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 When @code{\relative} is used without an explicit reference pitch,
66 the reference pitch now is the middle of the first octave, making
67 the first entered pitch indistinguishable from absolute pitch.
68 Previously, omitting the reference pitch would have lead to a
69 default of @code{c'}. Since that choice was somewhat arbitrary,
70 recommended usage was to always specify the reference pitch.
73 A new command @code{\single} can be used for converting a property
74 override into a tweak to be applied on a single music expression:
76 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
77 <a \single\voiceTwoStyle e' a>1
81 Two ways of letting graphical objects not appear in the output are
82 overriding its @code{transparent} property with @code{#t}
83 (retaining the original spacing) or overriding its @code{stencil}
84 property with @code{#f} (not using any space at all). Those two
85 operations now have the shorthands @code{\hide} and @code{\omit},
86 respectively. They can either be given a music expression to
87 tweak, or the name of a graphical object for which an override
88 should be created (for specifying both, use @code{\single} on the
91 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
92 \new Staff \with { \omit Clef }
93 \relative c'' <a e' \hide a>1
97 A new command @code{\temporary} can be applied to overrides in
98 order to not have them replace previous property settings. If a
99 @code{\revert} is applied to the same property subsequently, the
100 previous setting reappears:
102 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
103 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
104 \override NoteHead.color = #green d
105 \revert NoteHead.color e2
106 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
107 \temporary\override NoteHead.color = #green d
108 \revert NoteHead.color e
109 \revert NoteHead.color c
112 This is mainly useful for writing music functions that need to
113 have some property changed just for the duration of the function.
116 @code{\tag}, @code{\removeWithTag}, and @code{\keepWithTag} can
117 now accept a list of symbols rather than just a single symbol for
118 marking, removing, and keeping music with any of multiple tags.
119 This is particularly important for @code{\keepWithTag} since one
120 cannot achieve the same effect by using multiple consecutive
121 @code{\keepWithTag} commands.
124 The @samp{-d old-relative} option has been removed. Not actually
125 accessible from the command line any more, its remaining use was
126 for interpretating @code{\relative} in LilyPond files converted
127 automatically from version@tie{}1.8 or older. It is unclear how
128 much of this was actually still operative.
131 The meaning of @code{instrumentTransposition} has been reversed.
134 \set instrumentTransposition = #@{ b #@}
136 a written @code{c'} now sounds like @code{b}. Previously, this
137 would have been the other way round. This and the following change
138 should make dealing with transposing instruments more
142 The music generated by @code{\set} and @code{\override} commands
143 is no longer affected by @code{\transpose}. The main consequence
144 is that @code{\transpose} will transpose audible/@/concert pitch and
145 printed pitch by the same amount even when the transposed music
146 contains @code{\transposition}. Previously,
148 \transpose c' f' \transposition bes'
150 was equivalent to @code{\transposition f'}. Now it stays
151 equivalent to @code{\transposition bes'}.
154 Tuplets are now created with the @code{\tuplet} command, which
155 takes a fraction @code{@var{t}/@var{n}} to specify that @var{t}
156 notes are played in the time usually allowed for @var{n}. One
157 @code{\tuplet} command can create several tuplet groups if their
158 duration is typed after the fraction.
159 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
160 \tuplet 3/2 { c8 d e } \tuplet 3/2 { f e d } c2
161 \tuplet 3/2 4 { c8 d e f e d } c2
163 The @code{\times} command with its inverted fraction order
164 @code{@var{n}/@var{t}} is still available.
167 Introducing two new markup-commands; @code{\draw-dashed-line} and
168 @code{\draw-dotted-line}.
171 The dashed-line extends to the whole length given by @var{dest}, if
172 @code{full-length} is set to @code{#t} (this is the default) without any
173 space at the beginning or end. @code{off} will then be altered to fit.
174 To insist on the given (or default) values of @code{on}, @code{off} use
175 @code{\override #'(full-length . #f)}. Manual settings for @code{on},
176 @code{off} and @code{phase} are possible.
179 The dotted-line always extends to the whole length given by @var{dest},
180 without any space at the beginning or end. Manual settings for
181 @code{off} are possible to get larger or smaller space between the dots.
182 The given (or default) value of @code{off} will be altered to fit the
185 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
187 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
188 \override #'(on . 0.3)
189 \override #'(off . 0.5)
190 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
191 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
192 \override #'(thickness . 2)
193 \override #'(off . 0.2)
194 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
199 Starting with version@tie{}2.17.10, error messages or the
200 @code{textedit} @acronym{URI} used for point-and-click
201 functionality specify column numbers starting with@tie{}1 rather
202 than@tie{}0. The byte offset (also part of @code{textedit}
203 @acronym{URI}s) still starts at@tie{}0.
206 The @code{\clef} command supports optional octavation:
207 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
215 The LilyPond syntax of dot-separated words @code{Voice.Accidental}
216 has been made interchangeable with @code{#'(Voice Accidental)}, a
217 Scheme list of symbols. As one result, code like
219 \override Voice.TextSpanner #'(bound-details left text) = "rit."
223 \override Voice.TextSpanner bound-details.left.text = "rit."
227 \override #'(Voice TextSpanner) bound-details.left.text = "rit."
231 Grob and grob property path no longer need to be specified as two
232 separate arguments to commands like @samp{\override} and
233 @code{\revert}, allowing for the syntax
235 \override Voice.TextSpanner.bound-details.left.text = "rit."
237 Since complementary music functions like @samp{\overrideProperty}
238 cannot support forms with and without separating space at the same
239 time, using a single dotted path is now the preferred form.
240 Specifying grob path and grob property path separately, currently
241 still supported with @samp{\override} and @samp{\revert} for
242 compatibility reasons, is deprecated.
245 Due to words now being accepted as symbol function arguments, the
246 interfaces of @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
247 @samp{\footnote} and @samp{\tweak} had to be redesigned where
248 optional symbol arguments were involved. Please check the
249 respective music function documentation for details.
252 Several commands now accept symbol lists (conveniently entered as
253 dot-separated words) for various kinds of arguments. These
254 include @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
255 @samp{\footnote}, @samp{\hide}, @samp{\omit},
256 @samp{\overrideProperty}, @samp{\shape}, and @samp{\tweak}.
259 The bar line user interface has changed. Bar glyphs now resemble the
260 appearance of the bar line, so a left repeat sign has to be coded
261 as @code{.|:}. The command @code{\defineBarLine} provides an easy way
262 to define additional bar line styles.
265 Accidentals in the key signature may be printed in octaves other
266 than their traditional positions, or in multiple octaves.
267 @lilypond[quote,relative=0]
268 \override Staff.KeySignature #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
269 \override Staff.KeyCancellation #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
270 \clef bass \key es\major es g bes d
271 \clef treble \bar "||" \key es\major es g bes d
272 \override Staff.KeySignature #'sharp-positions = #'(2)
273 \bar "||" \key d\major b fis b2
279 For older news, go to
280 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.16/Documentation/changes/},
281 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.14/Documentation/changes/},
282 or @uref{../,go back} to the Documentation index.