in chords has been improved greatly.
157 Spacing following barlines was improved for widely stretched lines.
160 Lyric hyphens and extenders now conform to standard typesetting
164 Lyrics are now aligned under note heads conforming to engraving
165 standards. The responsible code has been rewritten, and is drastically
166 simpler from the previous version. To aid this rewrite, the syntactic
167 function of the extender line ( __ ) has been changed: it is now
168 attached to the lyric syllable.
171 When redefining a context, the associated identifier is also
172 updated. For example, after reading the following snippet,
179 the definition of @code{ScoreContext} is updated to include the changed
184 The weight of the stafflines is now heavier at smaller staff sizes.
185 The font has been modified to match this look: at smaller sizes, the
186 font is heavier and the note heads are more rounded.
188 @item Processing scores is now done while parsing the file. New
189 Scheme functions give more flexibility: for example, it is now possible
190 interpret a score, collecting synchronized musical events in a list, and
191 manipulate that information using inline Scheme. For an example, see
192 @file{input/no-notation/recording.ly}.
194 @item Font sizes can now truly be scaled continuously: the @code{font-size}
195 is similar to the old @code{font-relative-size}, but may be set to
196 fractional values; the closest design size will be scaled to achieve
197 the desired size. As a side-effect, there are now no longer
198 limitations in using smaller fonts (eg. grace notes) at small staff
201 @item The appearance of stem tips is now also engraved with rounded corners.
204 The placement of accidentals on chords and ledgered notes is improved.
209 @chapter New features in 2.0 since 1.8
214 Crescendos can now be drawn dotted or dashed.
217 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
218 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
219 following is an ascending list of pitches:
222 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
226 The following constructs have been removed from the syntax:
229 \duration #SCHEME-DURATION
231 \outputproperty @var{func} @var{symbol} = @var{value}
234 For @code{\outputproperty}, the following may be substituted:
237 \applyoutput #(outputproperty-compatibility @var{func}
238 @var{symbol} @var{value})
242 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
252 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
253 Chords are entered as
259 while simultaneous music is entered as
262 <<@var{..music list..}>>
265 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
266 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
267 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
270 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
271 \figure @{ <@var{figures}> @}
274 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
278 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
279 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
280 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
281 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
285 @{ c4 f2 g4 @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
287 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
291 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
295 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
298 to an articulation, for example,
301 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
304 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
305 string-number indication.
308 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
309 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
312 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
315 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
319 The script previously known as @code{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
320 @code{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
324 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
327 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
328 and @code{\appoggiatura},
335 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
336 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
340 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
341 and may now be set separately from musical content.
344 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
345 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
346 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
347 score may be created by
351 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
352 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
359 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
366 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
367 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
371 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
378 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
381 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
382 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
387 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
392 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
393 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
396 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
397 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
401 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
405 Windows users can double click a @code{.ly} file to process and view
406 it automagically through the new @code{lily-wins} frontend.
413 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
418 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
419 cleaner and more flexible.
422 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
423 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
424 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
425 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
428 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
429 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
430 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
433 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
434 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
438 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
439 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
445 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
446 available, and the dashes will become optional.
448 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
449 postfix, in any order.
452 A new syntax has been added for chords:
459 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
460 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
470 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
473 for simultaneous music.
475 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
476 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
478 This change was introduced for the following reasons
482 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
483 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
486 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
487 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
488 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
489 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
493 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
497 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
501 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
502 The syntax for this feature is
505 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
509 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
510 that is created in the current context.
513 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
514 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
517 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
520 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
524 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
525 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
526 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
527 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
530 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
533 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
536 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
540 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
544 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
549 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
558 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
566 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
570 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
574 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
578 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
582 @item The emacs support has been extended.
586 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
590 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
596 Support for figured bass and tablature.
599 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
604 Completely revised and improved music font.
608 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
611 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
612 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
616 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
617 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
618 chord are handled much better.
621 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
622 details like optical stem spacing.
625 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
626 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
629 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
633 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
636 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
639 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
642 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
643 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
646 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
647 which comes with a user-friendly installer.