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 Grob @code{OctavateEight} was renamed to @code{ClefModifier}.
66 Related context properties were renamed from @code{xxxOctavationyyy}
67 to @code{xxxTranspositionyyy}.
70 There is a new @code{\absolute} command explicitly marking music
71 as being entered in absolute pitch. While this has been the
72 default previously, an explicit @code{\absolute} also prevents
73 reinterpretation when the passage is placed inside of
75 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
76 \relative c { c'4 \absolute { f'' g'' } c }
80 When @code{\relative} is used without an explicit reference pitch,
81 the reference pitch now is the middle of the first octave, making
82 the first entered pitch indistinguishable from absolute pitch.
83 Previously, omitting the reference pitch would have lead to a
84 default of @code{c'}. Since that choice was somewhat arbitrary,
85 recommended usage was to always specify the reference pitch.
88 A new command @code{\single} can be used for converting a property
89 override into a tweak to be applied on a single music expression:
91 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
92 <a \single\voiceTwoStyle e' a>1
96 Two ways of letting graphical objects not appear in the output are
97 overriding its @code{transparent} property with @code{#t}
98 (retaining the original spacing) or overriding its @code{stencil}
99 property with @code{#f} (not using any space at all). Those two
100 operations now have the shorthands @code{\hide} and @code{\omit},
101 respectively. They can either be given a music expression to
102 tweak, or the name of a graphical object for which an override
103 should be created (for specifying both, use @code{\single} on the
106 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
107 \new Staff \with { \omit Clef }
108 \relative c'' <a e' \hide a>1
112 A new command @code{\temporary} can be applied to overrides in
113 order to not have them replace previous property settings. If a
114 @code{\revert} is applied to the same property subsequently, the
115 previous setting reappears:
117 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
118 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
119 \override NoteHead.color = #green d
120 \revert NoteHead.color e2
121 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
122 \temporary\override NoteHead.color = #green d
123 \revert NoteHead.color e
124 \revert NoteHead.color c
127 This is mainly useful for writing music functions that need to
128 have some property changed just for the duration of the function.
131 @code{\tag}, @code{\removeWithTag}, and @code{\keepWithTag} can
132 now accept a list of symbols rather than just a single symbol for
133 marking, removing, and keeping music with any of multiple tags.
134 This is particularly important for @code{\keepWithTag} since one
135 cannot achieve the same effect by using multiple consecutive
136 @code{\keepWithTag} commands.
139 The @samp{-d old-relative} option has been removed. Not actually
140 accessible from the command line any more, its remaining use was
141 for interpretating @code{\relative} in LilyPond files converted
142 automatically from version@tie{}1.8 or older. It is unclear how
143 much of this was actually still operative.
146 The meaning of @code{instrumentTransposition} has been reversed.
149 \set instrumentTransposition = #@{ b #@}
151 a written @code{c'} now sounds like @code{b}. Previously, this
152 would have been the other way round. This and the following change
153 should make dealing with transposing instruments more
157 The music generated by @code{\set} and @code{\override} commands
158 is no longer affected by @code{\transpose}. The main consequence
159 is that @code{\transpose} will transpose audible/@/concert pitch and
160 printed pitch by the same amount even when the transposed music
161 contains @code{\transposition}. Previously,
163 \transpose c' f' \transposition bes'
165 was equivalent to @code{\transposition f'}. Now it stays
166 equivalent to @code{\transposition bes'}.
169 When checking for collisions, LilyPond no longer treats objects as
170 rectangles. Instead, the actual shape of objects is approximated
171 using an integral-like approach. This generally results in more
172 even and snug positioning of objects and systems:
174 @lilypond[relative=1]
175 #(ly:set-option 'debug-skylines #t)
179 d4-.\downbow a4^"r'venu..." c \tempo "T1" e
182 Previously, the above snippet looked like this:
184 @lilypond[relative=1]
185 #(ly:set-option 'debug-skylines #t)
186 \override Hairpin #'vertical-skylines = #'()
187 \override DynamicText #'vertical-skylines = #'()
188 \override TextScript #'vertical-skylines = #'()
189 \override Score.MetronomeMark #'vertical-skylines = #'()
190 \override Staff.Clef #'vertical-skylines = #'()
194 d4-.\downbow a4^"r'venu..." c \tempo "T1" e
197 Affected objects include @code{Accidentals}, @code{Beams}, @code{Clefs},
198 @code{Dynamics}, @code{FiguredBass}, @code{Flags}, @code{Glissandos},
199 @code{Lyrics}, @code{MetronomeMarks}, @code{OttavaBrackets},
200 @code{Pedals}, @code{RehearsalMarks}, @code{Rests}, @code{Scripts},
201 @code{TextScripts}, @code{Ties}, @code{Tuplets} and @code{VoltaBrackets}.
204 Tuplets are now created with the @code{\tuplet} command, which
205 takes a fraction @code{@var{t}/@var{n}} to specify that @var{t}
206 notes are played in the time usually allowed for @var{n}. One
207 @code{\tuplet} command can create several tuplet groups if their
208 duration is typed after the fraction.
209 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
210 \tuplet 3/2 { c8 d e } \tuplet 3/2 { f e d } c2
211 \tuplet 3/2 4 { c8 d e f e d } c2
213 The @code{\times} command with its inverted fraction order
214 @code{@var{n}/@var{t}} is still available.
217 Introducing two new markup-commands; @code{\draw-dashed-line} and
218 @code{\draw-dotted-line}.
221 The dashed-line extends to the whole length given by @var{dest}, if
222 @code{full-length} is set to @code{#t} (this is the default) without any
223 space at the beginning or end. @code{off} will then be altered to fit.
224 To insist on the given (or default) values of @code{on}, @code{off} use
225 @code{\override #'(full-length . #f)}. Manual settings for @code{on},
226 @code{off} and @code{phase} are possible.
229 The dotted-line always extends to the whole length given by @var{dest},
230 without any space at the beginning or end. Manual settings for
231 @code{off} are possible to get larger or smaller space between the dots.
232 The given (or default) value of @code{off} will be altered to fit the
235 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
237 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
238 \override #'(on . 0.3)
239 \override #'(off . 0.5)
240 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
241 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
242 \override #'(thickness . 2)
243 \override #'(off . 0.2)
244 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
249 Starting with version@tie{}2.17.10, error messages or the
250 @code{textedit} @acronym{URI} used for point-and-click
251 functionality specify column numbers starting with@tie{}1 rather
252 than@tie{}0. The byte offset (also part of @code{textedit}
253 @acronym{URI}s) still starts at@tie{}0.
256 The @code{\clef} command supports optional transposition:
257 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
265 The LilyPond syntax of dot-separated words @code{Voice.Accidental}
266 has been made interchangeable with @code{#'(Voice Accidental)}, a
267 Scheme list of symbols. As one result, code like
269 \override Voice.TextSpanner #'(bound-details left text) = "rit."
273 \override Voice.TextSpanner bound-details.left.text = "rit."
277 \override #'(Voice TextSpanner) bound-details.left.text = "rit."
281 Grob and grob property path no longer need to be specified as two
282 separate arguments to commands like @samp{\override} and
283 @code{\revert}, allowing for the syntax
285 \override Voice.TextSpanner.bound-details.left.text = "rit."
287 Since complementary music functions like @samp{\overrideProperty}
288 cannot support forms with and without separating space at the same
289 time, using a single dotted path is now the preferred form.
290 Specifying grob path and grob property path separately, currently
291 still supported with @samp{\override} and @samp{\revert} for
292 compatibility reasons, is deprecated.
295 Due to words now being accepted as symbol function arguments, the
296 interfaces of @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
297 @samp{\footnote} and @samp{\tweak} had to be redesigned where
298 optional symbol arguments were involved. Please check the
299 respective music function documentation for details.
302 Several commands now accept symbol lists (conveniently entered as
303 dot-separated words) for various kinds of arguments. These
304 include @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
305 @samp{\footnote}, @samp{\hide}, @samp{\omit},
306 @samp{\overrideProperty}, @samp{\shape}, and @samp{\tweak}.
309 The bar line user interface has changed. Bar glyphs now resemble the
310 appearance of the bar line, so a left repeat sign has to be coded
311 as @code{.|:}. The command @code{\defineBarLine} provides an easy way
312 to define additional bar line styles.
315 Accidentals in the key signature may be printed in octaves other
316 than their traditional positions, or in multiple octaves.
317 @lilypond[quote,relative=0]
318 \override Staff.KeySignature #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
319 \override Staff.KeyCancellation #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
320 \clef bass \key es \major es g bes d
321 \clef treble \bar "||" \key es \major es g bes d
322 \override Staff.KeySignature #'sharp-positions = #'(2)
323 \bar "||" \key d \major b fis b2
329 For older news, go to
330 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.16/Documentation/changes/},
331 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.14/Documentation/changes/},
332 or @uref{../,go back} to the Documentation index.