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 A number of shorthands like @code{(}, @code{)}, @code{|},
66 @code{[}, @code{]}, @code{~}, @code{\(}, @code{\)} and others can
67 now freely be redefined like normal commands. An example would be
68 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
76 c8 \{ d e f \} % slurred
77 g ( a b c ) % no slur, but with melisma
80 \addlyrics { Li -- ly -- pond. }
85 The articulation shorthand for @code{\staccatissimo} has been
86 renamed from @code{-|} to@tie{}@code{-!}.
89 Tempo change ranges are now written as @code{\tempo 4 = 60 - 68}
90 rather than @code{\tempo 4 = 60 ~ 68}.
93 Grob @code{OctavateEight} was renamed to @code{ClefModifier}.
94 Related context properties were renamed from @code{xxxOctavationyyy}
95 to @code{xxxTranspositionyyy}.
98 There is a new @code{\absolute} command explicitly marking music
99 as being entered in absolute pitch. While this has been the
100 default previously, an explicit @code{\absolute} also prevents
101 reinterpretation when the passage is placed inside of
103 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
104 \relative c { c'4 \absolute { f'' g'' } c }
108 When @code{\relative} is used without an explicit reference pitch,
109 the reference pitch now is the middle of the first octave, making
110 the first entered pitch indistinguishable from absolute pitch.
111 Previously, omitting the reference pitch would have lead to a
112 default of @code{c'}. Since that choice was somewhat arbitrary,
113 recommended usage was to always specify the reference pitch.
116 A new command @code{\single} can be used for converting a property
117 override into a tweak to be applied on a single music expression:
119 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
120 <a \single\voiceTwoStyle e' a>1
124 Two ways of letting graphical objects not appear in the output are
125 overriding its @code{transparent} property with @code{#t}
126 (retaining the original spacing) or overriding its @code{stencil}
127 property with @code{#f} (not using any space at all). Those two
128 operations now have the shorthands @code{\hide} and @code{\omit},
129 respectively. They can either be given a music expression to
130 tweak, or the name of a graphical object for which an override
131 should be created (for specifying both, use @code{\single} on the
134 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
135 \new Staff \with { \omit Clef }
136 \relative c'' <a e' \hide a>1
140 A new command @code{\temporary} can be applied to overrides in
141 order to not have them replace previous property settings. If a
142 @code{\revert} is applied to the same property subsequently, the
143 previous setting reappears:
145 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
146 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
147 \override NoteHead.color = #green d
148 \revert NoteHead.color e2
149 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
150 \temporary\override NoteHead.color = #green d
151 \revert NoteHead.color e
152 \revert NoteHead.color c
155 This is mainly useful for writing music functions that need to
156 have some property changed just for the duration of the function.
159 @code{\tag}, @code{\removeWithTag}, and @code{\keepWithTag} can
160 now accept a list of symbols rather than just a single symbol for
161 marking, removing, and keeping music with any of multiple tags.
162 This is particularly important for @code{\keepWithTag} since one
163 cannot achieve the same effect by using multiple consecutive
164 @code{\keepWithTag} commands.
167 The @samp{-d old-relative} option has been removed. Not actually
168 accessible from the command line any more, its remaining use was
169 for interpretating @code{\relative} in LilyPond files converted
170 automatically from version@tie{}1.8 or older. It is unclear how
171 much of this was actually still operative.
174 The meaning of @code{instrumentTransposition} has been reversed.
177 \set instrumentTransposition = #@{ b #@}
179 a written @code{c'} now sounds like @code{b}. Previously, this
180 would have been the other way round. This and the following change
181 should make dealing with transposing instruments more
185 The music generated by @code{\set} and @code{\override} commands
186 is no longer affected by @code{\transpose}. The main consequence
187 is that @code{\transpose} will transpose audible/@/concert pitch and
188 printed pitch by the same amount even when the transposed music
189 contains @code{\transposition}. Previously,
191 \transpose c' f' \transposition bes'
193 was equivalent to @code{\transposition f'}. Now it stays
194 equivalent to @code{\transposition bes'}.
197 When checking for collisions, LilyPond no longer treats objects as
198 rectangles. Instead, the actual shape of objects is approximated
199 using an integral-like approach. This generally results in more
200 even and snug positioning of objects and systems:
202 @lilypond[relative=1]
203 #(ly:set-option 'debug-skylines #t)
207 d4-.\downbow a4^"r'venu..." c \tempo "T1" e
210 Previously, the above snippet looked like this:
212 @lilypond[relative=1]
213 #(ly:set-option 'debug-skylines #t)
214 \override Hairpin #'vertical-skylines = #'()
215 \override DynamicText #'vertical-skylines = #'()
216 \override TextScript #'vertical-skylines = #'()
217 \override Score.MetronomeMark #'vertical-skylines = #'()
218 \override Staff.Clef #'vertical-skylines = #'()
222 d4-.\downbow a4^"r'venu..." c \tempo "T1" e
225 Affected objects include @code{Accidentals}, @code{Beams}, @code{Clefs},
226 @code{Dynamics}, @code{FiguredBass}, @code{Flags}, @code{Glissandos},
227 @code{Lyrics}, @code{MetronomeMarks}, @code{OttavaBrackets},
228 @code{Pedals}, @code{RehearsalMarks}, @code{Rests}, @code{Scripts},
229 @code{TextScripts}, @code{Ties}, @code{Tuplets} and @code{VoltaBrackets}.
232 Tuplets are now created with the @code{\tuplet} command, which
233 takes a fraction @code{@var{t}/@var{n}} to specify that @var{t}
234 notes are played in the time usually allowed for @var{n}. One
235 @code{\tuplet} command can create several tuplet groups if their
236 duration is typed after the fraction.
237 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
238 \tuplet 3/2 { c8 d e } \tuplet 3/2 { f e d } c2
239 \tuplet 3/2 4 { c8 d e f e d } c2
241 The @code{\times} command with its inverted fraction order
242 @code{@var{n}/@var{t}} is still available.
245 Introducing two new markup-commands; @code{\draw-dashed-line} and
246 @code{\draw-dotted-line}.
249 The dashed-line extends to the whole length given by @var{dest}, if
250 @code{full-length} is set to @code{#t} (this is the default) without any
251 space at the beginning or end. @code{off} will then be altered to fit.
252 To insist on the given (or default) values of @code{on}, @code{off} use
253 @code{\override #'(full-length . #f)}. Manual settings for @code{on},
254 @code{off} and @code{phase} are possible.
257 The dotted-line always extends to the whole length given by @var{dest},
258 without any space at the beginning or end. Manual settings for
259 @code{off} are possible to get larger or smaller space between the dots.
260 The given (or default) value of @code{off} will be altered to fit the
263 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
265 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
266 \override #'(on . 0.3)
267 \override #'(off . 0.5)
268 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
269 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
270 \override #'(thickness . 2)
271 \override #'(off . 0.2)
272 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
277 Starting with version@tie{}2.17.10, error messages or the
278 @code{textedit} @acronym{URI} used for point-and-click
279 functionality specify column numbers starting with@tie{}1 rather
280 than@tie{}0. The byte offset (also part of @code{textedit}
281 @acronym{URI}s) still starts at@tie{}0.
284 The @code{\clef} command supports optional transposition:
285 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
293 The LilyPond syntax of dot-separated words @code{Voice.Accidental}
294 has been made interchangeable with @code{#'(Voice Accidental)}, a
295 Scheme list of symbols. As one result, code like
297 \override Voice.TextSpanner #'(bound-details left text) = "rit."
301 \override Voice.TextSpanner bound-details.left.text = "rit."
305 \override #'(Voice TextSpanner) bound-details.left.text = "rit."
309 Grob and grob property path no longer need to be specified as two
310 separate arguments to commands like @samp{\override} and
311 @code{\revert}, allowing for the syntax
313 \override Voice.TextSpanner.bound-details.left.text = "rit."
315 Since complementary music functions like @samp{\overrideProperty}
316 cannot support forms with and without separating space at the same
317 time, using a single dotted path is now the preferred form.
318 Specifying grob path and grob property path separately, currently
319 still supported with @samp{\override} and @samp{\revert} for
320 compatibility reasons, is deprecated.
323 Due to words now being accepted as symbol function arguments, the
324 interfaces of @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
325 @samp{\footnote} and @samp{\tweak} had to be redesigned where
326 optional symbol arguments were involved. Please check the
327 respective music function documentation for details.
330 Several commands now accept symbol lists (conveniently entered as
331 dot-separated words) for various kinds of arguments. These
332 include @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
333 @samp{\footnote}, @samp{\hide}, @samp{\omit},
334 @samp{\overrideProperty}, @samp{\shape}, and @samp{\tweak}.
337 The bar line user interface has changed. Bar glyphs now resemble the
338 appearance of the bar line, so a left repeat sign has to be coded
339 as @code{.|:}. The command @code{\defineBarLine} provides an easy way
340 to define additional bar line styles.
343 Accidentals in the key signature may be printed in octaves other
344 than their traditional positions, or in multiple octaves.
345 @lilypond[quote,relative=0]
346 \override Staff.KeySignature #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
347 \override Staff.KeyCancellation #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
348 \clef bass \key es \major es g bes d
349 \clef treble \bar "||" \key es \major es g bes d
350 \override Staff.KeySignature #'sharp-positions = #'(2)
351 \bar "||" \key d \major b fis b2
357 For older news, go to
358 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.16/Documentation/changes/},
359 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.14/Documentation/changes/},
360 or @uref{../,go back} to the Documentation index.