1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @node Documentation work
3 @chapter Documentation work
5 There are currently 11 manuals for LilyPond, not including the
6 translations. Each book is available in HTML, PDF, and info. The
7 documentation is written in a language called @code{texinfo} --
8 this allows us to generate different output formats from a single
11 To organize multiple authors working on the documentation, we use a
12 Version Control System (VCS) called git, previously discussed in
13 @ref{Starting with Git}.
16 * Introduction to documentation work::
17 * Documentation suggestions::
18 * Texinfo introduction and usage policy::
19 * Documentation policy::
20 * Tips for writing docs::
21 * Scripts to ease doc work::
22 * Docstrings in scheme::
23 * Translating the documentation::
27 @node Introduction to documentation work
28 @section Introduction to documentation work
30 Our documentation tries to adhere to our @ref{Documentation
31 policy}. This policy contains a few items which may seem odd.
32 One policy in particular is often questioned by potential
33 contributors: we do not repeat material in the Notation Reference,
34 and instead provide links to the @qq{definitive} presentation of
35 that information. Some people point out, with good reason, that
36 this makes the documentation harder to read. If we repeated
37 certain information in relevant places, readers would be less
38 likely to miss that information.
40 That reasoning is sound, but we have two counter-arguments.
41 First, the Notation Reference -- one of @emph{five} manuals for
42 users to read -- is already over 500 pages long. If we repeated
43 material, we could easily exceed 1000 pages! Second, and much
44 more importantly, LilyPond is an evolving project. New features
45 are added, bugs are fixed, and bugs are discovered and documented.
46 If features are discussed in multiple places, the documentation
47 team must find every instance. Since the manual is so large, it
48 is impossible for one person to have the location of every piece
49 of information memorized, so any attempt to update the
50 documentation will invariably omit a few places. This second
51 concern is not at all theoretical; the documentation used to be
52 plagued with inconsistent information.
54 If the documentation were targeted for a specific version -- say,
55 LilyPond 2.10.5 -- and we had unlimited resources to spend on
56 documentation, then we could avoid this second problem. But since
57 LilyPond evolves (and that is a very good thing!), and since we
58 have quite limited resources, this policy remains in place.
60 A few other policies (such as not permitting the use of tweaks in
61 the main portion of NR 1+2) may also seem counter-intuitive, but
62 they also stem from attempting to find the most effective use of
63 limited documentation help.
66 @node Documentation suggestions
67 @section Documentation suggestions
69 @subheading Small additions
71 For additions to the documentation,
76 Tell us where the addition should be placed. Please include both
77 the section number and title (i.e. "LM 2.13 Printing lyrics").
80 Please write exact changes to the text.
83 A formal patch to the source code is @emph{not} required; we can
84 take care of the technical details. Here is an example of a
85 perfect documentation report:
88 To: lilypond-devel@gnu.org
89 From: helpful-user@example.net
92 In LM 2.13 (printing lyrics), above the last line ("More options,
93 like..."), please add:
96 To add lyrics to a divided part, use blah blah blah. For example,
99 \notes {blah <<blah>> }
100 \lyrics {blah <<blah>> }
105 In addition, the second sentence of the first paragraph is
106 confusing. Please delete that sentence (it begins "Users
107 often...") and replace it with this:
109 To align lyrics with something, do this thing.
119 @subheading Larger contributions
121 To replace large sections of the documentation, the guidelines are
122 stricter. We cannot remove parts of the current documentation
123 unless we are certain that the new version is an improvement.
128 Ask on the lilypond-devel maillist if such a rewrite is necessary;
129 somebody else might already be working on this issue!
132 Split your work into small sections; this makes it much easier to
133 compare the new and old documentation.
136 Please prepare a formal git patch.
140 Once you have followed these guidelines, please send a message to
141 lilypond-devel with your documentation submissions. Unfortunately
142 there is a strict “no top-posting” check on the mailist; to avoid
145 > I'm not top posting.
147 (you must include the > ) to the top of your documentation
150 We may edit your suggestion for spelling, grammar, or style, and
151 we may not place the material exactly where you suggested, but if
152 you give us some material to work with, we can improve the manual
153 much faster. Thanks for your interest!
156 @node Texinfo introduction and usage policy
157 @section Texinfo introduction and usage policy
160 * Texinfo introduction::
161 * Documentation files::
162 * Sectioning commands::
163 * LilyPond formatting::
166 * Other text concerns::
170 @node Texinfo introduction
171 @subsection Texinfo introduction
173 The language is called Texinfo; you can see its manual here:
175 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/}
177 However, you don't need to read those docs. The most important
178 thing to notice is that text is text. If you see a mistake in the
179 text, you can fix it. If you want to change the order of
180 something, you can cut-and-paste that stuff into a new location.
182 @warning{Rule of thumb: follow the examples in the existing docs.
183 You can learn most of what you need to know from this; if you want
184 to do anything fancy, discuss it on @code{lilypond-devel} first.}
187 @node Documentation files
188 @subsection Documentation files
190 All manuals live in @file{Documentation/}.
192 In particular, there are four user manuals, their respective master
193 source files are @file{learning.tely} (LM, Learning Manual),
194 @file{notation.tely} (NR, Notation Reference),
195 @file{music-glossary.tely} (MG, Music Glossary), and
196 @file{lilypond-program} (AU). Each chapter is written in a separate
197 file, ending in @file{.itely} for files containing lilypond code, and
198 @file{.itexi} for files without lilypond code, located in a subdirectory
199 associated to the manual (@file{learning/} for @file{learning.tely}, and
200 so on); list the subdirectory of each manual to determine the filename
201 of the specific chapter you wish to modify.
203 Developer manuals live in @file{Documentation/} too. Currently there is
204 only one: the Contributor's Guide @file{contrib-guide.texi} you are
207 Snippet files are part of documentation, and the Snippet List (SL) lives
208 in @file{Documentation/} just like the manuals. For information about
209 how to modify the snippet files and SL, see @ref{LSR work}.
212 @node Sectioning commands
213 @subsection Sectioning commands
215 Most of the manual operates at the
223 level. Sections are created with
232 Please leave two blank lines above a @@node; this makes it
233 easier to find sections in texinfo.
236 If a heading is desired without creating a node, please use
244 Sectioning commands (@@node and @@section) must not appear
245 inside an @@ignore. Separate those commands with a space, ie
250 Nodes must be included inside a
260 construct. These are easily constructed with automatic tools; see
261 @ref{Scripts to ease doc work}.
264 @node LilyPond formatting
265 @subsection LilyPond formatting
270 Use two spaces for indentation in lilypond examples. (no
274 All text strings should be prefaced with #. LilyPond does
275 not strictly require this, but it is helpful to get users
276 accustomed to this scheme construct. ie @code{\set
277 Staff.instrumentName = #"cello"}
280 All engravers should have double-quotes around them:
283 \consists "Spans_arpeggio_engraver"
286 Again, LilyPond does not strictly require this, but it is a useful
290 If possible, only write one bar per line.
293 If you only have one bar per line, omit bar checks. If you
294 must put more than one bar per line (not recommended), then include bar
298 Tweaks should, if possible, also occur on their own line.
300 not: \override TextScript #'padding = #3 c1^"hi"
301 but instead: \override TextScript #'padding = #3
306 Most LilyPond input should be produced with:
309 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
316 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
319 If you want to use @code{\layout@{@}} or define variables, use
322 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
325 In rare cases, other options may be used (or omitted), but ask first.
328 Inspirational headwords are produced with
331 @@lilypondfile[quote,ragged-right,line-width=16\cm,staffsize=16]
332 @{pitches-headword.ly@}
336 LSR snippets are linked with
339 @@lilypondfile[verbatim,lilyquote,ragged-right,texidoc,doctitle]
344 excepted in Templates, where `doctitle' may be omitted.
347 Avoid long stretches of input code. Nobody is going to read
348 them in print. Create small examples. However, this does not mean
352 Specify durations for at least the first note of every bar.
355 If possible, end with a complete bar.
358 Comments should go on their own line, and be placed before
359 the line(s) to which they refer.
362 For clarity, always use @{ @} marks even if they are not technically
366 \context Voice \repeat unfold 2 \relative c' {
380 Add extra spaces around @{ @} marks; ie
383 not: \chordmode @{c e g@}
384 but instead: \chordmode @{ c e g @}
388 Use @{ @} marks for additional @code{\markup} format comands; ie
391 not: c^\markup \tiny\sharp
392 but instead: c^\markup @{ \tiny \sharp @}
396 Remove any space around @code{<} @code{>} marks; ie
400 but instead: <c e g>4
404 Beam, slur and tie marks should begin immediately after the first
405 note with beam and phrase marks ending immediately after the last.
408 a8(\ ais16[ b cis( d] b) cis4~ b' cis,\)
412 If you want to work on an example outside of the manual (for
413 easier/faster processing), use this header:
418 line-width = 160\mm - 2.0 * 0.4\in
420 force-assignment = #""
421 line-width = #(- line-width (* mm 3.000000))
428 You may not change any of these values. If you are making an
429 example demonstrating special @code{\paper@{@}} values, contact the
430 Documentation Editor.
435 @node Text formatting
436 @subsection Text formatting
440 Lines should be less than 72 characters long. (We personally
441 recommend writing with 66-char lines, but do not bother modifying
442 existing material). Also see the recommendations for fixed-width
443 fonts in the @ref{Syntax survey}.
449 Do not use spaces at the beginning of a line (except in
450 @code{@@example} or @code{@@verbatim} environments), and do not
451 use more than a single space between words. @q{makeinfo} copies
452 the input lines verbatim without removing those spaces.
455 Use two spaces after a period.
458 In examples of syntax, use @code{@@var@{@var{musicexpr}@}} for a
462 Don't use @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in the main text. If you're
463 tempted to do so, you're probably getting too close to @qq{talking
464 through the code}. If you really want to refer to a context, use
465 @code{@@code@{@}} in the main text and @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in
466 the @code{@@seealso}.
471 @subsection Syntax survey
481 * Special characters::
487 @unnumberedsubsubsec Comments
491 @code{@@c @dots{}} --- single line comment. @samp{@@c NOTE:} is a
492 comment which should remain in the final version. (gp only
496 @code{@@ignore} --- multi-line comment:
506 @node Cross references
507 @unnumberedsubsubsec Cross references
509 Enter the exact @code{@@node} name of the target reference between
510 the brackets (eg.@tie{}@w{@samp{@@ref@{Syntax survey@}}}).
514 @code{@@ref@{@dots{}@}} --- link within current manual.
517 @code{@@rchanges@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Changes.
520 @code{@@rcontrib@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Contributor's Guide.
523 @code{@@ressay@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Engraving Essay.
526 @code{@@rextend@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Extending LilyPond.
529 @code{@@rglos@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Music Glossary.
532 @code{@@rinternals@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Internals Reference.
535 @code{@@rlearning@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Learning Manual.
538 @code{@@rlsr@{@dots{}@}} --- link to a Snippet section.
541 @code{@@rprogram@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Application Usage.
544 @code{@@ruser@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Notation Reference.
547 @code{@@rweb@{@dots{}@}} --- link to General Informaion.
552 @unnumberedsubsubsec External links
556 @code{@@email@{@dots{}@}} --- create a @code{mailto:} E-mail link.
559 @code{@@uref@{@var{URL}[, @var{link text}]@}} --- link to an
560 external url. Use within an @code{@@example ... @@end example}.
564 @@uref@{URL [, link text ]@}
570 @node Fixed-width font
571 @unnumberedsubsubsec Fixed-width font
575 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} ---
577 Use the @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} command for individual
578 language-specific tokens (keywords, commands, engravers, scheme
579 symbols, etc.). Ideally, a single @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} block
580 should fit within one line in the PDF output. Use the
581 @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} command when you have a short example of
582 user input, unless it constitutes an entire @code{@@item} by
583 itself, in which case @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} is preferable.
584 Otherwise, both should only be used when part of a larger sentence
585 within a paragraph or @code{@@item}. Never use a
586 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} block as a
587 free-standing paragraph; use @code{@@example} instead.
589 A single unindented line in the PDF has space for about 79
590 fixed-width characters (76 if indented). Within an @code{@@item}
591 there is space for about 75 fixed-width characters. Each
592 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
593 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
595 However, even short blocks of @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} and
596 @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} can run into the margin if the Texinfo
597 line-breaking algorithm gets confused. Additionally, blocks that
598 are longer than this may in fact print nicely; it all depends
599 where the line breaks end up. If you compile the docs yourself,
600 check the PDF output to make sure the line breaks are
603 The Texinfo setting @code{@@allowcodebreaks} is set to
604 @code{false} in the manuals, so lines within
605 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} blocks will
606 only break at spaces, not at hyphens or underscores. If the block
607 contains spaces, use @code{@@w@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}} or
608 @code{@@w@{@@samp@{@dots{}@}@}} to prevent unexpected line breaks.
610 The Texinfo settings @code{txicodequoteundirected} and
611 @code{txicodequotebacktick} are both set in the manuals, so
612 backticks (@code{`}) and apostrophes (@code{'}) placed within
613 blocks of @code{@@code}, @code{@@example}, or @code{@@verbatim}
614 are not converted to left- and right-angled quotes
615 (@code{@quoteleft{} @quoteright{}}) as they normally are within
616 the text, so the apostrophes in
617 @q{@w{@code{@@w@{@@code@{@bs{}relative c''@}@}}}} will display
618 correctly. However, these settings do not affect the PDF output
619 for anything within a @code{@@samp} block (even if it includes a
620 nested @code{@@code} block), so entering
621 @q{@code{@@w@{@@samp@{@bs{}relative c''@}@}}} wrongly produces
622 @q{@w{@code{@bs{}relative c@quoteright{}@quoteright{}}}} in PDF.
623 Consequently, if you want to use a @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} block
624 which contains backticks or apostrophes, you should instead use
625 @q{@code{@@q@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}}} (or
626 @q{@code{@@q@{@@w@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}@}}} if the block also
627 contains spaces). Note that backslashes within
628 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}} blocks must be entered as @samp{@@bs@{@}},
629 so the example above would be coded as
630 @q{@code{@@q@{@@w@{@@code@{@@bs@{@}relative c''@}@}@}}}.
633 @code{@@command@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for command-line commands (eg.
634 @samp{@@command@{lilypond-book@}}).
637 @code{@@example} --- Use for examples of program code. Do not add
638 extraneous indentation (ie. don't start every line with
639 whitespace). Use the following layout (notice the use of blank
640 lines). Omit the @code{@@noindent} if the text following the
641 example starts a new paragraph:
644 @var{@dots{}text leading into the example@dots{}}
651 @var{continuation of the text@dots{}}
654 Individual lines within an @code{@@example} block should not
655 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
656 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@example} block
657 is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
658 @code{@@example} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
659 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
660 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
662 For long command line examples, if possible, use a trailing
663 backslash to break up a single line, indenting the next line with
664 2 spaces. If this isn't feasible, use @samp{@@smallexample
665 @dots{} @@end@tie{}smallexample} instead, which uses a smaller
666 fontsize. Use @code{@@example} whenever possible, but if needed,
667 @code{@@smallexample} can fit up to 90 characters per line before
668 running into the PDF margin. Each additional level of
669 @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate} shortens a
670 @code{@@smallexample} line by about 5 columns.
673 @code{@@file@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for filenames and directories.
676 @code{@@option@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for options to command-line
677 commands (eg. @samp{@@option@{--format@}}).
680 @code{@@verbatim} --- Prints the block exactly as it appears in
681 the source file (including whitespace, etc.). For program code
682 examples, use @code{@@example} instead. @code{@@verbatim} uses
683 the same format as @code{@@example}.
685 Individual lines within an @code{@@verbatim} block should not
686 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
687 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@verbatim}
688 block is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
689 @code{@@verbatim} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
690 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
691 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
696 @unnumberedsubsubsec Indexing
700 @code{@@cindex @dots{}} --- General index. Please add as many as you can.
701 Don't capitalize the first word.
704 @code{@@funindex @dots{}} --- is for a \lilycommand.
709 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lists
713 @code{@@enumerate} --- Create an ordered list (with numbers).
714 Always put @samp{@@item} on its own line, and separate consecutive
715 items with a blank line:
728 @code{@@itemize} --- Create an unordered list (with bullets). Use
729 the same format as @code{@@enumerate}. Do not use
730 @samp{@@itemize@tie{}@@bullet}.
734 @node Special characters
735 @unnumberedsubsubsec Special characters
739 @code{--}, @code{---} --- Create an en dash (--) or an em dash
740 (---) in the text. To print two or three literal hyphens in a
741 row, wrap one of them in a @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} (eg.
745 @code{@@@@}, @code{@@@{}, @code{@@@}} --- Create an at-sign (@@),
746 a left curly bracket (@{), or a right curly bracket (@}).
749 @code{@@bs@{@}} --- Create a backslash within a
750 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}}, or
751 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} block. This is a custom LilyPond
752 macro, not a builtin @@-command in Texinfo. Texinfo would also
753 allow @samp{\\}, but this breaks the PDF output.
756 @code{@@tie@{@}} --- Create a @emph{variable-width} non-breaking
757 space in the text (use @w{@samp{@@w@{ @}}} for a single
758 @emph{fixed-width} non-breaking space). Variables or numbers
759 which consist of a single character (probably followed by a
760 punctuation mark) should be tied properly, either to the previous
761 or the next word. Example: @samp{The letter@@tie@{@}@@q@{I@} is
767 @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellany
771 @code{@@notation@{@dots{}@}} --- refers to pieces of notation, e.g.
772 @samp{@@notation@{clef@}}. Also use for specific lyrics
773 (@samp{the @@notation@{A@tie{}-@tie{}men@} is centered}).
774 Only use once per subsection per term.
777 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}} --- Single quotes. Used for
778 @quoteleft{}vague@quoteright{} terms. To get a backslash
779 (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
782 @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}} --- Double quotes. Used for actual quotes
783 (@qq{he said}) or for introducing special input modes. To get a
784 backslash (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
787 @code{@@var@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for variables.
790 @code{@@version@{@}} --- Return the current LilyPond version
791 string. Use @samp{@@w@{@@version@{@}@}} if it's at the end of a
792 line (to prevent an ugly line break in PDF); use
793 @samp{@@w@{"@@version@{@}"@}} if you need it in quotes.
796 @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} --- Do not allow any line breaks.
799 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} --- produces a @qq{Note:@tie{}} box.
800 Use for important messages. To get a backslash (\), you must use
805 @node Other text concerns
806 @subsection Other text concerns
810 References must occur at the end of a sentence, for more
812 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/,texinfo
813 manual}. Ideally this should also be the final sentence of a
814 paragraph, but this is not required. Any link in a doc section
815 must be duplicated in the @code{@@seealso} section at the bottom.
818 Introducing examples must be done with
821 . (ie finish the previous sentence/paragaph)
822 : (ie `in this example:')
823 , (ie `may add foo with the blah construct,')
826 The old @qq{sentence runs directly into the example} method is not
830 Abbrevs in caps, e.g., HTML, DVI, MIDI, etc.
840 When beginning a quote: @qq{So, he said,...}.
842 This usage is rarer. Americans often just use a comma.
845 When adding a defining example at the end of a sentence.
849 Non-ASCII characters which are in utf-8 should be directly used;
850 this is, don't say @samp{Ba@@ss@{@}tuba} but @samp{Baßtuba}. This
851 ensures that all such characters appear in all output formats.
855 @node Documentation policy
856 @section Documentation policy
860 * Section organization::
861 * Checking cross-references::
863 * Technical writing style::
869 There are four parts to the documentation: the Learning Manual,
870 the Notation Reference, the Program Reference, and the Music
878 The LM is written in a tutorial style which introduces the most
879 important concepts, structure and syntax of the elements of a
880 LilyPond score in a carefully graded sequence of steps.
881 Explanations of all musical concepts used in the Manual can be
882 found in the Music Glossary, and readers are assumed to have no
883 prior knowledge of LilyPond. The objective is to take readers to
884 a level where the Notation Reference can be understood and
885 employed to both adapt the templates in the Appendix to their
886 needs and to begin to construct their own scores. Commonly used
887 tweaks are introduced and explained. Examples are provided
888 throughout which, while being focussed on the topic being
889 introduced, are long enough to seem real in order to retain the
890 readers' interest. Each example builds on the previous material,
891 and comments are used liberally. Every new aspect is thoroughly
892 explained before it is used.
894 Users are encouraged to read the complete Learning Manual from
899 Notation Reference: a (hopefully complete) description of LilyPond
900 input notation. Some material from here may be duplicated in the
901 Learning Manual (for teaching), but consider the NR to be the
902 "definitive" description of each notation element, with the LM
903 being an "extra". The goal is _not_ to provide a step-by-step
904 learning environment -- do not avoid using notation that has not
905 be introduced previously in the NR (for example, use \break if
906 appropriate). This section is written in formal technical writing
909 Avoid duplication. Although users are not expected to read this
910 manual from start to finish, they should be familiar with the
911 material in the Learning Manual (particularly ``Fundamental
912 Concepts''), so do not repeat that material in each section of
913 this book. Also watch out for common constructs, like ^ - _ for
914 directions -- those are explained in NR 3. In NR 1, you can
915 write: DYNAMICS may be manually placed above or below the staff,
916 see @@ref@{Controlling direction and placement@}.
918 Most tweaks should be added to LSR and not placed directly in the
919 .itely file. In some cases, tweaks may be placed in the main
920 text, but ask about this first.
922 Finally, you should assume that users know what the notation
923 means; explaining musical concepts happens in the Music Glossary.
927 Application Usage: information about using the program lilypond
928 with other programs (lilypond-book, operating systems, GUIs,
929 convert-ly, etc). This section is written in formal technical
932 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
936 Music Glossary: information about the music notation itself.
937 Explanations and translations about notation terms go here.
939 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
942 Internals Reference: not really a documentation book, since it is
943 automagically generated from the source, but this is its name.
948 @node Section organization
949 @subsection Section organization
954 The order of headings inside documentation sections should
967 You @emph{must} include a @@seealso.
971 The order of items inside the @@seealso section is
980 @@rlearning@{foozle@}.
993 @@file@{path/to/dir/blahz@}.
995 Snippets: @@rlsr@{section@}.
998 @@rinternals@{fazzle@},
999 @@rinternals@{booar@}.
1003 If there are multiple entries, separate them by commas but do not
1007 Always end with a period.
1010 Place each link on a new line as above; this makes it much easier
1011 to add or remove links. In the output, they appear on a single
1014 ("Snippets" is REQUIRED; the others are optional)
1017 Any new concepts or links which require an explanation should go
1018 as a full sentence(s) in the main text.
1021 Don't insert an empty line between @@seealso and the first entry!
1022 Otherwise there is excessive vertical space in the PDF output.
1027 To create links, use @@ref@{@} if the link is within the same
1031 @@predefined ... @@endpredefined is for commands in
1035 Do not include any real info in second-level sections (ie 1.1
1036 Pitches). A first-level section may have introductory material,
1037 but other than that all material goes into third-level sections
1038 (ie 1.1.1 Writing Pitches).
1043 @node Checking cross-references
1044 @subsection Checking cross-references
1046 Cross-references between different manuals are heavily used in the
1047 documentation, but they are not checked during compilation.
1048 However, if you compile the documentation, a script called
1049 check_texi_refs can help you with checking and fixing these
1050 cross-references; for information on usage, cd into a source tree
1051 where documentation has been built, cd into Documentation and run:
1058 Note that you have to find yourself the source files to fix
1059 cross-references in the generated documentation such as the
1060 Internals Reference; e.g. you can grep scm/ and lily/.
1062 @c temporary? how long will kainhofer be used? -gp
1063 Also of interest may be the linkdoc checks on kainhofer.com. Be
1064 warned that these docs are not completely rebuilt every day, so it
1065 might not accurately reflect the current state of the docs.
1068 @uref{http://kainhofer.com/~lilypond/linkdoc/}
1072 @node General writing
1073 @subsection General writing
1078 Do not forget to create @@cindex entries for new sections of text.
1079 Enter commands with @@funindex, i.e.
1082 @@cindex pitches, writing in different octaves
1083 @@funindex \relative
1087 do not bother with the @@code@{@} (they are added automatically).
1088 These items are added to both the command index and the unified
1091 Both index commands should go in front of the actual material.
1093 @@cindex entries should not be capitalized, ie
1096 @@cindex time signature
1100 is preferred instead of @qq{Time signature}, Only use capital
1101 letters for musical terms which demand them, like D.S. al Fine.
1103 For scheme functions, only include the final part, i.e.,
1106 @@funindex modern-voice-cautionary
1108 @@funindex #(set-accidental-style modern-voice-cautionary)
1117 In general, use the American spellings. The internal lilypond
1118 property names use this spelling.
1121 List of specific terms:
1125 simultaneous NOT concurrent
1126 measure: the unit of music
1127 bar line: the symbol delimiting a measure NOT barline
1128 note head NOT notehead
1129 chord construct NOT chord (when referring to <>)
1137 @node Technical writing style
1138 @subsection Technical writing style
1140 These refer to the NR. The LM uses a more gentle, colloquial
1146 Do not refer to LilyPond in the text. The reader knows what the
1147 manual is about. If you do, capitalization is LilyPond.
1150 If you explicitly refer to @q{lilypond} the program (or any other
1151 command to be executed), write @code{@@command@{lilypond@}}.
1154 Do not explicitly refer to the reader/user. There is no one else
1155 besides the reader and the writer.
1158 Avoid contractions (don't, won't, etc.). Spell the words out completely.
1161 Avoid abbreviations, except for commonly used abbreviations of foreign
1162 language terms such as etc. and i.e.
1165 Avoid fluff (@qq{Notice that,} @qq{as you can see,}
1169 The use of the word @q{illegal} is inappropriate in most cases.
1170 Say @q{invalid} instead.
1175 @node Tips for writing docs
1176 @section Tips for writing docs
1178 In the NR, I highly recommend focusing on one subsection at a
1179 time. For each subsection,
1184 check the mundane formatting. Are the headings (@@predefined,
1185 @@seealso, etc.) in the right order?
1188 add any appropriate index entries.
1191 check the links in the @@seealso section -- links to music
1192 glossary, internal references, and other NR sections are the main
1193 concern. Check for potential additions.
1196 move LSR-worthy material into LSR. Add the snippet, delete the
1197 material from the .itely file, and add a @@lilypondfile command.
1200 check the examples and descriptions. Do they still work?
1201 @strong{Do not} assume that the existing text is
1202 accurate/complete; some of the manual is highly out of date.
1205 is the material in the @@knownissues still accurate?
1208 can the examples be improved (made more explanatory), or is there
1209 any missing info? (feel free to ask specific questions on -user;
1210 a couple of people claimed to be interesting in being
1211 @qq{consultants} who would help with such questions)
1215 In general, I favor short text explanations with good examples --
1216 @qq{an example is worth a thousand words}. When I worked on the
1217 docs, I spent about half my time just working on those tiny
1218 lilypond examples. Making easily-understandable examples is much
1219 harder than it looks.
1222 @subsubheading Tweaks
1224 In general, any \set or \override commands should go in the
1225 @qq{select snippets} section, which means that they should go in
1226 LSR and not the .itely file. For some cases, the command
1227 obviously belongs in the @qq{main text} (i.e. not inside
1228 @@predefined or @@seealso or whatever) -- instrument names are a
1229 good example of this.
1232 \set Staff.instrumentName = #"foo"
1235 On the other side of this,
1238 \override Score.Hairpin #'after-line-breaking = ##t
1241 clearly belongs in LSR.
1243 I'm quite willing to discuss specific cases if you think that a
1244 tweaks needs to be in the main text. But items that can go into
1245 LSR are easier to maintain, so I'd like to move as much as
1246 possible into there.
1249 It would be @qq{nice} if you spent a lot of time crafting nice
1250 tweaks for users@dots{} but my recommendation is @strong{not} to do
1251 this. There's a lot of doc work to do without adding examples of
1252 tweaks. Tweak examples can easily be added by normal users by adding
1255 One place where a documentation writer can profitably spend time writing
1256 or upgrading tweaks is creating tweaks to deal with known issues. It
1257 would be ideal if every significant known issue had a workaround to avoid
1261 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1264 @node Scripts to ease doc work
1265 @section Scripts to ease doc work
1267 @subheading Stripping whitespace
1269 @c TODO: should this be documented elsewhere? It's useful for
1270 @c more than just docs.
1271 To remove extra whitespace from the ends of lines, run
1274 scripts/auxiliar/strip-whitespace.py Documentation/FILENAME
1278 @subheading Sectioning commands
1280 @warning{These commands add whitespace.}
1282 The emacs @code{M-x texinfo-all-menus-update} command will
1283 regenerate @@menu blocks. This can also be run with this
1284 command-line script:
1288 emacs $1 -batch -f texinfo-all-menus-update -f save-buffer
1292 (save the above as something like @command{texinfo-menus.sh}, make
1293 it executable, then run @command{texinfo-menus.sh foo.itely})
1296 @subheading Updating doc with @command{convert-ly}
1298 cd into @file{Documentation/} and run
1301 find . -name '*.itely' | xargs convert-ly -e
1305 This also updates translated documentation.
1309 @node Docstrings in scheme
1310 @section Docstrings in scheme
1312 Material in the Internals reference is generated automatically
1313 from our source code. Any doc work on Internals therefore
1314 requires modifying files in @file{scm/*.scm}. Texinfo is allowed
1315 in these docstrings.
1317 Most documentation writers never touch these, though. If you want
1318 to work on them, please ask for help.
1321 @node Translating the documentation
1322 @section Translating the documentation
1324 The mailing list @code{translations@@lilynet.net} is dedicated to
1325 LilyPond web site and documentation translation; on this list, you will
1326 get support from the Translations Meister and experimented translators,
1327 and we regularly discuss translations issues common to all languagues.
1328 All people interested in LilyPond translations are invited to subscribe
1329 to this list regardless of the amount of their contribution, by sending
1330 an email to @code{translations-request@@lilynet.net} with subject
1331 @code{subscribe} and an empty message body. Unless mentioned explicitly
1332 or except if a translations coordinator contacts you privately, you
1333 should send questions, remarks, patches to this list
1334 @code{translations@@lilynet.net}; especially note that the traffic is so
1335 high on English-speaking list @code{lilypond-user@@gnu.org} that it may
1336 take months before your request or contribution is handled if you send a
1337 email to these lists.
1340 * Getting started with documentation translation::
1341 * Documentation translation details::
1342 * Documentation translation maintenance::
1343 * Translations management policies::
1344 * Technical background::
1347 @node Getting started with documentation translation
1348 @subsection Getting started with documentation translation
1350 First, get the sources of branch @code{lilypond/translation} from the
1351 Git repository, see @ref{Starting with Git}.
1354 * Translation requirements::
1355 * Which documentation can be translated::
1356 * Starting translation in a new language::
1359 @node Translation requirements
1360 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translation requirements
1362 Working on LilyPond documentation translations requires the following
1363 pieces of software, in order to make use of dedicated helper tools:
1366 @item Python 2.4 or higher,
1372 It is not required to build LilyPond and the documentation to
1373 translate the documentation. However, if you have enough time and
1374 motivation and a suitable system, it can be very useful to build at
1375 least the documentation so that you can check the output yourself and
1376 more quickly; if you are interested, see @ref{Compiling}.
1379 @node Which documentation can be translated
1380 @unnumberedsubsubsec Which documentation can be translated
1382 The makefiles and scripts infrastructure currently supports translation
1383 of the following documentation:
1386 @item the web site, the Learning Manual, the Notation Reference and
1387 Application Usage -- Texinfo source, PDF and HTML output; Info output
1388 might be added if there is enough demand for it;
1389 @item the Changes document.
1392 Support for translating the following pieces of documentation should be
1393 added soon, by decreasing order of priority:
1396 @item automatically generated documentation: markup commands,
1397 predefined music functions;
1398 @item the Snippets List;
1399 @item the Internals Reference.
1403 @node Starting translation in a new language
1404 @unnumberedsubsubsec Starting translation in a new language
1406 At top of the source directory, do
1413 or (if you want to install your self-compiled LilyPond locally)
1416 ./autogen.sh --prefix=$HOME
1420 If you want to compile LilyPond -- which is almost required to build
1421 the documentation, but is not required to do translation only -- fix
1422 all dependencies and rerun @command{./configure} (with the same
1423 options as for @command{autogen.sh}).
1425 Then @command{cd} into @file{Documentation/} and run
1428 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} new-lang
1432 where @var{MY-LANGUAGE} is the ISO 639 language code.
1434 Finally, add a language definition for your language in
1435 @file{python/langdefs.py}.
1438 @node Documentation translation details
1439 @subsection Documentation translation details
1441 Please follow all the instructions with care to ensure quality work.
1443 All files should be encoded in UTF-8.
1446 * Files to be translated::
1447 * Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation::
1448 * Adding a Texinfo manual::
1451 @node Files to be translated
1452 @unnumberedsubsubsec Files to be translated
1454 @include contributor/doc-translation-list.itexi
1456 In addition, not listed above, Snippets' titles and descriptions
1457 should be translated; they are a part of the Notation Reference and
1458 therefore their priority is 5.
1460 @node Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1461 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1463 Every piece of text should be translated in the source file, except
1464 Texinfo comments, text in @code{@@lilypond} blocks and a few cases
1467 Node names are translated, but the original node name in English should
1468 be kept as the argument of @code{@@translationof} put after the section
1469 title; that is, every piece in the original file like
1473 @@@var{section_command} Bar baz
1477 should be translated as
1480 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1481 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1482 @@translationof Foo bar
1485 The argument of @code{@@rglos} commands and the first argument of
1486 @code{@@rglosnamed} commands must not be translated, as it is the node
1487 name of an entry in Music Glossary.
1489 Every time you translate a node name in a cross-reference, i.e. the
1490 argument of commands @code{@@ref, @@rprogram, @@rlearning, @@rlsr,
1491 @@ruser} or the first argument of their @code{@var{*}named} variants,
1492 you should make sure the target node is defined in the correct source
1493 file; if you do not intend to translate the target node right now, you
1494 should at least write the node definition (that is, the @code{@@node
1495 @@@var{section_commmand} @@translationof} trio mentioned above) in the
1496 expected source file and define all its parent nodes; for each node you
1497 have defined this way but have not translated, insert a line that
1498 contains @code{@@untranslated}. That is, you should end up
1499 for each untranslated node with something like
1502 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1503 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1504 @@translationof Foo bar
1509 @warning{you do not have to translate the node name of a cross-reference
1510 to a node that you do not have translated. If you do, you must define
1511 an @qq{empty} node like explained just above; this will produce a
1512 cross-reference with the translated node name in output, although the
1513 target node will still be in English. On the opposite, if all
1514 cross-references that refer to an untranslated node use the node name in
1515 English, then you do not have to define such an @qq{empty} node, and the
1516 cross-reference text will appear in English in the output. The choice
1517 between these two strategies implies its particular maintenance
1518 requirements and is left to the translators, although the opinion of the
1519 Translation meister leans towards not translating these
1522 Please think of the fact that it may not make sense translating
1523 everything in some Texinfo files, and you may take distance from the
1524 original text; for instance, in the translation of the web site section
1525 Community, you may take this into account depending on what you know the
1526 community in your language is willing to support, which is possible only
1527 if you personnally assume this support, or there exists a public forum
1528 or mailing list listed in Community for LilyPond in your language:
1531 @item @rweb{Bug reports}: this page should be translated only if you
1532 know that every bug report sent on your language's mailing list or forum
1533 will be handled by someone who will translate it to English and send it
1534 on bug-lilypond or add an issue in the tracker, then translate back the
1535 reply from developers.
1537 @item @rweb{Help us}: this page should be translated very freely,
1538 and possibly not at all: ask help for contributing to LilyPond for tasks
1539 that LilyPond community in your language is able and going to handle.
1543 In any case, please mark in your work the sections which do not result
1544 from the direct translation of a piece of English translation, using
1545 comments i.e. lines starting with @q{@code{@@c}}.
1547 Finally, press in Emacs @key{C-c C-u C-a} to update or generate
1548 menus. This process should be made easier in the future, when the helper
1549 script @command{texi-langutils.py} and the makefile target are updated.
1551 Some pieces of text manipulated by build scripts that appear in the
1552 output are translated in a @file{.po} file -- just like LilyPond output
1553 messages -- in @file{Documentation/po}. The Gettext domain is named
1554 @code{lilypond-doc}, and unlike @code{lilypond} domain it is not managed
1555 through the Free Translation Project.
1558 Take care of using typographic rules for your language, especially in
1559 @file{macros.itexi}.
1561 If you wonder whether a word, phrase or larger piece of text should be
1562 translated, whether it is an argument of a Texinfo command or a small
1563 piece sandwiched between two Texinfo commands, try to track whether and
1564 where it appears in PDF and/or HTML output as visible text. This piece
1565 of advice is especially useful for translating @file{macros.itexi}.
1567 Please keep verbatim copies of music snippets (in @code{@@lilypond}
1568 blocs). However, some music snippets containing text that shows in
1569 the rendered music, and sometimes translating this text really helps
1570 the user to understand the documentation; in this case, and only in
1571 this case, you may as an exception translate text in the music
1572 snippet, and then you must add a line immediately before the
1573 @code{@@lilypond} block, starting with
1580 Otherwise the music snippet would be reset to the same content as the
1581 English version at next @command{make snippet-update} run -- see
1582 @ref{Updating documentation translation}.
1587 @@lilypondfile[<number of fragment options>,texidoc]@{@var{filename.ly}@}
1591 in the source, open @file{Documentation/snippets/@var{filename}.ly},
1592 translate the @code{texidoc} header field it contains, enclose it with
1593 @code{texidoc@var{MY-LANGUAGE} = "} and @code{"}, and write it into
1594 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@var{filename}.texidoc}.
1595 Additionnally, you may translate the snippet's title in @code{doctitle}
1596 header field, in case @code{doctitle} is a fragment option used in
1597 @code{@@lilypondfile}; you can do this exactly the same way as
1598 @code{texidoc}. For instance,
1599 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@var{filename}.texidoc}
1603 doctitlees = "Spanish title baz"
1605 Spanish translation blah
1610 Then, you should get these translated strings into compiled snippets in
1611 @file{Documentation/snippets}, see @q{General guidelines} in @ref{Adding
1612 and editing snippets}.
1614 @code{@@example} blocks need not be verbatim copies, e.g. variable
1615 names, file names and comments should be translated.
1617 Finally, please carefully apply every rule exposed in @ref{Texinfo
1618 introduction and usage policy}, and @ref{Documentation policy}. If one
1619 of these rules conflicts with a rule specific to your language, please
1620 ask the Translation meister on @email{translations@@lilynet.net} list
1621 and/or the Documentation Editors on @email{lilypond-devel@@gnu.org}
1625 @node Adding a Texinfo manual
1626 @unnumberedsubsubsec Adding a Texinfo manual
1628 In order to start translating a new manual whose basename is @var{FOO},
1632 cd Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}
1633 cp ../@var{FOO}.tely .
1635 cp web/GNUmakefile @var{FOO}
1639 then append @var{FOO} to variable @code{SUBDIRS} in
1640 Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/GNUmakefile, then translate file
1641 @var{MY-LANGUAGE}/@var{FOO}.tely and run @code{skeleton-update}:
1645 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} TEXI_LANGUTIL_FLAGS=--head-only skeleton-update
1649 Your are now ready to translate the new manual exactly like the web site
1650 or the Learning Manual.
1653 @node Documentation translation maintenance
1654 @subsection Documentation translation maintenance
1656 Several tools have been developed to make translations maintenance
1657 easier. These helper scripts make use of the power of Git, the
1658 version control system used for LilyPond development.
1660 You should use them whenever you would like to update the translation in
1661 your language, which you may do at the frequency that fits your and your
1662 cotranslators' respective available times. In the case your translation
1663 is up-do-date (which you can discover in the first subsection below), it
1664 is enough to check its state every one or two weeks. If you feel
1665 overwhelmed by the quantity of documentation to be updated, see
1666 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1669 * Check state of translation::
1670 * Updating documentation translation::
1671 * Updating translation committishes::
1674 @macro seeCommittishesUpdate{}
1675 @warning{do not forget to update the committish in each file you have
1676 completely updated, see @ref{Updating translation committishes}.}
1679 @node Check state of translation
1680 @unnumberedsubsubsec Check state of translation
1682 First pull from Git -- see @ref{Pulling and rebasing}, but DO NOT rebase
1683 unless you are sure to master the translation state checking and
1684 updating system -- then cd into @file{Documentation/} (or at top of the
1685 source tree, replace @command{make} with @command{make -C
1686 Documentation}) and run
1689 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation
1693 This presents a diff of the original files since the most recent
1694 revision of the translation. To check a single file, cd into
1695 @file{Documentation/} and run
1698 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@var{manual}/@var{foo}.itely check-translation
1702 In case this file has been renamed since you last updated the
1703 translation, you should specify both old and new file names, e.g.
1704 @code{CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@{@var{manual},user@}/@var{foo}.itely}.
1706 To see only which files need to be updated, do
1709 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation | grep 'diff --git'
1712 To avoid printing terminal colors control characters, which is often
1713 desirable when you redirect output to a file, run
1716 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} NO_COLOR=1 check-translation
1719 You can see the diffs generated by the commands above as changes that
1720 you should make in your language to the existing translation, in order
1721 to make your translation up to date.
1723 @seeCommittishesUpdate
1725 Global state of the translation is recorded in
1726 @file{Documentation/translations.itexi}, which is used to generate
1727 Translations status page. To update that page, do from
1728 @file{Documentation/}
1731 make translation-status
1734 This will also leave @file{out/translations-status.txt}, which contains
1735 up-to-dateness percentages for each translated file, and update word
1736 counts of documentation files in this Guide.
1739 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1741 @node Updating documentation translation
1742 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating documentation translation
1744 Instead of running @code{check-translation}, you may want to run
1745 @code{update-translation}, which will run your favorite text editor to
1746 update files. First, make sure environment variable @code{EDITOR} is
1747 set to a text editor command, then run from @file{Documentation/}
1750 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} update-translation
1754 or to update a single file
1757 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE/@var{manual}/foo.itely} update-translation
1760 For each file to be udpated, @code{update-translation} will open your
1761 text editor with this file and a diff of the file in English; if the
1762 diff cannot be generated or is bigger than the file in English itself,
1763 the full file in English will be opened instead.
1765 @seeCommittishesUpdate
1767 Texinfo skeleton files, i.e. @file{.itely} files not yet translated,
1768 containing only the first node of the original file in English can be
1769 updated automatically: whenever @command{make check-translation} shows
1770 that such files should be updated, run from @file{Documentation/}
1773 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} skeleton-update
1776 @file{.po} message catalogs in @file{Documentation/po/} may be updated
1777 by issuing from @file{Documentation/} or @file{Documentation/po/}
1783 @warning{if you run po-update and somebody else does the same and
1784 pushes before you push or send a patch to be applied, there will be a
1785 conflict when you pull. Therefore, it is better that only the
1786 Translation meister runs this command.}
1788 Updating music snippets can quickly become cumbersome, as most
1789 snippets should be identical in all languages. Fortunately, there is
1790 a script that can do this odd job for you (run from
1791 @file{Documentation/}):
1794 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} snippet-update
1797 This script overwrites music snippets in
1798 @file{@var{MY_LANGUAGE/foo/every.itely}} with music snippets from
1799 @file{@var{foo/every.itely}}. It ignores skeleton files, and keeps
1800 intact music snippets preceded with a line starting with @code{@@c
1801 KEEP LY}; it reports an error for each @file{.itely} that has not the
1802 same music snippet count in both languages. Always use this script
1803 with a lot of care, i.e. run it on a clean Git working tree, and check
1804 the changes it made with @command{git diff} before committing; if you
1805 don't do so, some @code{@@lilypond} snippets might be broken or make
1806 no sense in their context.
1808 When you have updated texidocs in
1809 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs}, you can get these
1810 changes into compiled snippets in @file{Documentation/snippets}, see
1811 @q{General guidelines} in @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1813 Finally, a command runs the three update processes above for all
1814 enabled languages (from @file{Documentation/}):
1817 make all-translations-update
1820 Use this command with caution, and keep in mind it will not be really
1821 useful until translations are stabilized after the end of GDP and GOP.
1824 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations},
1825 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1828 @node Updating translation committishes
1829 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating translation committishes
1831 At the beginning of each translated file except PO files, there is a
1832 committish which represents the revision of the sources which you have
1833 used to translate this file from the file in English.
1835 When you have pulled and updated a translation, it is very important to
1836 update this committish in the files you have completely updated (and
1837 only these); to do this, first commit possible changes to any
1838 documentation in English which you are sure to have done in your
1839 translation as well, then replace in the up-to-date translated files the
1840 old committish by the committish of latest commit, which can be obtained
1844 git rev-list HEAD |head -1
1847 A special case is updating Snippet documentation strings in
1848 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs}. For these to be
1849 correctly marked as up-to-date, first run @code{makelsr.py} as
1850 explained in @ref{Adding and editing snippets}, and commit the
1851 resulting compiled snippets left in @file{Documentation/snippets/}.
1852 Say the SHA1 ID code of this commit is <C>. Now edit again your
1853 translated files in @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs}
1854 adjusting the 40-digit committish that appears in the text to be <C>;
1855 finally, commit these updated files. Not doing so would result in
1856 changes made both to your updates and original snippets to
1857 persistently appear in the check-translation output as if they were
1860 This two-phase mechanism avoids the (practically) unsolvable problem
1861 of guessing what committish will have our update, and pretending to
1862 put this very committish on the files in the same commit.
1864 @c http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2009-01/msg00245.html
1865 @c contains a helper script which could be used to perform massive
1866 @c committish updates.
1872 @node Translations management policies
1873 @subsection Translations management policies
1875 These policies show the general intent of how the translations should
1876 be managed, they aim at helping translators, developers and
1877 coordinators work efficiently.
1880 * Maintaining without updating translations::
1881 * Managing documentation translation with Git::
1884 @node Maintaining without updating translations
1885 @unnumberedsubsubsec Maintaining without updating translations
1887 Keeping translations up to date under heavy changes in the documentation
1888 in English may be almost impossible, especially as during the former
1889 Grand Documentation Project (GDP) or the Grand Organization Project
1890 (GOP) when a lot of contributors brings changes. In addition,
1891 translators may be --- and that is a very good thing --- involved in
1894 it is possible --- and even recommended --- to perform some maintenance
1895 that keeps translated documentation usable and eases future translation
1896 updating. The rationale below the tasks list motivates this plan.
1898 The following tasks are listed in decreasing priority order.
1901 @item Update macros.itexi.
1902 For each obsolete macro definition, if it is possible to update macro
1903 usage in documentation with an automatic text or regexp substitution,
1904 do it and delete the macro definition from macros.itexi; otherwise,
1905 mark this macro definition as obsolete with a comment, and keep it in
1906 macros.itexi until the documentation translation has been updated and
1907 no longer uses this macro.
1909 @item Update @file{*.tely} files completely with
1910 @command{make check-translation} -- you may want to redirect ouptput
1911 to a file because of overwhelming output, or call check-translation.py
1912 on individual files, see @ref{Check state of translation}.
1914 @item In @file{.itelys}, match sections and .itely file names with those from
1915 English docs, which possibly involves moving nodes contents in block
1916 between files, without updating contents itself. In other words, the
1917 game is catching where has gone each section. In Learning manual, and
1918 in Notation Reference sections which have been revised in GDP, there may
1919 be completely new sections: in this case, copy @code{@@node} and
1920 @code{@@section}-command from English docs, and add the marker for
1921 untranslated status @code{@@untranslated} on a single line. Note that
1922 it is not possible to exactly match subsections or subsubsections of
1923 documentation in English, when contents has been deeply revised; in this
1924 case, keep obsolete (sub)subsections in the translation, marking them
1925 with a line @code{@@c obsolete} just before the node.
1927 Emacs with Texinfo mode makes this step easier:
1930 @item without Emacs AucTeX installed, @key{C-c C-s} shows structure of current
1931 Texinfo file in a new buffer @code{*Occur*}; to show structure of two files
1932 simultaneously, first split Emacs window in 4 tiles (with @key{C-x 1}
1933 and @key{C-x 2}), press @key{C-c C-s} to show structure of one file
1934 (e.g. the translated file), copy @code{*Occur*} contents into
1935 @code{*Scratch*}, then press @key{C-c C-s} for the other file.
1937 If you happen to have installed AucTeX, you can either call the macro
1938 by doing @key{M-x texinfo-show-structure} or create a key binding in your
1939 @file{~/.emacs}, by adding the four following lines:
1942 (add-hook 'Texinfo-mode-hook
1944 (define-key Texinfo-mode-map "\C-cs"
1945 'texinfo-show-structure)))
1949 and then obtain the structure in the @code{*Occur*} buffer with @key{C-c
1952 @item Do not bother updating @code{@@menu}s when all menu entries are in the same
1953 file, just do @key{C-c C-u C-a} (@qq{update all menus}) when you have
1954 updated all the rest of the file.
1956 @item Moving to next or previous node using incremental search: press
1957 @key{C-s} and type @code{node} (or @key{C-s @@node} if the text
1958 contains the word @q{node}) then press @key{C-s} to move to next node
1959 or @key{C-r} to move to previous node. Similar operation can be used
1960 to move to the next/previous section. Note that every cursor move
1961 exits incremental search, and hitting @key{C-s} twice starts
1962 incremental search with the text entered in previous incremental
1965 @item Moving a whole node (or even a sequence of nodes): jump to beginning
1966 of the node (quit incremental search by pressing an arrow), press
1967 @key{C-SPACE}, press @key{C-s node} and repeat @key{C-s} until you
1968 have selected enough text, cut it with @key{C-w} or @key{C-x}, jump to
1969 the right place (moving between nodes with the previous hint is often
1970 useful) and paste with @key{C-y} or @key{C-v}.
1973 @item Update sections finished in the English documentation; check
1975 @uref{http://lilypondwiki.tuxfamily.org/index.php?title=Documentation_coordination}.
1977 @item Update documentation PO. It is recommended not to update
1978 strings which come from documentation that is currently deeply revised
1979 in English, to avoid doing the work more than once.
1981 @item Fix broken cross-references by running (from @file{Documentation/})
1984 make ISOLANG=@var{YOUR-LANGUAGE} fix-xrefs
1988 This step requires a sucessful documentation build (with @command{make
1989 doc}). Some cross-references are broken because they point to a node
1990 that exists in the documentation in English, which has not been added
1991 to the translation; in this case, do not fix the cross-reference but
1992 keep it "broken", so that the resulting HTML link will point to an
1993 existing page of documentation in English.
1996 @subsubheading Rationale
1998 You may wonder if it would not be better to leave translations as-is
1999 until you can really start updating translations. There are several
2000 reasons to do these maintenance tasks right now.
2003 @item This will have to be done sooner or later anyway, before updating
2004 translation of documentation contents, and this can already be done
2005 without needing to be redone later, as sections of documentation in
2006 English are mostly revised once. However, note that not all
2007 documentation sectioning has been revised in one go, so all this
2008 maintenance plan has to be repeated whenever a big reorganization is
2011 @item This just makes translated documentation take advantage of the new
2012 organization, which is better than the old one.
2014 @item Moving and renaming sections to match sectioning of documentation in
2015 English simplify future updating work: it allows updating the
2016 translation by side-by-side comparison, without bothering whether
2017 cross-reference names already exist in the translation.
2019 @item Each maintenance task except @q{Updating PO files} can be done by
2020 the same person for all languages, which saves overall time spent by
2021 translators to achieve this task: the node names and section titles
2022 are in English, so you can do. It is important to take advantage of
2023 this now, as it will be more complicated (but still possible) to do
2024 step 3 in all languages when documentation is compiled with
2025 @command{texi2html} and node names are directly translated in source
2030 @node Managing documentation translation with Git
2031 @unnumberedsubsubsec Managing documentation translation with Git
2033 This policy explains how to manage Git branches and commit
2034 translations to Git.
2037 @item Translation changes matching master branch are preferably made on
2038 @code{lilypond/translation} branch; they may be pushed directly to
2039 @code{master} only if they do not break compilation of LilyPond and
2040 its documentation, and in this case they should be pushed to
2041 @code{lilypond/translation} too. Similarly, changes matching
2042 @code{stable/X.Y} are preferably made on
2043 @code{lilypond/X.Ytranslation}.
2045 @item @code{lilypond/translation} Git branch may be merged into
2046 master only if LilyPond (@command{make all}) and documentation
2047 (@command{make doc}) compile succesfully.
2049 @item @code{master} Git branch may be merged into
2050 @code{lilypond/translation} whenever @command{make} and @command{make
2051 doc} are succesful (in order to ease documentation compilation by
2052 translators), or when significant changes had been made in
2053 documentation in English in master branch.
2055 @item General maintenance may be done by anybody who knows what he does
2056 in documentation in all languages, without informing translators
2057 first. General maintenance include simple text substitutions
2058 (e.g. automated by sed), compilation fixes, updating Texinfo or
2059 lilypond-book commands, updating macros, updating ly code, fixing
2060 cross-references, and operations described in @ref{Maintaining
2061 without updating translations}.
2065 @node Technical background
2066 @subsection Technical background
2068 A number of Python scripts handle a part of the documentation
2069 translation process. All scripts used to maintain the translations
2070 are located in @file{scripts/auxiliar/}.
2073 @item @file{check_translation.py} -- show diff to update a translation,
2074 @item @file{texi-langutils.py} -- quickly and dirtily parse Texinfo files to
2075 make message catalogs and Texinfo skeleton files,
2076 @item @file{texi-skeleton-update.py} -- update Texinfo skeleton files,
2077 @item @file{update-snippets.py} -- synchronize ly snippets with those
2079 @item @file{translations-status.py} -- update translations status pages and word
2080 counts in the file you are reading,
2081 @item @file{tely-gettext.py} -- gettext node names, section titles and references
2082 in the sources; WARNING only use this script once for each file, when support for
2083 "makeinfo --html" has been dropped.
2086 Other scripts are used in the build process, in @file{scripts/build/}:
2089 @item @file{mass-link.py} -- link or symlink files between English documentation
2090 and documentation in other languages.
2093 Python modules used by scripts in @file{scripts/auxiliar/} or @file{scripts/build/} (but
2094 not by installed Python scripts) are located in @file{python/auxiliar/}:
2096 @item @file{manuals_definitions.py} -- define manual names and name of
2097 cross-reference Texinfo macros,
2098 @item @file{buildlib.py} -- common functions (read piped output
2099 of a shell command, use Git),
2100 @item @file{postprocess_html.py} (module imported by @file{www_post.py}) -- add footer and
2101 tweak links in HTML pages.
2106 @item @file{python/langdefs.py} -- language definitions module