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 * version in documentation files::
18 * Documentation suggestions::
19 * Texinfo introduction and usage policy::
20 * Documentation policy::
21 * Tips for writing docs::
22 * Scripts to ease doc work::
23 * Docstrings in scheme::
24 * Translating the documentation::
28 @node Introduction to documentation work
29 @section Introduction to documentation work
31 Our documentation tries to adhere to our @ref{Documentation
32 policy}. This policy contains a few items which may seem odd.
33 One policy in particular is often questioned by potential
34 contributors: we do not repeat material in the Notation Reference,
35 and instead provide links to the @qq{definitive} presentation of
36 that information. Some people point out, with good reason, that
37 this makes the documentation harder to read. If we repeated
38 certain information in relevant places, readers would be less
39 likely to miss that information.
41 That reasoning is sound, but we have two counter-arguments.
42 First, the Notation Reference -- one of @emph{five} manuals for
43 users to read -- is already over 500 pages long. If we repeated
44 material, we could easily exceed 1000 pages! Second, and much
45 more importantly, LilyPond is an evolving project. New features
46 are added, bugs are fixed, and bugs are discovered and documented.
47 If features are discussed in multiple places, the documentation
48 team must find every instance. Since the manual is so large, it
49 is impossible for one person to have the location of every piece
50 of information memorized, so any attempt to update the
51 documentation will invariably omit a few places. This second
52 concern is not at all theoretical; the documentation used to be
53 plagued with inconsistent information.
55 If the documentation were targeted for a specific version -- say,
56 LilyPond 2.10.5 -- and we had unlimited resources to spend on
57 documentation, then we could avoid this second problem. But since
58 LilyPond evolves (and that is a very good thing!), and since we
59 have quite limited resources, this policy remains in place.
61 A few other policies (such as not permitting the use of tweaks in
62 the main portion of NR 1+2) may also seem counter-intuitive, but
63 they also stem from attempting to find the most effective use of
64 limited documentation help.
66 Before undertaking any large documentation work, contributors are
67 encouraged to contact the @ref{Meisters, Documentation Meister}.
70 @node version in documentation files
71 @section @code{\version} in documentation files
73 Every documentation file which includes LilyPond code must begin
74 with a @code{\version} statement, since the build procedure
75 explicitly tests for its presence and will not continue otherwise.
76 The @code{\version} statement should reference a version of LilyPond
77 consistent with the syntax of the contained code.
79 Since the @code{\version} statement is not valid Texinfo input it
80 must be commented out like this:
86 So, if you are adding LilyPond code which is not consistent with the
87 current version header, you should
92 run convert-ly on the file using the latest version of LilyPond
93 (which should, if everybody has done proper maintenance, not change
100 modify the version number to match the new code.
105 @node Documentation suggestions
106 @section Documentation suggestions
108 @subheading Small additions
110 For additions to the documentation,
115 Tell us where the addition should be placed. Please include both
116 the section number and title (i.e. "LM 2.13 Printing lyrics").
119 Please write exact changes to the text.
122 A formal patch to the source code is @emph{not} required; we can
123 take care of the technical details.
126 Send the suggestions to the @code{bug-lilypond} mailing list as
127 discussed in @rweb{Contact}.
130 Here is an example of a perfect documentation report:
133 To: bug-lilypond@gnu.org
134 From: helpful-user@example.net
135 Subject: doc addition
137 In LM 2.13 (printing lyrics), above the last line ("More options,
138 like..."), please add:
141 To add lyrics to a divided part, use blah blah blah. For example,
144 \notes {blah <<blah>> }
145 \lyrics {blah <<blah>> }
150 In addition, the second sentence of the first paragraph is
151 confusing. Please delete that sentence (it begins "Users
152 often...") and replace it with this:
154 To align lyrics with something, do this thing.
164 @subheading Larger contributions
166 To replace large sections of the documentation, the guidelines are
167 stricter. We cannot remove parts of the current documentation
168 unless we are certain that the new version is an improvement.
173 Ask on the lilypond-devel mailing list if such a rewrite is necessary;
174 somebody else might already be working on this issue!
177 Split your work into small sections; this makes it much easier to
178 compare the new and old documentation.
181 Please prepare a formal git patch.
185 @subheading Contributions that contain examples using overrides
187 Examples that use overrides, tweaks, customer Scheme functions etc. are
188 (with very few exceptions) not included in the main text of the manuals;
189 as there would be far too many, equally useful, candidates.
191 The correct way is to submit your example, with appropriate explanatory
192 text and tags, to the LilyPond Snippet Repository (LSR). Snippets that
193 have the @qq{docs} tag can then be easily added as a
194 @emph{selected snippet} in the documentation. It will also appear
195 automatically in the Snippets lists. See @ref{Introduction to LSR}.
197 Snippets that @emph{don't} have the @qq{docs} tag will still be
198 searchable and viewable within the LSR, but will be not be included in
199 the Snippets list or be able to be included as part of the main
202 Generally, any new snippets that have the @qq{docs} tag are more
203 carefully checked for syntax and formatting.
205 @subheading Announcing your snippet
207 Once you have followed these guidelines, please send a message to
208 lilypond-devel with your documentation submissions. Unfortunately
209 there is a strict @q{no top-posting} check on the mailing list; to avoid
212 @code{> I'm not top posting}
214 (you must include the > ) to the top of your documentation addition.
216 We may edit your suggestion for spelling, grammar, or style, and we may
217 not place the material exactly where you suggested, but if you give us
218 some material to work with, we can improve the manual much faster.
220 Thanks for your interest!
223 @node Texinfo introduction and usage policy
224 @section Texinfo introduction and usage policy
227 * Texinfo introduction::
228 * Documentation files::
229 * Sectioning commands::
230 * LilyPond formatting::
233 * Other text concerns::
237 @node Texinfo introduction
238 @subsection Texinfo introduction
240 The language is called Texinfo; you can see its manual here:
242 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/}
244 However, you don't need to read those docs. The most important
245 thing to notice is that text is text. If you see a mistake in the
246 text, you can fix it. If you want to change the order of
247 something, you can cut-and-paste that stuff into a new location.
249 @warning{Rule of thumb: follow the examples in the existing docs.
250 You can learn most of what you need to know from this; if you want
251 to do anything fancy, discuss it on @code{lilypond-devel} first.}
254 @node Documentation files
255 @subsection Documentation files
257 All manuals live in @file{Documentation/}.
259 In particular, there are four user manuals, their respective master
260 source files are @file{learning.tely} (LM, Learning Manual),
261 @file{notation.tely} (NR, Notation Reference),
262 @file{music-glossary.tely} (MG, Music Glossary), and
263 @file{lilypond-program} (AU). Each chapter is written in a separate
264 file, ending in @file{.itely} for files containing lilypond code, and
265 @file{.itexi} for files without lilypond code, located in a subdirectory
266 associated to the manual (@file{learning/} for @file{learning.tely}, and
267 so on); list the subdirectory of each manual to determine the filename
268 of the specific chapter you wish to modify.
270 Developer manuals live in @file{Documentation/} too. Currently there is
271 only one: the Contributor's Guide @file{contrib-guide.texi} you are
274 Snippet files are part of documentation, and the Snippet List (SL) lives
275 in @file{Documentation/} just like the manuals. For information about
276 how to modify the snippet files and SL, see @ref{LSR work}.
279 @node Sectioning commands
280 @subsection Sectioning commands
282 The Notation Reference uses section headings at four, occasionally
287 @item Level 1: @@chapter
288 @item Level 2: @@section
289 @item Level 3: @@subsection
290 @item Level 4: @@unnumberedsubsubsec
291 @item Level 5: @@subsubsubheading
294 The first three levels are numbered in html, the last two are not.
295 Numbered sections correspond to a single html page in the split html
298 The first four levels always have accompanying nodes so they can be
299 referenced and are also included in the ToC in html.
301 Most of the manual is written at level 4 under headings created with
305 @@unnumberedsubsubsec Foo
308 Level 3 subsections are created with
315 Level 4 headings and menus must be preceded by level 3 headings and
316 menus, and so on for level 3 and level 2. If this is not what is
320 @@subsubsubheading Foo
323 Please leave two blank lines above a @code{@@node}; this makes it
324 easier to find sections in texinfo.
326 Do not use any @code{@@} commands for a @code{@@node}. They may be
327 used for any @code{@@sub...} sections or headings however.
331 @@node @@code@{Foo@} Bar
332 @@subsection @@code@{Foo@} Bar
336 @@subsection @@code@{Foo@} Bar
339 No punctuation may be used in the node names. If the heading text
340 uses punctuation (in particular, colons and commas) simply leave
341 this out of the node name and menu.
349 @@subsection Foo: Bar
352 Backslashes must not be used in node names or section headings.
353 If the heading text should include a backslash simply leave this
354 out of the node name and menu and replace it with @code{@@bs@{@}}
362 @@node The set command
363 @@subsection The @@code@{@@bs@{@}set@} command
366 References to such a node may use the third argument of the
367 @code{@@ref} command to display the texually correct heading.
370 @@ref@{The set command,,The @@code@{@@bs@{@}set command@}
373 With the exception of @code{@@} commands, @code{\} commands and
374 punctuation, the section name should match the node name exactly.
376 Sectioning commands (@code{@@node} and @code{@@section}) must not appear
377 inside an @code{@@ignore}. Separate those commands with a space, ie
378 @code{@@n}@tie{}@code{ode}.
380 Nodes must be included inside a
390 construct. These can be constructed with scripts:
391 see @ref{Stripping whitespace and generating menus}.
394 @node LilyPond formatting
395 @subsection LilyPond formatting
400 Most LilyPond examples throughout the documentation can be produced
404 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
407 If using @code{\book@{@}} in your example then you must also
408 include the @code{papersize=X} variable, where @code{X} is a defined
409 paper size from within @file{scm/paper.scm}. This is to avoid the
410 default @code{a4} paper size being used and leaving too much unnecessary
411 whitespace and potentially awkward page breaks in the PDFs.
413 The preferred @code{papersize}s are @code{a5}, @code{a6} or
416 @code{a8landscape} works best for a single measure with a single title
417 and/or single @code{tagline}:
420 @@lilypond[papersize=a8landscape,verbatim]
423 title = "A scale in LilyPond"
432 and can also be used to easily show features that require page breaks
433 (i.e. page numbers) without taking large amounts of space within the
434 documentation. Do not use the @code{quote} option with this paper size.
436 @code{a5} or @code{a6} paper sizes are best used for examples that have
437 more than two measures of music or require multiple staves (i.e. to
438 illustrate cross-staff features, RH and LH parts etc.) and where
439 @code{\book@{@}} constructions are required or where @code{a8landscape}
440 produces an example that is too cramped. Depending on the example the
441 @code{quote} option may need to be omitted.
443 In rare cases, other options may be used (or omitted), but ask first.
446 Please avoid using extra spacing either after or within the
447 @code{@@lilypond} parameters.
450 not: @@lilypond [verbatim, quote, fragment]
451 but instead: @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,fragment]
455 Inspirational headwords are produced with:
458 @@lilypondfile[quote,ragged-right,line-width=16\cm,staffsize=16]
459 @{pitches-headword.ly@}
463 LSR snippets are linked with:
466 @@lilypondfile[verbatim,quote,ragged-right,texidoc,doctitle]
471 Use two spaces for indentation in lilypond examples (no tabs).
474 All engravers should have double-quotes around them:
477 \consists "Spans_arpeggio_engraver"
480 LilyPond does not strictly require this, but it is a useful
481 convention to follow.
484 All context or layout object strings should be prefaced with @code{#}.
485 Again, LilyPond does not strictly require this, but it is helpful
486 to get users accustomed to this scheme construct, i.e. @code{\set
487 Staff.instrumentName = #"cello"}
490 Try to avoid using @code{#'} or @code{#`} when describing
491 context or layout properties outside of an @code{@@example} or @code{@@lilypond}, unless
492 the description explicitly requires it.
494 i.e. @qq{...setting the @code{transparent} property leaves the object where it
495 is, but makes it invisible.}
498 If possible, only write one bar per line.
501 If you only have one bar per line, omit bar checks. If you
502 must put more than one bar per line (not recommended), then include bar
506 Tweaks should, if possible, also occur on their own line.
508 not: \override TextScript.padding = #3 c1^"hi"
509 but instead: \override TextScript.padding = #3
514 excepted in Templates, where `doctitle' may be omitted.
517 Avoid long stretches of input code. Nobody is going to read
518 them in print. Create small examples. However, this does not mean
522 Specify durations for at least the first note of every bar.
525 If possible, end with a complete bar.
528 Comments should go on their own line, and be placed before
529 the line(s) to which they refer.
532 For clarity, always use @{ @} marks even if they are not technically
538 \context Voice \repeat unfold 2 \relative c' @{
554 Add a space around @{ @} marks; i.e.
557 not: \chordmode@{c e g@}
558 but instead: \chordmode @{ c e g @}
562 Use @{ @} marks for additional @code{\markup} format commands; i.e.
565 not: c^\markup \tiny\sharp
566 but instead: c^\markup @{ \tiny \sharp @}
570 Remove any space around @code{<} @code{>} marks; i.e.
574 but instead: <c e g>4
578 Beam, slur and tie marks should begin immediately after the first
579 note with beam and phrase marks ending immediately after the last.
582 a8\( ais16[ b cis( d] b) cis4~ b' cis,\)
586 If you want to work on an example outside of the manual (for
587 easier/faster processing), use this header:
592 line-width = 160\mm - 2.0 * 0.4\in
593 line-width = #(- line-width (* mm 3.000000))
600 You may not change any of these values. If you are making an
601 example demonstrating special @code{\paper@{@}} values, contact the
602 Documentation Editor.
607 @node Text formatting
608 @subsection Text formatting
612 Lines should be less than 72 characters long. (We personally
613 recommend writing with 66-char lines, but do not bother modifying
614 existing material). Also see the recommendations for fixed-width
615 fonts in the @ref{Syntax survey}.
621 Do not use spaces at the beginning of a line (except in
622 @code{@@example} or @code{@@verbatim} environments), and do not
623 use more than a single space between words. @q{makeinfo} copies
624 the input lines verbatim without removing those spaces.
627 Use two spaces after a period.
630 In examples of syntax, use @code{@@var@{@var{musicexpr}@}} for a
634 Don't use @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in the main text. If you're
635 tempted to do so, you're probably getting too close to @qq{talking
636 through the code}. If you really want to refer to a context, use
637 @code{@@code@{@}} in the main text and @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in
638 the @code{@@seealso}.
643 @subsection Syntax survey
653 * Special characters::
659 @unnumberedsubsubsec Comments
663 @code{@@c @dots{}} --- single line comment. @samp{@@c NOTE:} is a
664 comment which should remain in the final version. (gp only
668 @code{@@ignore} --- multi-line comment:
678 @node Cross references
679 @unnumberedsubsubsec Cross references
681 Enter the exact @code{@@node} name of the target reference between
682 the brackets (eg.@tie{}@w{@samp{@@ref@{Syntax survey@}}}). Do not
683 split a cross-reference across two lines -- this causes the
684 cross-reference to be rendered incorrectly in html documents.
688 @code{@@ref@{@dots{}@}} --- link within current manual.
691 @code{@@rchanges@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Changes.
694 @code{@@rcontrib@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Contributor's Guide.
697 @code{@@ressay@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Engraving Essay.
700 @code{@@rextend@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Extending LilyPond.
703 @code{@@rglos@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Music Glossary.
706 @code{@@rinternals@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Internals Reference.
709 @code{@@rlearning@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Learning Manual.
712 @code{@@rlsr@{@dots{}@}} --- link to a Snippet section.
715 @code{@@rprogram@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Application Usage.
718 @code{@@ruser@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Notation Reference.
721 @code{@@rweb@{@dots{}@}} --- link to General Information.
726 @unnumberedsubsubsec External links
730 @code{@@email@{@dots{}@}} --- create a @code{mailto:} E-mail link.
733 @code{@@uref@{@var{URL}[, @var{link text}]@}} --- link to an
734 external url. Use within an @code{@@example ... @@end example}.
738 @@uref@{URL [, link text ]@}
744 @node Fixed-width font
745 @unnumberedsubsubsec Fixed-width font
749 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} ---
751 Use the @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} command when referring to
752 individual language-specific tokens (keywords, commands,
753 engravers, scheme symbols, etc.) in the text. Ideally, a single
754 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} block should fit within one line in the
757 Use the @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} command when you have a short
758 example of user input, unless it constitutes an entire
759 @code{@@item} by itself, in which case @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} is
760 preferable. Otherwise, both should only be used when part of a
761 larger sentence within a paragraph or @code{@@item}. Do not use
762 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} inside an
763 @code{@@example} block, and do not use either as a free-standing
764 paragraph; use @code{@@example} instead.
766 A single unindented line in the PDF has space for about 79
767 fixed-width characters (76 if indented). Within an @code{@@item}
768 there is space for about 75 fixed-width characters. Each
769 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
770 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
772 However, even short blocks of @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} and
773 @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} can run into the margin if the Texinfo
774 line-breaking algorithm gets confused. Additionally, blocks that
775 are longer than this may in fact print nicely; it all depends
776 where the line breaks end up. If you compile the docs yourself,
777 check the PDF output to make sure the line breaks are
780 The Texinfo setting @code{@@allowcodebreaks} is set to
781 @code{false} in the manuals, so lines within
782 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} blocks will
783 only break at spaces, not at hyphens or underscores. If the block
784 contains spaces, use @code{@@w@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}} or
785 @code{@@w@{@@samp@{@dots{}@}@}} to prevent unexpected line breaks.
787 The Texinfo settings @code{txicodequoteundirected} and
788 @code{txicodequotebacktick} are both set in the manuals, so
789 backticks (@code{`}) and apostrophes (@code{'}) placed within
790 blocks of @code{@@code}, @code{@@example}, or @code{@@verbatim}
791 are not converted to left- and right-angled quotes
792 (@code{@quoteleft{} @quoteright{}}) as they normally are within
793 the text, so the apostrophes in
794 @q{@w{@code{@@w@{@@code@{@bs{}relative c''@}@}}}} will display
795 correctly. However, these settings do not affect the PDF output
796 for anything within a @code{@@samp} block (even if it includes a
797 nested @code{@@code} block), so entering
798 @q{@code{@@w@{@@samp@{@bs{}relative c''@}@}}} wrongly produces
799 @q{@w{@code{@bs{}relative c@quoteright{}@quoteright{}}}} in PDF.
800 Consequently, if you want to use a @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} block
801 which contains backticks or apostrophes, you should instead use
802 @q{@code{@@q@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}}} (or
803 @q{@code{@@q@{@@w@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}@}}} if the block also
804 contains spaces). Note that backslashes within
805 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}} blocks must be entered as @samp{@@bs@{@}},
806 so the example above would be coded as
807 @q{@code{@@q@{@@w@{@@code@{@@bs@{@}relative c''@}@}@}}}.
810 @code{@@command@{@dots{}@}} --- Use when referring to command-line
811 commands within the text (eg. @samp{@@command@{convert-ly@}}). Do
812 not use inside an @code{@@example} block.
815 @code{@@example} --- Use for examples of program code. Do not add
816 extraneous indentation (i.e. don't start every line with
817 whitespace). Use the following layout (notice the use of blank
818 lines). Omit the @code{@@noindent} if the text following the
819 example starts a new paragraph:
822 @var{@dots{}text leading into the example@dots{}}
829 @var{continuation of the text@dots{}}
832 Individual lines within an @code{@@example} block should not
833 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
834 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@example} block
835 is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
836 @code{@@example} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
837 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
838 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
840 For long command line examples, if possible, use a trailing
841 backslash to break up a single line, indenting the next line with
842 2 spaces. If this isn't feasible, use @samp{@@smallexample
843 @dots{} @@end@tie{}smallexample} instead, which uses a smaller
844 fontsize. Use @code{@@example} whenever possible, but if needed,
845 @code{@@smallexample} can fit up to 90 characters per line before
846 running into the PDF margin. Each additional level of
847 @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate} shortens a
848 @code{@@smallexample} line by about 5 columns.
851 @code{@@file@{@dots{}@}} --- Use when referring to filenames and
852 directories in the text. Do not use inside an @code{@@example}
856 @code{@@option@{@dots{}@}} --- Use when referring to command-line
857 options in the text (eg. @samp{@@option@{--format@}}). Do not use
858 inside an @code{@@example} block.
861 @code{@@verbatim} --- Prints the block exactly as it appears in
862 the source file (including whitespace, etc.). For program code
863 examples, use @code{@@example} instead. @code{@@verbatim} uses
864 the same format as @code{@@example}.
866 Individual lines within an @code{@@verbatim} block should not
867 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
868 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@verbatim}
869 block is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
870 @code{@@verbatim} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
871 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
872 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
877 @unnumberedsubsubsec Indexing
881 @code{@@cindex @dots{}} --- General index. Please add as many as you can.
882 Don't capitalize the first word.
885 @code{@@funindex @dots{}} --- is for a \lilycommand.
890 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lists
894 @code{@@enumerate} --- Create an ordered list (with numbers).
895 Always put @samp{@@item} on its own line. As an exception, if all
896 the items in the list are short enough to fit on single lines, placing
897 them on the @samp{@@item} lines is also permissible. @samp{@@item}
898 and @samp{@@end@tie{}enumerate} should always be preceded by a blank
905 A long multi-line item like this one must begin
906 on a line of its own and all the other items in
907 the list must do so too.
926 @code{@@itemize} --- Create an unordered list (with bullets). Use
927 the same format as @code{@@enumerate}. Do not use
928 @samp{@@itemize@tie{}@@bullet}.
932 @node Special characters
933 @unnumberedsubsubsec Special characters
935 @warning{In Texinfo, the backslash is an ordinary character, and
936 is entered without escaping (e.g.
937 @samp{The@tie{}@@code@{@bs{}foo@}@tie{}command}). However, within
938 double-quoted Scheme and/or LilyPond strings, backslashes
939 (including those ending up in Texinfo markup) need to be escaped
943 "The @@code@{@bs{}@bs{}foo@} command..."
949 @code{--}, @code{---} --- Create an en dash (--) or an em dash
950 (---) in the text. To print two or three literal hyphens in a
951 row, wrap one of them in a @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} (eg.
955 @code{@@@@}, @code{@@@{}, @code{@@@}} --- Create an at-sign (@@),
956 a left curly bracket (@{), or a right curly bracket (@}).
959 @code{@@bs@{@}} --- Create a backslash within a
960 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}}, or
961 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} block. This is a custom LilyPond
962 macro, not a builtin @@-command in Texinfo. Texinfo would also
963 allow @samp{\\}, but this breaks the PDF output.
966 @code{@@tie@{@}} --- Create a @emph{variable-width} non-breaking
967 space in the text (use @w{@samp{@@w@{ @}}} for a single
968 @emph{fixed-width} non-breaking space). Variables or numbers
969 which consist of a single character (probably followed by a
970 punctuation mark) should be tied properly, either to the previous
971 or the next word. Example: @samp{The letter@@tie@{@}@@q@{I@} is
977 @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellany
981 @code{@@notation@{@dots{}@}} --- refers to pieces of notation, e.g.
982 @samp{@@notation@{clef@}}. Also use for specific lyrics
983 (@samp{the @@notation@{A@tie{}-@tie{}men@} is centered}).
984 Only use once per subsection per term.
987 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}} --- Single quotes. Used for
988 @quoteleft{}vague@quoteright{} terms. To get a backslash
989 (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
992 @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}} --- Double quotes. Used for actual quotes
993 (@qq{he said}) or for introducing special input modes. To get a
994 backslash (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
997 @code{@@var@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for metasyntactic variables (such
998 as @code{@var{foo}}, @code{@var{bar}}, @code{@var{arg1}}, etc.).
999 In most cases, when the @code{@@var@{@dots{}@}} command appears in
1000 the text (and not in an @code{@@example} block) it should be
1001 wrapped with an appropriate texinfo code-highlighting command
1002 (such as @code{@@code}, @code{@@samp}, @code{@@file},
1003 @code{@@command}, etc.). For example:
1004 @samp{@@code@{@@var@{foo@}@}},
1005 @samp{@@file@{@@var@{myfile.ly@}@}},
1006 @w{@samp{@@samp@{git checkout @@var@{branch@}@}}}, etc. This
1007 improves readability in the PDF and HTML output.
1010 @code{@@version@{@}} --- Return the current LilyPond version
1011 string. Use @samp{@@w@{@@version@{@}@}} if it's at the end of a
1012 line (to prevent an ugly line break in PDF); use
1013 @samp{@@w@{"@@version@{@}"@}} if you need it in quotes.
1016 @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} --- Do not allow any line breaks.
1019 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} --- produces a @qq{Note:@tie{}} box.
1020 Use for important messages. To get a backslash (\), you must use
1025 @node Other text concerns
1026 @subsection Other text concerns
1030 References must occur at the end of a sentence, for more
1032 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/,texinfo
1033 manual}. Ideally this should also be the final sentence of a
1034 paragraph, but this is not required. Any link in a doc section
1035 must be duplicated in the @code{@@seealso} section at the bottom.
1038 Introducing examples must be done with
1041 . (i.e. finish the previous sentence/paragraph)
1042 : (i.e. `in this example:')
1043 , (i.e. `may add foo with the blah construct,')
1046 The old @qq{sentence runs directly into the example} method is not
1050 Abbrevs in caps, e.g., HTML, DVI, MIDI, etc.
1060 When beginning a quote: @qq{So, he said,...}.
1062 This usage is rarer. Americans often just use a comma.
1065 When adding a defining example at the end of a sentence.
1069 Non-ASCII characters which are in utf-8 should be directly used;
1070 this is, don't say @samp{Ba@@ss@{@}tuba} but @samp{Baßtuba}. This
1071 ensures that all such characters appear in all output formats.
1075 @node Documentation policy
1076 @section Documentation policy
1080 * Section organization::
1081 * Checking cross-references::
1083 * Technical writing style::
1089 There are four parts to the documentation: the Learning Manual,
1090 the Notation Reference, the Program Reference, and the Music
1098 The LM is written in a tutorial style which introduces the most
1099 important concepts, structure and syntax of the elements of a
1100 LilyPond score in a carefully graded sequence of steps.
1101 Explanations of all musical concepts used in the Manual can be
1102 found in the Music Glossary, and readers are assumed to have no
1103 prior knowledge of LilyPond. The objective is to take readers to
1104 a level where the Notation Reference can be understood and
1105 employed to both adapt the templates in the Appendix to their
1106 needs and to begin to construct their own scores. Commonly used
1107 tweaks are introduced and explained. Examples are provided
1108 throughout which, while being focussed on the topic being
1109 introduced, are long enough to seem real in order to retain the
1110 readers' interest. Each example builds on the previous material,
1111 and comments are used liberally. Every new aspect is thoroughly
1112 explained before it is used.
1114 Users are encouraged to read the complete Learning Manual from
1119 Notation Reference: a (hopefully complete) description of LilyPond
1120 input notation. Some material from here may be duplicated in the
1121 Learning Manual (for teaching), but consider the NR to be the
1122 "definitive" description of each notation element, with the LM
1123 being an "extra". The goal is _not_ to provide a step-by-step
1124 learning environment -- do not avoid using notation that has not
1125 be introduced previously in the NR (for example, use \break if
1126 appropriate). This section is written in formal technical writing
1129 Avoid duplication. Although users are not expected to read this
1130 manual from start to finish, they should be familiar with the
1131 material in the Learning Manual (particularly ``Fundamental
1132 Concepts''), so do not repeat that material in each section of
1133 this book. Also watch out for common constructs, like ^ - _ for
1134 directions -- those are explained in NR 3. In NR 1, you can
1135 write: DYNAMICS may be manually placed above or below the staff,
1136 see @@ref@{Controlling direction and placement@}.
1138 Most tweaks should be added to LSR and not placed directly in the
1139 @file{.itely} file. In some cases, tweaks may be placed in the main
1140 text, but ask about this first.
1142 Finally, you should assume that users know what the notation
1143 means; explaining musical concepts happens in the Music Glossary.
1147 Application Usage: information about using the program lilypond
1148 with other programs (lilypond-book, operating systems, GUIs,
1149 convert-ly, etc). This section is written in formal technical
1152 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
1156 Music Glossary: information about the music notation itself.
1157 Explanations and translations about notation terms go here.
1159 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
1162 Internals Reference: not really a documentation book, since it is
1163 automagically generated from the source, but this is its name.
1168 @node Section organization
1169 @subsection Section organization
1174 The order of headings inside documentation sections should
1187 You @emph{must} include a @@seealso.
1191 The order of items inside the @@seealso section is
1200 @@rlearning@{foozle@}.
1209 Essay on automated music engraving:
1216 @@file@{path/to/dir/blahz@}.
1218 Snippets: @@rlsr@{section@}.
1220 Internals Reference:
1221 @@rinternals@{fazzle@},
1222 @@rinternals@{booar@}.
1226 If there are multiple entries, separate them by commas but do not
1230 Always end with a period.
1233 Place each link on a new line as above; this makes it much easier
1234 to add or remove links. In the output, they appear on a single
1237 ("Snippets" is REQUIRED; the others are optional)
1240 Any new concepts or links which require an explanation should go
1241 as a full sentence(s) in the main text.
1244 Don't insert an empty line between @@seealso and the first entry!
1245 Otherwise there is excessive vertical space in the PDF output.
1250 To create links, use @@ref@{@} if the link is within the same
1254 @@predefined ... @@endpredefined is for commands in
1258 Do not include any real info in second-level sections (i.e. 1.1
1259 Pitches). A first-level section may have introductory material,
1260 but other than that all material goes into third-level sections
1261 (i.e. 1.1.1 Writing Pitches).
1264 The @@knownissues should not discuss any issues that are in the
1265 tracker, unless the issue is Priority-Postponed. The goal is to
1266 discuss any overall architecture or syntax decisions which may be
1267 interpreted as bugs. Normal bugs should not be discussed here,
1268 because we have so many bugs that it would be a huge task to keep
1269 the @@knownissues current and accurate all the time.
1274 @node Checking cross-references
1275 @subsection Checking cross-references
1277 Cross-references between different manuals are heavily used in the
1278 documentation, but they are not checked during compilation.
1279 However, if you compile the documentation, a script called
1280 check_texi_refs can help you with checking and fixing these
1281 cross-references; for information on usage, cd into a source tree
1282 where documentation has been built, cd into Documentation and run:
1289 Note that you have to find yourself the source files to fix
1290 cross-references in the generated documentation such as the
1291 Internals Reference; e.g. you can grep scm/ and lily/.
1293 @c temporary? how long will kainhofer be used? -gp
1294 Also of interest may be the linkdoc checks on kainhofer.com. Be
1295 warned that these docs are not completely rebuilt every day, so it
1296 might not accurately reflect the current state of the docs.
1299 @uref{http://kainhofer.com/~lilypond/linkdoc/}
1303 @node General writing
1304 @subsection General writing
1309 Do not forget to create @@cindex entries for new sections of text.
1310 Enter commands with @@funindex, i.e.
1313 @@cindex pitches, writing in different octaves
1314 @@funindex \relative
1318 Do not bother with the @@code@{@} (they are added automatically).
1319 These items are added to both the command index and the unified
1320 index. Both index commands should go in front of the actual material.
1323 @@cindex entries should not be capitalized, i.e.
1326 @@cindex time signature
1330 is preferred instead of @qq{Time signature}. Only use capital
1331 letters for musical terms which demand them, e.g.
1335 For scheme function index entries, only include the final part, i.e.
1338 @@funindex modern-voice-cautionary
1340 @@funindex #(set-accidental-style modern-voice-cautionary)
1344 Use American spelling. LilyPond's internal property
1345 names use this convention.
1348 Here is a list of preferred terms to be used:
1352 @emph{Simultaneous} NOT concurrent.
1355 @emph{Measure}: the unit of music.
1358 @emph{Bar line}: the symbol delimiting a measure NOT barline.
1361 @emph{Note head} NOT notehead.
1364 @emph{Chord construct} NOT just chord (when referring to < ... >)
1367 @emph{Staff} NOT stave.
1370 @emph{Staves} NOT Staffs:
1372 @q{multiple @@internalsref@{Staff@}s}
1373 should be rephrased to
1374 @q{multiple @@internalsref@{Staff@} contexts}.
1382 @node Technical writing style
1383 @subsection Technical writing style
1385 These refer to the NR. The LM uses a more gentle, colloquial
1391 Do not refer to LilyPond in the text. The reader knows what the
1392 manual is about. If you do, capitalization is LilyPond.
1395 If you explicitly refer to @q{lilypond} the program (or any other
1396 command to be executed), write @code{@@command@{lilypond@}}.
1399 Do not explicitly refer to the reader/user. There is no one else
1400 besides the reader and the writer.
1403 Avoid contractions (don't, won't, etc.). Spell the words out completely.
1406 Avoid abbreviations, except for commonly used abbreviations of foreign
1407 language terms such as etc. and i.e.
1410 Avoid fluff (@qq{Notice that,} @qq{as you can see,}
1414 The use of the word @q{illegal} is inappropriate in most cases.
1415 Say @q{invalid} instead.
1420 @node Tips for writing docs
1421 @section Tips for writing docs
1423 In the NR, I highly recommend focusing on one subsection at a
1424 time. For each subsection,
1429 check the mundane formatting. Are the headings (@@predefined,
1430 @@seealso, etc.) in the right order?
1433 add any appropriate index entries.
1436 check the links in the @@seealso section -- links to music
1437 glossary, internal references, and other NR sections are the main
1438 concern. Check for potential additions.
1441 move LSR-worthy material into LSR. Add the snippet, delete the
1442 material from the @file{.itely} file, and add a @@lilypondfile command.
1445 check the examples and descriptions. Do they still work?
1446 @strong{Do not} assume that the existing text is
1447 accurate/complete; some of the manual is highly out of date.
1450 is the material in the @@knownissues still accurate?
1453 can the examples be improved (made more explanatory), or is there
1454 any missing info? (feel free to ask specific questions on -user;
1455 a couple of people claimed to be interesting in being
1456 @qq{consultants} who would help with such questions)
1460 In general, I favor short text explanations with good examples --
1461 @qq{an example is worth a thousand words}. When I worked on the
1462 docs, I spent about half my time just working on those tiny
1463 lilypond examples. Making easily-understandable examples is much
1464 harder than it looks.
1467 @subsubheading Tweaks
1469 In general, any \set or \override commands should go in the
1470 @qq{select snippets} section, which means that they should go in
1471 LSR and not the @file{.itely} file. For some cases, the command
1472 obviously belongs in the @qq{main text} (i.e. not inside
1473 @@predefined or @@seealso or whatever) -- instrument names are a
1474 good example of this.
1477 \set Staff.instrumentName = #"foo"
1480 On the other side of this,
1483 \override Score.Hairpin.after-line-breaking = ##t
1486 clearly belongs in LSR.
1488 I'm quite willing to discuss specific cases if you think that a
1489 tweaks needs to be in the main text. But items that can go into
1490 LSR are easier to maintain, so I'd like to move as much as
1491 possible into there.
1494 It would be @qq{nice} if you spent a lot of time crafting nice
1495 tweaks for users@dots{} but my recommendation is @strong{not} to do
1496 this. There's a lot of doc work to do without adding examples of
1497 tweaks. Tweak examples can easily be added by normal users by adding
1500 One place where a documentation writer can profitably spend time writing
1501 or upgrading tweaks is creating tweaks to deal with known issues. It
1502 would be ideal if every significant known issue had a workaround to avoid
1506 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1509 @node Scripts to ease doc work
1510 @section Scripts to ease doc work
1513 * Scripts to test the documentation::
1514 * Scripts to create documentation::
1517 @node Scripts to test the documentation
1518 @subsection Scripts to test the documentation
1521 * Building only one section of the documentation::
1524 @node Building only one section of the documentation
1525 @unnumberedsubsubsec Building only one section of the documentation
1527 In order to save build time, a script is available to build only
1528 one section of the documentation in English with a default html
1531 You can build a section of the documentation with:
1534 scripts/auxiliar/doc-section.sh MANUAL SECTION
1538 where @code{SECTION} is the name of the file containing the section
1539 to be built, and @code{MANUAL} is replaced by the name of the directory
1540 containing the section. So, for example, to build section 1.1 of the
1541 Notation Reference, use the command:
1544 scripts/auxiliar/doc-section.sh notation pitches
1547 You can then see the generated document for the section at
1550 tempdocs/pitches/out/pitches.html
1554 @uref{http://code.google.com/p/lilypond/issues/detail?id=1236,Lilypond issue 1236},
1555 the location of the lilypond git tree is taken from @code{$LILYPOND_GIT}
1556 if specified, otherwise it is auto-detected.
1558 It is assumed that compilation takes place in the @file{build/}
1559 subdirectory, but this can be overridden by setting the environment
1560 variable @code{LILYPOND_BUILD_DIR}.
1562 Similarly, output defaults to @file{build/tempdocs/} but this can be
1563 overridden by setting the environment variable
1564 @code{LILYPOND_TEMPDOCS}.
1566 This script will not work for building sections of the
1567 Contributors' guide. For building sections of the Contributors'
1571 scripts/auxiliar/cg-section.sh SECTION
1575 where @code{SECTION} is the name of the file containing the sections
1576 to be built. For example, to build section 4 of the Contributors' guide,
1580 scripts/auxiliar/cg-section.sh doc-work
1583 @code{cg-section.sh} uses the same environment variables and
1584 corresponding default values as @code{doc-section.sh}.
1586 @node Scripts to create documentation
1587 @subsection Scripts to create documentation
1590 * Stripping whitespace and generating menus::
1591 * Stripping whitespace only::
1592 * Updating doc with convert-ly::
1595 @node Stripping whitespace and generating menus
1596 @unnumberedsubsubsec Stripping whitespace and generating menus
1598 @warning{This script assumes that the file conforms to our doc
1599 policy, in particular with regard to @ref{Sectioning commands};
1600 a few files still need work in this regard.}
1602 To automatically regenerate @code{@@menu} portions and strip
1606 scripts/auxiliar/node-menuify.py @var{FILENAME}
1609 If you are adding documentation that requires new menus,
1610 you will need to add a blank @code{@@menu} section:
1617 @node Stripping whitespace only
1618 @unnumberedsubsubsec Stripping whitespace only
1620 @c TODO: should this be documented elsewhere? It's useful for
1621 @c more than just docs.
1622 To remove extra whitespace from the ends of lines, run
1625 scripts/auxiliar/strip-whitespace.py @var{FILENAME}
1629 @node Updating doc with convert-ly
1630 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating doc with @command{convert-ly}
1632 Don't. This should be done by programmers when they add new
1633 features. If you notice that it hasn't been done, complain to
1634 @code{lilypond-devel}.
1637 @node Docstrings in scheme
1638 @section Docstrings in scheme
1640 Material in the Internals reference is generated automatically
1641 from our source code. Any doc work on Internals therefore
1642 requires modifying files in @file{scm/*.scm}. Texinfo is allowed
1643 in these docstrings.
1645 Most documentation writers never touch these, though. If you want
1646 to work on them, please ask for help.
1649 @node Translating the documentation
1650 @section Translating the documentation
1652 The mailing list @code{translations@@lilynet.net} is dedicated to
1653 LilyPond web site and documentation translation; on this list, you will
1654 get support from the Translations Meister and experienced translators,
1655 and we regularly discuss translation issues common to all languages.
1656 All people interested in LilyPond translations are invited to subscribe
1657 to this list regardless of the amount of their contribution, by sending
1658 an email to @code{translations-request@@lilynet.net} with subject
1659 @code{subscribe} and an empty message body. Unless mentioned explicitly,
1660 or except if a translations coordinator contacts you privately, you
1661 should send questions, remarks and patches to the list
1662 @code{translations@@lilynet.net}. Please note that traffic is high
1663 on the English-speaking list @code{lilypond-user@@gnu.org}, so it may
1664 take some time before your request or contribution is handled.
1667 * Getting started with documentation translation::
1668 * Documentation translation details::
1669 * Documentation translation maintenance::
1670 * Translations management policies::
1671 * Technical background::
1674 @node Getting started with documentation translation
1675 @subsection Getting started with documentation translation
1677 First, get the sources of branch @code{translation} from the
1678 Git repository, see @ref{Starting with Git}.
1681 * Translation requirements::
1682 * Which documentation can be translated::
1683 * Starting translation in a new language::
1686 @node Translation requirements
1687 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translation requirements
1689 Working on LilyPond documentation translations requires the following
1690 pieces of software, in order to make use of dedicated helper tools:
1693 @item Python 2.4 or higher,
1699 It is not required to build LilyPond and the documentation to
1700 translate the documentation. However, if you have enough time and
1701 motivation and a suitable system, it can be very useful to build at
1702 least the documentation so that you can check the output yourself and
1703 more quickly; if you are interested, see @ref{Compiling}.
1705 Before undertaking any large translation work, contributors are
1706 encouraged to contact the @ref{Meisters, Translation Meister}.
1709 @node Which documentation can be translated
1710 @unnumberedsubsubsec Which documentation can be translated
1712 The makefiles and scripts infrastructure currently supports translation
1713 of the following documentation:
1716 @item the web site, the Learning Manual, the Notation Reference and
1717 Application Usage -- Texinfo source, PDF and HTML output; Info output
1718 might be added if there is enough demand for it;
1719 @item the Changes document.
1722 Support for translating the following pieces of documentation should be
1723 added soon, by decreasing order of priority:
1726 @item automatically generated documentation: markup commands,
1727 predefined music functions;
1728 @item the Snippets List;
1729 @item the Internals Reference.
1733 @node Starting translation in a new language
1734 @unnumberedsubsubsec Starting translation in a new language
1736 At top of the source directory, do
1743 or (if you want to install your self-compiled LilyPond locally)
1746 ./autogen.sh --prefix=$HOME
1750 If you want to compile LilyPond -- which is almost required to build
1751 the documentation, but is not required to do translation only -- fix
1752 all dependencies and rerun @command{./configure} (with the same
1753 options as for @command{autogen.sh}).
1755 Then @command{cd} into @file{Documentation/} and run
1758 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} new-lang
1762 where @var{MY-LANGUAGE} is the ISO 639 language code.
1764 Finally, add a language definition for your language in
1765 @file{python/langdefs.py}.
1768 @node Documentation translation details
1769 @subsection Documentation translation details
1771 Please follow all the instructions with care to ensure quality work.
1773 All files should be encoded in UTF-8.
1776 * Files to be translated::
1777 * Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation::
1778 * Adding a Texinfo manual::
1781 @node Files to be translated
1782 @unnumberedsubsubsec Files to be translated
1784 @include contributor/doc-translation-list.itexi
1786 In addition, not listed above, Snippets' titles and descriptions
1787 should be translated; they are a part of the Notation Reference and
1788 therefore their priority is 5.
1790 @node Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1791 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1793 Every piece of text should be translated in the source file, except
1794 Texinfo comments, text in @code{@@lilypond} blocks and a few cases
1797 Node names are translated, but the original node name in English should
1798 be kept as the argument of @code{@@translationof} put after the section
1799 title; that is, every piece in the original file like
1803 @@@var{section_command} Bar baz
1807 should be translated as
1810 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1811 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1812 @@translationof Foo bar
1815 The argument of @code{@@rglos} commands and the first argument of
1816 @code{@@rglosnamed} commands must not be translated, as it is the node
1817 name of an entry in Music Glossary.
1819 Every time you translate a node name in a cross-reference, i.e. the
1820 argument of commands @code{@@ref, @@rprogram, @@rlearning, @@rlsr,
1821 @@ruser} or the first argument of their @code{@var{*}named} variants,
1822 you should make sure the target node is defined in the correct source
1823 file; if you do not intend to translate the target node right now, you
1824 should at least write the node definition (that is, the @code{@@node
1825 @@@var{section_commmand} @@translationof} trio mentioned above) in the
1826 expected source file and define all its parent nodes; for each node you
1827 have defined this way but have not translated, insert a line that
1828 contains @code{@@untranslated}. That is, you should end up
1829 for each untranslated node with something like
1832 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1833 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1834 @@translationof Foo bar
1839 @warning{you do not have to translate the node name of a cross-reference
1840 to a node that you do not have translated. If you do, you must define
1841 an @qq{empty} node like explained just above; this will produce a
1842 cross-reference with the translated node name in output, although the
1843 target node will still be in English. On the opposite, if all
1844 cross-references that refer to an untranslated node use the node name in
1845 English, then you do not have to define such an @qq{empty} node, and the
1846 cross-reference text will appear in English in the output. The choice
1847 between these two strategies implies its particular maintenance
1848 requirements and is left to the translators, although the opinion of the
1849 Translation meister leans towards not translating these
1852 Please think of the fact that it may not make sense translating
1853 everything in some Texinfo files, and you may take distance from the
1854 original text; for instance, in the translation of the web site section
1855 Community, you may take this into account depending on what you know the
1856 community in your language is willing to support, which is possible only
1857 if you personally assume this support, or there exists a public forum
1858 or mailing list listed in Community for LilyPond in your language:
1861 @item @rweb{Bug reports}: this page should be translated only if you
1862 know that every bug report sent on your language's mailing list or forum
1863 will be handled by someone who will translate it to English and send it
1864 on bug-lilypond or add an issue in the tracker, then translate back the
1865 reply from developers.
1867 @item @rweb{Help us}: this page should be translated very freely,
1868 and possibly not at all: ask help for contributing to LilyPond for tasks
1869 that LilyPond community in your language is able and going to handle.
1873 In any case, please mark in your work the sections which do not result
1874 from the direct translation of a piece of English translation, using
1875 comments i.e. lines starting with @q{@code{@@c}}.
1877 Finally, press in Emacs @key{C-c C-u C-a} to update or generate
1878 menus. This process should be made easier in the future, when the helper
1879 script @command{texi-langutils.py} and the makefile target are updated.
1881 Some pieces of text manipulated by build scripts that appear in the
1882 output are translated in a @file{.po} file -- just like LilyPond output
1883 messages -- in @file{Documentation/po}. The Gettext domain is named
1884 @code{lilypond-doc}, and unlike @code{lilypond} domain it is not managed
1885 through the Free Translation Project.
1888 Take care of using typographic rules for your language, especially in
1889 @file{macros.itexi}.
1891 If you wonder whether a word, phrase or larger piece of text should be
1892 translated, whether it is an argument of a Texinfo command or a small
1893 piece sandwiched between two Texinfo commands, try to track whether and
1894 where it appears in PDF and/or HTML output as visible text. This piece
1895 of advice is especially useful for translating @file{macros.itexi}.
1897 Please keep verbatim copies of music snippets (in @code{@@lilypond}
1898 blocs). However, some music snippets containing text that shows in
1899 the rendered music, and sometimes translating this text really helps
1900 the user to understand the documentation; in this case, and only in
1901 this case, you may as an exception translate text in the music
1902 snippet, and then you must add a line immediately before the
1903 @code{@@lilypond} block, starting with
1910 Otherwise the music snippet would be reset to the same content as the
1911 English version at next @command{make snippet-update} run -- see
1912 @ref{Updating documentation translation}.
1917 @@lilypondfile[<number of fragment options>,texidoc]@{@var{filename.ly}@}
1921 in the source, open @file{Documentation/snippets/@var{filename}.ly},
1922 translate the @code{texidoc} header field it contains, enclose it with
1923 @code{texidoc@var{MY-LANGUAGE} = "} and @code{"}, and write it into
1924 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@/@var{filename}.texidoc}.
1925 Additionally, you may translate the snippet's title in @code{doctitle}
1926 header field, in case @code{doctitle} is a fragment option used in
1927 @code{@@lilypondfile}; you can do this exactly the same way as
1928 @code{texidoc}. For instance,
1929 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@/@var{filename}.texidoc}
1933 doctitlees = "Spanish title baz"
1935 Spanish translation blah
1939 @code{@@example} blocks need not be verbatim copies, e.g. variable
1940 names, file names and comments should be translated.
1942 Finally, please carefully apply every rule exposed in @ref{Texinfo
1943 introduction and usage policy}, and @ref{Documentation policy}. If one
1944 of these rules conflicts with a rule specific to your language, please
1945 ask the Translation meister on @email{translations@@lilynet.net} list
1946 and/or the Documentation Editors on @email{lilypond-devel@@gnu.org}
1950 @node Adding a Texinfo manual
1951 @unnumberedsubsubsec Adding a Texinfo manual
1953 In order to start translating a new manual whose basename is @var{FOO},
1957 cd Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}
1958 cp ../@var{FOO}.tely .
1960 cp web/GNUmakefile @var{FOO}
1964 then append @var{FOO} to variable @code{SUBDIRS} in
1965 Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/GNUmakefile, then translate file
1966 @var{MY-LANGUAGE}/@var{FOO}.tely and run @code{skeleton-update}:
1970 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} TEXI_LANGUTIL_FLAGS=--head-only skeleton-update
1974 Your are now ready to translate the new manual exactly like the web site
1975 or the Learning Manual.
1978 @node Documentation translation maintenance
1979 @subsection Documentation translation maintenance
1981 Several tools have been developed to make translations maintenance
1982 easier. These helper scripts make use of the power of Git, the
1983 version control system used for LilyPond development.
1985 You should use them whenever you would like to update the translation in
1986 your language, which you may do at the frequency that fits your and your
1987 cotranslators' respective available times. In the case your translation
1988 is up-do-date (which you can discover in the first subsection below), it
1989 is enough to check its state every one or two weeks. If you feel
1990 overwhelmed by the quantity of documentation to be updated, see
1991 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1994 * Check state of translation::
1995 * Updating documentation translation::
1996 * Updating translation committishes::
1999 @macro seeCommittishesUpdate{}
2000 @warning{do not forget to update the committish in each file you have
2001 completely updated, see @ref{Updating translation committishes}.}
2004 @node Check state of translation
2005 @unnumberedsubsubsec Check state of translation
2007 First pull from Git -- see @ref{Pulling and rebasing}, but DO NOT rebase
2008 unless you are sure to master the translation state checking and
2009 updating system -- then cd into @file{Documentation/} (or at top of the
2010 source tree, replace @command{make} with @command{make -C
2011 Documentation}) and run
2014 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation
2018 This presents a diff of the original files since the most recent
2019 revision of the translation. To check a single file, cd into
2020 @file{Documentation/} and run
2023 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@var{manual}/@var{foo}.itely check-translation
2027 In case this file has been renamed since you last updated the
2028 translation, you should specify both old and new file names, e.g.
2029 @code{CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@{@var{manual},user@}/@var{foo}.itely}.
2031 To see only which files need to be updated, do
2034 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation | grep 'diff --git'
2037 To avoid printing terminal colors control characters, which is often
2038 desirable when you redirect output to a file, run
2041 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} NO_COLOR=1 check-translation
2044 You can see the diffs generated by the commands above as changes that
2045 you should make in your language to the existing translation, in order
2046 to make your translation up to date.
2048 @seeCommittishesUpdate
2050 Global state of the translation is recorded in
2051 @file{Documentation/translations.itexi}, which is used to generate
2052 Translations status page. To update that page, do from
2053 @file{Documentation/}
2056 make translation-status
2059 This will also leave @file{out/translations-status.txt}, which contains
2060 up-to-dateness percentages for each translated file, and update word
2061 counts of documentation files in this Guide.
2064 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
2066 @node Updating documentation translation
2067 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating documentation translation
2069 Instead of running @code{check-translation}, you may want to run
2070 @code{update-translation}, which will run your favorite text editor to
2071 update files. First, make sure environment variable @code{EDITOR} is
2072 set to a text editor command, then run from @file{Documentation/}
2075 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} update-translation
2079 or to update a single file
2082 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE/@var{manual}/foo.itely} update-translation
2085 For each file to be updated, @code{update-translation} will open your
2086 text editor with this file and a diff of the file in English; if the
2087 diff cannot be generated or is bigger than the file in English itself,
2088 the full file in English will be opened instead.
2090 @seeCommittishesUpdate
2092 Texinfo skeleton files, i.e. @file{.itely} files not yet translated,
2093 containing only the first node of the original file in English can be
2094 updated automatically: whenever @command{make check-translation} shows
2095 that such files should be updated, run from @file{Documentation/}
2098 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} skeleton-update
2101 @file{.po} message catalogs in @file{Documentation/po/} may be updated
2102 by issuing from @file{Documentation/} or @file{Documentation/po/}
2108 @warning{if you run po-update and somebody else does the same and
2109 pushes before you push or send a patch to be applied, there will be a
2110 conflict when you pull. Therefore, it is better that only the
2111 Translation meister runs this command.}
2113 Updating music snippets can quickly become cumbersome, as most
2114 snippets should be identical in all languages. Fortunately, there is
2115 a script that can do this odd job for you (run from
2116 @file{Documentation/}):
2119 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} snippet-update
2122 This script overwrites music snippets in
2123 @file{@var{MY_LANGUAGE/foo/every.itely}} with music snippets from
2124 @file{@var{foo/every.itely}}. It ignores skeleton files, and keeps
2125 intact music snippets preceded with a line starting with @code{@@c
2126 KEEP LY}; it reports an error for each @file{.itely} that has not the
2127 same music snippet count in both languages. Always use this script
2128 with a lot of care, i.e. run it on a clean Git working tree, and check
2129 the changes it made with @command{git diff} before committing; if you
2130 don't do so, some @code{@@lilypond} snippets might be broken or make
2131 no sense in their context.
2133 Finally, a command runs the three update processes above for all
2134 enabled languages (from @file{Documentation/}):
2137 make all-translations-update
2140 Use this command with caution, and keep in mind it will not be really
2141 useful until translations are stabilized after the end of GDP and GOP.
2144 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations},
2145 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
2148 @node Updating translation committishes
2149 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating translation committishes
2151 At the beginning of each translated file except PO files, there is a
2152 committish which represents the revision of the sources which you have
2153 used to translate this file from the file in English.
2155 When you have pulled and updated a translation, it is very important to
2156 update this committish in the files you have completely updated (and
2157 only these); to do this, first commit possible changes to any
2158 documentation in English which you are sure to have done in your
2159 translation as well, then replace in the up-to-date translated files the
2160 old committish by the committish of latest commit, which can be obtained
2164 git rev-list HEAD |head -1
2167 @c http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2009-01/msg00245.html
2168 @c contains a helper script which could be used to perform massive
2169 @c committish updates.
2171 Most of the changes in the LSR snippets included in the documentation concern
2172 the syntax, not the description inside @code{texidoc=""}. This implies that
2173 quite often you will have to update only the committish of the matching
2174 .texidoc file. This can be a tedious work if there are many snippets to be
2175 marked as up do date. You can use the following command to update the
2176 committishes at once:
2179 cd Documentation/LANG/texidocs
2180 sed -i -r 's/[0-9a-z]@{40@}/NEW-COMMITTISH/' *.texidoc
2186 @node Translations management policies
2187 @subsection Translations management policies
2189 These policies show the general intent of how the translations should
2190 be managed, they aim at helping translators, developers and
2191 coordinators work efficiently.
2194 * Maintaining without updating translations::
2195 * Managing documentation translation with Git::
2198 @node Maintaining without updating translations
2199 @unnumberedsubsubsec Maintaining without updating translations
2201 Keeping translations up to date under heavy changes in the documentation
2202 in English may be almost impossible, especially as during the former
2203 Grand Documentation Project (GDP) or the Grand Organization Project
2204 (GOP) when a lot of contributors brings changes. In addition,
2205 translators may be --- and that is a very good thing --- involved in
2208 it is possible --- and even recommended --- to perform some maintenance
2209 that keeps translated documentation usable and eases future translation
2210 updating. The rationale below the tasks list motivates this plan.
2212 The following tasks are listed in decreasing priority order.
2215 @item Update macros.itexi.
2216 For each obsolete macro definition, if it is possible to update macro
2217 usage in documentation with an automatic text or regexp substitution,
2218 do it and delete the macro definition from @file{macros.itexi}; otherwise,
2219 mark this macro definition as obsolete with a comment, and keep it in
2220 @file{macros.itexi} until the documentation translation has been updated and
2221 no longer uses this macro.
2223 @item Update @file{*.tely} files completely with
2224 @command{make check-translation} -- you may want to redirect output
2225 to a file because of overwhelming output, or call check-translation.py
2226 on individual files, see @ref{Check state of translation}.
2228 @item In @file{.itelys}, match sections and .itely file names with those from
2229 English docs, which possibly involves moving nodes contents in block
2230 between files, without updating contents itself. In other words, the
2231 game is catching where has gone each section. In Learning manual, and
2232 in Notation Reference sections which have been revised in GDP, there may
2233 be completely new sections: in this case, copy @code{@@node} and
2234 @code{@@section}-command from English docs, and add the marker for
2235 untranslated status @code{@@untranslated} on a single line. Note that
2236 it is not possible to exactly match subsections or subsubsections of
2237 documentation in English, when contents has been deeply revised; in this
2238 case, keep obsolete (sub)subsections in the translation, marking them
2239 with a line @code{@@c obsolete} just before the node.
2241 Emacs with Texinfo mode makes this step easier:
2244 @item without Emacs AucTeX installed, @key{C-c C-s} shows structure of current
2245 Texinfo file in a new buffer @code{*Occur*}; to show structure of two files
2246 simultaneously, first split Emacs window in 4 tiles (with @key{C-x 1}
2247 and @key{C-x 2}), press @key{C-c C-s} to show structure of one file
2248 (e.g. the translated file), copy @code{*Occur*} contents into
2249 @code{*Scratch*}, then press @key{C-c C-s} for the other file.
2251 If you happen to have installed AucTeX, you can either call the macro
2252 by doing @key{M-x texinfo-show-structure} or create a key binding in your
2253 @file{~/.emacs}, by adding the four following lines:
2256 (add-hook 'Texinfo-mode-hook
2258 (define-key Texinfo-mode-map "\C-cs"
2259 'texinfo-show-structure)))
2263 and then obtain the structure in the @code{*Occur*} buffer with @key{C-c
2266 @item Do not bother updating @code{@@menu}s when all menu entries are in the same
2267 file, just do @key{C-c C-u C-a} (@qq{update all menus}) when you have
2268 updated all the rest of the file.
2270 @item Moving to next or previous node using incremental search: press
2271 @key{C-s} and type @code{node} (or @key{C-s @@node} if the text
2272 contains the word @q{node}) then press @key{C-s} to move to next node
2273 or @key{C-r} to move to previous node. Similar operation can be used
2274 to move to the next/previous section. Note that every cursor move
2275 exits incremental search, and hitting @key{C-s} twice starts
2276 incremental search with the text entered in previous incremental
2279 @item Moving a whole node (or even a sequence of nodes): jump to beginning
2280 of the node (quit incremental search by pressing an arrow), press
2281 @key{C-SPACE}, press @key{C-s node} and repeat @key{C-s} until you
2282 have selected enough text, cut it with @key{C-w} or @key{C-x}, jump to
2283 the right place (moving between nodes with the previous hint is often
2284 useful) and paste with @key{C-y} or @key{C-v}.
2287 @item Update sections finished in the English documentation; check
2290 @uref{http://lilypondwiki.tuxfamily.org/index.php?title=Documentation_coordination}.
2293 @item Update documentation PO. It is recommended not to update
2294 strings which come from documentation that is currently deeply revised
2295 in English, to avoid doing the work more than once.
2297 @item Fix broken cross-references by running (from @file{Documentation/})
2300 make ISOLANG=@var{YOUR-LANGUAGE} fix-xrefs
2304 This step requires a successful documentation build (with @command{make
2305 doc}). Some cross-references are broken because they point to a node
2306 that exists in the documentation in English, which has not been added
2307 to the translation; in this case, do not fix the cross-reference but
2308 keep it "broken", so that the resulting HTML link will point to an
2309 existing page of documentation in English.
2312 @subsubheading Rationale
2314 You may wonder if it would not be better to leave translations as-is
2315 until you can really start updating translations. There are several
2316 reasons to do these maintenance tasks right now.
2319 @item This will have to be done sooner or later anyway, before updating
2320 translation of documentation contents, and this can already be done
2321 without needing to be redone later, as sections of documentation in
2322 English are mostly revised once. However, note that not all
2323 documentation sectioning has been revised in one go, so all this
2324 maintenance plan has to be repeated whenever a big reorganization is
2327 @item This just makes translated documentation take advantage of the new
2328 organization, which is better than the old one.
2330 @item Moving and renaming sections to match sectioning of documentation in
2331 English simplify future updating work: it allows updating the
2332 translation by side-by-side comparison, without bothering whether
2333 cross-reference names already exist in the translation.
2335 @item Each maintenance task except @q{Updating PO files} can be done by
2336 the same person for all languages, which saves overall time spent by
2337 translators to achieve this task: the node names and section titles
2338 are in English, so you can do. It is important to take advantage of
2339 this now, as it will be more complicated (but still possible) to do
2340 step 3 in all languages when documentation is compiled with
2341 @command{texi2html} and node names are directly translated in source
2346 @node Managing documentation translation with Git
2347 @unnumberedsubsubsec Managing documentation translation with Git
2349 This policy explains how to manage Git branches and commit
2350 translations to Git.
2353 @item Translation work is made on
2354 @code{translation} branch. This branch is merged on
2355 @code{staging} once a week, approximately. Then,
2356 @code{master} branch is merged on
2357 @code{translation}, where the check-translation script (see
2358 @ref{Check state of translation}) shows changes in English docs which
2359 should be translated, and the cycle starts again.
2361 @item Translations may be pushed directly to
2362 @code{staging} only if they do not break compilation of LilyPond and
2363 its documentation. Those changes could be pushed to
2364 @code{translation} too, or alternatively translators could wait until
2366 @code{master} the next time it is merged on
2367 @code{translation}. Similarly, changes matching
2368 @code{stable/X.Y} are preferably made on
2369 @code{X.Ytranslation}.
2371 @item @code{translation} Git branch may be merged into
2372 @code{staging} branch only if LilyPond (@command{make all}) and
2373 documentation (@command{make doc}) compile successfully.
2375 @item @command{make} and @command{make doc} are usually successful in
2376 @code{master} Git branch because those tests should have already
2378 @code{staging} branch before merging.
2379 @code{master} branch may be merged into
2380 @code{translation} when significant changes had been made in
2381 documentation in English in
2382 @code{master} branch.
2384 @item General maintenance may be done by anybody who knows what he does
2385 in documentation in all languages, without informing translators
2386 first. General maintenance include simple text substitutions
2387 (e.g. automated by sed), compilation fixes, updating Texinfo or
2388 lilypond-book commands, updating macros, updating ly code, fixing
2389 cross-references, and operations described in
2390 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
2394 @node Technical background
2395 @subsection Technical background
2397 A number of Python scripts handle a part of the documentation
2398 translation process. All scripts used to maintain the translations
2399 are located in @file{scripts/auxiliar/}.
2402 @item @file{check_translation.py} -- show diff to update a translation,
2403 @item @file{texi-langutils.py} -- quickly and dirtily parse Texinfo files to
2404 make message catalogs and Texinfo skeleton files,
2405 @item @file{texi-skeleton-update.py} -- update Texinfo skeleton files,
2406 @item @file{update-snippets.py} -- synchronize ly snippets with those
2408 @item @file{translations-status.py} -- update translations status pages and word
2409 counts in the file you are reading,
2410 @item @file{tely-gettext.py} -- gettext node names, section titles and references
2411 in the sources; WARNING only use this script once for each file, when support for
2412 "makeinfo --html" has been dropped.
2415 Other scripts are used in the build process, in @file{scripts/build/}:
2418 @item @file{mass-link.py} -- link or symlink files between English documentation
2419 and documentation in other languages.
2422 Python modules used by scripts in @file{scripts/auxiliar/} or @file{scripts/build/} (but
2423 not by installed Python scripts) are located in @file{python/auxiliar/}:
2425 @item @file{manuals_definitions.py} -- define manual names and name of
2426 cross-reference Texinfo macros,
2427 @item @file{buildlib.py} -- common functions (read piped output
2428 of a shell command, use Git),
2429 @item @file{postprocess_html.py} (module imported by @file{www_post.py}) -- add footer and
2430 tweak links in HTML pages.
2435 @item @file{python/langdefs.py} -- language definitions module