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 Horizontal space is allowed for tempo and rehearsal marks,
71 so that these marks do not overlap each other.
72 A new command @code{\markLengthOff} turns this feature off.
73 @lilypond[quote,relative=0]
75 \tempo "Molto vivace" c''2 c'
77 \tempo "Meno mosso" R1*16
81 There is a new @code{\absolute} command explicitly marking music
82 as being entered in absolute pitch. While this has been the
83 default previously, an explicit @code{\absolute} also prevents
84 reinterpretation when the passage is placed inside of
86 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
87 \relative c { c'4 \absolute { f'' g'' } c }
91 When @code{\relative} is used without an explicit reference pitch,
92 the reference pitch now is the middle of the first octave, making
93 the first entered pitch indistinguishable from absolute pitch.
94 Previously, omitting the reference pitch would have lead to a
95 default of @code{c'}. Since that choice was somewhat arbitrary,
96 recommended usage was to always specify the reference pitch.
99 A new command @code{\single} can be used for converting a property
100 override into a tweak to be applied on a single music expression:
102 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
103 <a \single\voiceTwoStyle e' a>1
107 Two ways of letting graphical objects not appear in the output are
108 overriding its @code{transparent} property with @code{#t}
109 (retaining the original spacing) or overriding its @code{stencil}
110 property with @code{#f} (not using any space at all). Those two
111 operations now have the shorthands @code{\hide} and @code{\omit},
112 respectively. They can either be given a music expression to
113 tweak, or the name of a graphical object for which an override
114 should be created (for specifying both, use @code{\single} on the
117 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
118 \new Staff \with { \omit Clef }
119 \relative c'' <a e' \hide a>1
123 A new command @code{\temporary} can be applied to overrides in
124 order to not have them replace previous property settings. If a
125 @code{\revert} is applied to the same property subsequently, the
126 previous setting reappears:
128 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
129 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
130 \override NoteHead.color = #green d
131 \revert NoteHead.color e2
132 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
133 \temporary\override NoteHead.color = #green d
134 \revert NoteHead.color e
135 \revert NoteHead.color c
138 This is mainly useful for writing music functions that need to
139 have some property changed just for the duration of the function.
142 @code{\tag}, @code{\removeWithTag}, and @code{\keepWithTag} can
143 now accept a list of symbols rather than just a single symbol for
144 marking, removing, and keeping music with any of multiple tags.
145 This is particularly important for @code{\keepWithTag} since one
146 cannot achieve the same effect by using multiple consecutive
147 @code{\keepWithTag} commands.
150 The @samp{-d old-relative} option has been removed. Not actually
151 accessible from the command line any more, its remaining use was
152 for interpretating @code{\relative} in LilyPond files converted
153 automatically from version@tie{}1.8 or older. It is unclear how
154 much of this was actually still operative.
157 The meaning of @code{instrumentTransposition} has been reversed.
160 \set instrumentTransposition = #@{ b #@}
162 a written @code{c'} now sounds like @code{b}. Previously, this
163 would have been the other way round. This and the following change
164 should make dealing with transposing instruments more
168 The music generated by @code{\set} and @code{\override} commands
169 is no longer affected by @code{\transpose}. The main consequence
170 is that @code{\transpose} will transpose audible/@/concert pitch and
171 printed pitch by the same amount even when the transposed music
172 contains @code{\transposition}. Previously,
174 \transpose c' f' \transposition bes'
176 was equivalent to @code{\transposition f'}. Now it stays
177 equivalent to @code{\transposition bes'}.
180 When checking for collisions, LilyPond no longer treats objects as
181 rectangles. Instead, the actual shape of objects is approximated
182 using an integral-like approach. This generally results in more
183 even and snug positioning of objects and systems:
185 @lilypond[relative=1]
186 #(ly:set-option 'debug-skylines #t)
190 d4-.\downbow a4^"r'venu..." c \tempo "T1" e
193 Previously, the above snippet looked like this:
195 @lilypond[relative=1]
196 #(ly:set-option 'debug-skylines #t)
197 \override Hairpin #'vertical-skylines = #'()
198 \override DynamicText #'vertical-skylines = #'()
199 \override TextScript #'vertical-skylines = #'()
200 \override Score.MetronomeMark #'vertical-skylines = #'()
201 \override Staff.Clef #'vertical-skylines = #'()
205 d4-.\downbow a4^"r'venu..." c \tempo "T1" e
208 Affected objects include @code{Accidentals}, @code{Beams}, @code{Clefs},
209 @code{Dynamics}, @code{FiguredBass}, @code{Flags}, @code{Glissandos},
210 @code{Lyrics}, @code{MetronomeMarks}, @code{OttavaBrackets},
211 @code{Pedals}, @code{RehearsalMarks}, @code{Rests}, @code{Scripts},
212 @code{TextScripts}, @code{Ties}, @code{Tuplets} and @code{VoltaBrackets}.
215 Tuplets are now created with the @code{\tuplet} command, which
216 takes a fraction @code{@var{t}/@var{n}} to specify that @var{t}
217 notes are played in the time usually allowed for @var{n}. One
218 @code{\tuplet} command can create several tuplet groups if their
219 duration is typed after the fraction.
220 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
221 \tuplet 3/2 { c8 d e } \tuplet 3/2 { f e d } c2
222 \tuplet 3/2 4 { c8 d e f e d } c2
224 The @code{\times} command with its inverted fraction order
225 @code{@var{n}/@var{t}} is still available.
228 Introducing two new markup-commands; @code{\draw-dashed-line} and
229 @code{\draw-dotted-line}.
232 The dashed-line extends to the whole length given by @var{dest}, if
233 @code{full-length} is set to @code{#t} (this is the default) without any
234 space at the beginning or end. @code{off} will then be altered to fit.
235 To insist on the given (or default) values of @code{on}, @code{off} use
236 @code{\override #'(full-length . #f)}. Manual settings for @code{on},
237 @code{off} and @code{phase} are possible.
240 The dotted-line always extends to the whole length given by @var{dest},
241 without any space at the beginning or end. Manual settings for
242 @code{off} are possible to get larger or smaller space between the dots.
243 The given (or default) value of @code{off} will be altered to fit the
246 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
248 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
249 \override #'(on . 0.3)
250 \override #'(off . 0.5)
251 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
252 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
253 \override #'(thickness . 2)
254 \override #'(off . 0.2)
255 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
260 Starting with version@tie{}2.17.10, error messages or the
261 @code{textedit} @acronym{URI} used for point-and-click
262 functionality specify column numbers starting with@tie{}1 rather
263 than@tie{}0. The byte offset (also part of @code{textedit}
264 @acronym{URI}s) still starts at@tie{}0.
267 The @code{\clef} command supports optional transposition:
268 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
276 The LilyPond syntax of dot-separated words @code{Voice.Accidental}
277 has been made interchangeable with @code{#'(Voice Accidental)}, a
278 Scheme list of symbols. As one result, code like
280 \override Voice.TextSpanner #'(bound-details left text) = "rit."
284 \override Voice.TextSpanner bound-details.left.text = "rit."
288 \override #'(Voice TextSpanner) bound-details.left.text = "rit."
292 Grob and grob property path no longer need to be specified as two
293 separate arguments to commands like @samp{\override} and
294 @code{\revert}, allowing for the syntax
296 \override Voice.TextSpanner.bound-details.left.text = "rit."
298 Since complementary music functions like @samp{\overrideProperty}
299 cannot support forms with and without separating space at the same
300 time, using a single dotted path is now the preferred form.
301 Specifying grob path and grob property path separately, currently
302 still supported with @samp{\override} and @samp{\revert} for
303 compatibility reasons, is deprecated.
306 Due to words now being accepted as symbol function arguments, the
307 interfaces of @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
308 @samp{\footnote} and @samp{\tweak} had to be redesigned where
309 optional symbol arguments were involved. Please check the
310 respective music function documentation for details.
313 Several commands now accept symbol lists (conveniently entered as
314 dot-separated words) for various kinds of arguments. These
315 include @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
316 @samp{\footnote}, @samp{\hide}, @samp{\omit},
317 @samp{\overrideProperty}, @samp{\shape}, and @samp{\tweak}.
320 The bar line user interface has changed. Bar glyphs now resemble the
321 appearance of the bar line, so a left repeat sign has to be coded
322 as @code{.|:}. The command @code{\defineBarLine} provides an easy way
323 to define additional bar line styles.
326 Accidentals in the key signature may be printed in octaves other
327 than their traditional positions, or in multiple octaves.
328 @lilypond[quote,relative=0]
329 \override Staff.KeySignature #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
330 \override Staff.KeyCancellation #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
331 \clef bass \key es\major es g bes d
332 \clef treble \bar "||" \key es\major es g bes d
333 \override Staff.KeySignature #'sharp-positions = #'(2)
334 \bar "||" \key d\major b fis b2
340 For older news, go to
341 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.16/Documentation/changes/},
342 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.14/Documentation/changes/},
343 or @uref{../,go back} to the Documentation index.