1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 2.1 since 2.0
21 @item Many fixes for dimension scaling have been made,
22 resulting in correct results for scores that mix staves in different
25 @item Improved robustness when layout properties are accidentally removed.
27 @item A more cleanly constructed part combiner has been installed.
28 It is more robust and less buggy. The part-combiner can be used with
30 \newpartcombine @var{mus1} @var{mus2}
34 See @file{input/regression/new-part-combine.ly} for an example.
36 (This feature is still experimental.)
38 @item Formatting of rehearsal marks has been improved. The @code{\mark}
39 command now only does automatic incrementing for marks specified as
40 integer. For example, @code{\mark #1} will print an A in the default
41 style. See @file{input/regression/rehearsal-mark-letter.ly},
42 @file{input/regression/rehearsal-mark-number.ly}.
44 @item Formatting of ottava brackets has been much improved.
46 @item Objects in the output can now be documented: the following fragment
47 boxes the note head, and adds the text ``heads or tails?'' three
51 \context Voice \applyoutput #(add-balloon-text
52 'NoteHead "heads, or tails?"
60 @item Default staff sizes are now scalable. There are two new mechanisms for
61 setting staff sizes. Both are demonstrated in this fragment:
64 #(set-global-staff-size 15)
66 #(paper-set-staff-size (* 15 pt))
72 Both have the same effect on the global layout of a
73 piece. Similarly, the paper size may be changed as follows
76 #(set-paper-size "a4")
80 @item Warnings for bar check errors are more cleverly printed. This
81 makes @code{barCheckSynchronize} superfluous, so it is now switched
84 Warning: this will cause problems in scores that use bar checks to
87 @item The black note head was made a little rounder, which causes a less
88 frantic graphic impression.
91 A more concise syntax for checking octaves was introduced. A note may
92 be followed by @code{=}@var{quotes} which indicates what its absolute
93 octave should be. In the following example,
96 \relative c'' @{ c='' b=' d,='' @}
100 the d will generate a warning, because a d'' is
101 expected, but a d' is found.
102 @c @code adds ` ' very confusing.
104 @item There is a new mechanism for putting lyrics to melodies.
105 With this mechanism, @code{LyricVoice}s can be put melodies
106 individually, allowing for different melismatic sections in every
107 @code{LyricVoice}. See @file{input/regression/lyric-combine-new.ly}.
109 @item Bar lines may now be dotted.
112 @item The documentation now has links to a wiki, where everyone can
113 add personal comments to the manual.
115 @item Contexts may now be changed locally for an isolated music
116 expression. For example,
120 \consists "Pitch_squash_engraver"
126 @item The syntax for changing staffs has changed. The keyword
127 @code{\change} should now be used, e.g.
133 @item Features of spanner contexts, like @code{Staff}, can now be changed
134 using @code{\property}, eg.
138 \property Staff.StaffSymbol \set #'line-count = #4
144 puts a quarter note C on a staff with 4 lines.
147 @item Multi measure rests are now truly centered between the
148 clefs/barlines of the staff, their position is independent of symbols
151 @item Collision resolution for dots in chords has been improved greatly.
154 Spacing following barlines was improved for widely stretched lines.
157 Lyric hyphens and extenders now conform to standard typesetting
161 Lyrics are now aligned under note heads conforming to engraving
162 standards. The responsible code has been rewritten, and is drastically
163 simpler from the previous version. To aid this rewrite, the syntactic
164 function of the extender line ( __ ) has been changed: it is now
165 attached to the lyric syllable.
168 When redefining a context, the associated identifier is also
169 updated. For example, after reading the following snippet,
176 the definition of @code{ScoreContext} is updated to include the changed
181 The weight of the stafflines is now heavier at smaller staff sizes.
182 The font has been modified to match this look: at smaller sizes, the
183 font is heavier and the note heads are more rounded.
185 @item Processing scores is now done while parsing the file. New
186 Scheme functions give more flexibility: for example, it is now possible
187 interpret a score, collecting synchronized musical events in a list, and
188 manipulate that information using inline Scheme. For an example, see
189 @file{input/no-notation/recording.ly}.
191 @item Font sizes can now truly be scaled continuously: the @code{font-size}
192 is similar to the old @code{font-relative-size}, but may be set to
193 fractional values; the closest design size will be scaled to achieve
194 the desired size. As a side-effect, there are now no longer
195 limitations in using smaller fonts (eg. grace notes) at small staff
198 @item The appearance of stem tips is now also engraved with rounded corners.
201 The placement of accidentals on chords and ledgered notes is improved.
206 @chapter New features in 2.0 since 1.8
211 Crescendos can now be drawn dotted or dashed.
214 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
215 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
216 following is an ascending list of pitches:
219 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
223 The following constructs have been removed from the syntax:
226 \duration #SCHEME-DURATION
228 \outputproperty @var{func} @var{symbol} = @var{value}
231 For @code{\outputproperty}, the following may be substituted:
234 \applyoutput #(outputproperty-compatibility @var{func}
235 @var{symbol} @var{value})
239 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
249 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
250 Chords are entered as
256 while simultaneous music is entered as
259 <<@var{..music list..}>>
262 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
263 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
264 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
267 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
268 \figure @{ <@var{figures}> @}
271 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
275 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
276 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
277 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
278 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
282 @{ c4 f2 g4 @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
284 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
288 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
292 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
295 to an articulation, for example,
298 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
301 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
302 string-number indication.
305 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
306 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
309 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
312 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
316 The script previously known as @code{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
317 @code{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
321 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
324 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
325 and @code{\appoggiatura},
332 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
333 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
337 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
338 and may now be set separately from musical content.
341 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
342 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
343 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
344 score may be created by
348 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
349 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
356 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
363 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
364 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
368 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
375 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
378 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
379 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
384 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
389 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
390 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
393 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
394 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
398 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
402 Windows users can double click a @code{.ly} file to process and view
403 it automagically through the new @code{lily-wins} frontend.
410 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
415 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
416 cleaner and more flexible.
419 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
420 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
421 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
422 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
425 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
426 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
427 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
430 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
431 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
435 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
436 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
442 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
443 available, and the dashes will become optional.
445 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
446 postfix, in any order.
449 A new syntax has been added for chords:
456 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
457 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
467 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
470 for simultaneous music.
472 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
473 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
475 This change was introduced for the following reasons
479 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
480 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
483 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
484 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
485 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
486 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
490 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
494 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
498 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
499 The syntax for this feature is
502 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
506 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
507 that is created in the current context.
510 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
511 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
514 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
517 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
521 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
522 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
523 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
524 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
527 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
530 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
533 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
537 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
541 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
546 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
555 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
563 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
567 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
571 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
575 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
579 @item The emacs support has been extended.
583 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
587 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
593 Support for figured bass and tablature.
596 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
601 Completely revised and improved music font.
605 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
608 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
609 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
613 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
614 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
615 chord are handled much better.
618 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
619 details like optical stem spacing.
622 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
623 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
626 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
630 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
633 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
636 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
639 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
640 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
643 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
644 which comes with a user-friendly installer.