1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @node Documentation work
3 @chapter Documentation work
6 * Introduction to documentation work::
7 * Documentation suggestions::
8 * Texinfo introduction and usage policy::
9 * Documentation policy::
10 * Tips for writing docs::
11 * Updating docs with convert-ly::
12 * Translating the documentation::
16 @node Introduction to documentation work
17 @section Introduction to documentation work
19 Our documentation tries to adhere to our @ref{Documentation
20 policy}. This policy contains a few items which may seem odd.
21 One policy in particular is often questioned by potential
22 contributors: we do not repeat material in the Notation Reference,
23 and instead provide links to the @qq{definitive} presentation of
24 that information. Some people point out, with good reason, that
25 this makes the documentation harder to read. If we repeated
26 certain information in relevant places, readers would be less
27 likely to miss that information.
29 That reasoning is sound, but we have two counter-arguments.
30 First, the Notation Reference -- one of @emph{five} manuals for
31 users to read -- is already over 500 pages long. If we repeated
32 material, we could easily exceed 1000 pages! Second, and much
33 more importantly, LilyPond is an evolving project. New features
34 are added, bugs are fixed, and bugs are discovered and documented.
35 If features are discussed in multiple places, the documentation
36 team must find every instance. Since the manual is so large, it
37 is impossible for one person to have the location of every piece
38 of information memorized, so any attempt to update the
39 documentation will invariably omit a few places. This second
40 concern is not at all theoretical; the documentation used to be
41 plagued with inconsistent information.
43 If the documentation were targeted for a specific version -- say,
44 LilyPond 2.10.5 -- and we had unlimited resources to spend on
45 documentation, then we could avoid this second problem. But since
46 LilyPond evolves (and that is a very good thing!), and since we
47 have quite limited resources, this policy remains in place.
49 A few other policies (such as not permitting the use of tweaks in
50 the main portion of NR 1+2) may also seem counter-intuitive, but
51 they also stem from attempting to find the most effective use of
52 limited documentation help.
55 @node Documentation suggestions
56 @section Documentation suggestions
58 @subheading Small additions
60 For additions to the documentation,
65 Tell us where the addition should be placed. Please include both
66 the section number and title (i.e. "LM 2.13 Printing lyrics").
69 Please write exact changes to the text.
72 A formal patch to the source code is @emph{not} required; we can
73 take care of the technical details. Here is an example of a
74 perfect documentation report:
77 To: lilypond-devel@gnu.org
78 From: helpful-user@example.net
81 In LM 2.13 (printing lyrics), above the last line ("More options,
82 like..."), please add:
85 To add lyrics to a divided part, use blah blah blah. For example,
88 \notes {blah <<blah>> }
89 \lyrics {blah <<blah>> }
94 In addition, the second sentence of the first paragraph is
95 confusing. Please delete that sentence (it begins "Users
96 often...") and replace it with this:
98 To align lyrics with something, do this thing.
108 @subheading Larger contributions
110 To replace large sections of the documentation, the guidelines are
111 stricter. We cannot remove parts of the current documentation
112 unless we are certain that the new version is an improvement.
117 Ask on the lilypond-devel maillist if such a rewrite is necessary;
118 somebody else might already be working on this issue!
121 Split your work into small sections; this makes it much easier to
122 compare the new and old documentation.
125 Please prepare a formal git patch.
129 Once you have followed these guidelines, please send a message to
130 lilypond-devel with your documentation submissions. Unfortunately
131 there is a strict “no top-posting” check on the mailist; to avoid
134 > I'm not top posting.
136 (you must include the > ) to the top of your documentation
139 We may edit your suggestion for spelling, grammar, or style, and
140 we may not place the material exactly where you suggested, but if
141 you give us some material to work with, we can improve the manual
142 much faster. Thanks for your interest!
145 @node Texinfo introduction and usage policy
146 @section Texinfo introduction and usage policy
149 * Texinfo introduction::
150 * Documentation files::
151 * Sectioning commands::
152 * LilyPond formatting::
155 * Other text concerns::
159 @node Texinfo introduction
160 @subsection Texinfo introduction
162 The language is called Texinfo; you can see its manual here:
164 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/}
166 However, you don't need to read those docs. The most important
167 thing to notice is that text is text. If you see a mistake in the
168 text, you can fix it. If you want to change the order of
169 something, you can cut-and-paste that stuff into a new location.
171 @warning{Rule of thumb: follow the examples in the existing docs.
172 You can learn most of what you need to know from this; if you want
173 to do anything fancy, discuss it on @code{lilypond-devel} first.}
176 @node Documentation files
177 @subsection Documentation files
179 All manuals live in @file{Documentation/}.
181 In particular, there are four user manuals, their respective master
182 source files are @file{learning.tely} (LM, Learning Manual),
183 @file{notation.tely} (NR, Notation Reference),
184 @file{music-glossary.tely} (MG, Music Glossary), and
185 @file{lilypond-program} (AU). Each chapter is written in a separate
186 file, ending in @file{.itely} for files containing lilypond code, and
187 @file{.itexi} for files without lilypond code, located in a subdirectory
188 associated to the manual (@file{learning/} for @file{learning.tely}, and
189 so on); list the subdirectory of each manual to determine the filename
190 of the specific chapter you wish to modify.
192 Developer manuals live in @file{Documentation/} too. Currently there is
193 only one: the Contributors' Guide @file{contrib-guide.texi} you are
196 Snippet files are part of documentation, and the Snippet List (SL) lives
197 in @file{Documentation/} just like the manuals. For information about
198 how to modify the snippet files and SL, see @ref{LSR work}.
201 @node Sectioning commands
202 @subsection Sectioning commands
204 Most of the manual operates at the
212 level. Sections are created with
221 Please leave two blank lines above a @@node; this makes it
222 easier to find sections in texinfo.
225 Sectioning commands (@@node and @@section) must not appear
226 inside an @@ignore. Separate those commands with a space, ie @@n
232 @node LilyPond formatting
233 @subsection LilyPond formatting
238 Use two spaces for indentation in lilypond examples. (no
242 All text strings should be prefaced with #. LilyPond does
243 not strictly require this, but it is helpful to get users
244 accustomed to this scheme construct. ie @code{\set
245 Staff.instrumentName = #"cello"}
248 All engravers should have double-quotes around them:
251 \consists "Spans_arpeggio_engraver"
254 Again, LilyPond does not strictly require this, but it is a useful
258 Examples should end with a complete bar if possible.
261 If possible, only write one bar per line. The notes on each
262 line should be an independent line -- tweaks should occur on their
263 own line if possible. Bad:
266 \override textscript #'padding = #3 c1^"hi"
272 \override textscript #'padding = #3
277 Most LilyPond input should be produced with:
280 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
287 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
290 If you want to use \layout@{@} or define variables, use
293 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
296 In rare cases, other options may be used (or omitted), but ask first.
299 Inspirational headwords are produced with
302 @@lilypondfile[quote,ragged-right,line-width=16\cm,staffsize=16]
303 @{pitches-headword.ly@}
307 LSR snippets are linked with
310 @@lilypondfile[verbatim,lilyquote,ragged-right,texidoc,doctitle]
315 excepted in Templates, where `doctitle' may be omitted.
318 Avoid long stretches of input code. Noone is going to read
319 them in print. Please create a smaller example. (the smaller
320 example does not need to be minimal, however)
323 Specify durations for at least the first note of every bar.
326 If possible, end with a complete bar.
329 Comments should go on their own line, and be placed before
330 the line(s) to which they refer.
333 Add extra spaces around @{ @} marks; ie
336 not: \chordmode @{c e g@}
337 but instead: \chordmode @{ c e g @}
341 If you only have one bar per line, omit bar checks. If you
342 put more than one bar per line (not recommended), then include bar
346 If you want to work on an example outside of the manual (for
347 easier/faster processing), use this header:
351 #(define dump-extents #t)
353 line-width = 160\mm - 2.0 * 0.4\in
355 force-assignment = #""
356 line-width = #(- line-width (* mm 3.000000))
363 You may not change any of these values. If you are making an
364 example demonstrating special \paper@{@} values, contact the
365 Documentation Editor.
370 @node Text formatting
371 @subsection Text formatting
376 Lines should be less than 72 characters long. (I personally
377 recommend writing with 66-char lines, but don't bother modifying
384 Do not use spaces at the beginning of a line (except in
385 @@example or @@verbatim environments), and do not use more than a
386 single space between words. `makeinfo' copies the input lines
387 verbatim without removing those spaces.
390 Use two spaces after a period.
393 In examples of syntax, use @@var@{musicexpr@} for a music
397 Don't use @@rinternals@{@} in the main text. If you're
398 tempted to do so, you're probably getting too close to "talking
399 through the code". If you really want to refer to a context, use
400 @@code@{@} in the main text and @@rinternals@{@} in the @@seealso.
403 Variables or numbers which consist of a single character
404 (probably followed by a punctuation mark) should be tied properly,
405 either to the previous or the next word. Example:
408 The variable@@tie@{@}@@var@{a@} ...
412 To get consistent indentation in the DVI output it is better
413 to avoid the @@verbatim environment. Use the @@example
414 environment instead if possible, but without extraneous
415 indentation. For example, this
426 should be replaced with
437 where `@@example' starts the line (without leading spaces).
440 Do not compress the input vertically; this is, do not use
443 Beginning of logical unit
447 continuation of logical unit
454 Beginning of logical unit
461 continuation of logical unit
464 This makes it easier to avoid forgetting the `@@noindent'. Only
465 use @@noindent if the material is discussing the same material;
466 new material should simply begin without anything special on the
470 in @@itemize use @@item
471 on a separate line like this:
482 Do not use @@itemize @@bullet.
485 To get LilyPond version, use @@version@{@} (this does not work
486 inside LilyPond snippets). If you write "@@version@{@}" (enclosed
487 with quotes), or generally if @@version@{@} is not followed by a
488 space, tere will be an ugly line break in PDF output unless you
496 @@w@{"@@version@{@}"@}
503 @subsection Syntax survey
507 @@c - single line comments
508 "@@c NOTE:" is a comment which should remain in the final
509 version. (gp only command ;)
511 @@ignore ... @@end ignore - multi-line comment
514 @@cindex - General index. Please add as many as you can. Don't
515 capitalize the first word.
517 @@funindex - is for a \lilycommand.
520 @@example ... @@end ignore - example text that should be set as a
521 blockquote. Any @{@} must be escaped with @@@{ @}@@
525 B ... @@end itemize - for bulleted lists.
526 Do not compress vertically like this.
529 @@code@{@} - typeset in a tt-font. Use for actual lilypond code or
530 property/context names. If the name contains a space, wrap
531 the entire thing inside @@w@{@@code@{ @}@}.
533 @@notation@{@} - refers to pieces of notation, e.g.
534 "@@notation@{cres.@}". Also use to specific lyrics ("the
535 @@notation@{A - men@} is centered"). Only use once per subsection
538 @@q@{@} - Single quotes. Used for `vague' terms.
540 @@qq@{@} - Double quotes. Used for actual quotes ("he said") or for
541 introducing special input modes.
544 @@tie@{@} - Variables or numbers which consist of a single character
545 (probably followed by a punctuation mark) should be tied
546 properly, either to the previous or the next word. Example:
547 "The letter@@tie@{@}@@q@{I@} is skipped"
550 @@var - Use for variables.
552 @@warning@{@} - produces a "Note: " box. Use for important messages.
555 @@bs - Generates a backslash inside @@warning.
556 Any `\' used inside @@warning (and @@q or @@qq) must be written as `@@bs@{@}'
557 (texinfo would also allow \\, but this breaks with PDF output).
560 @@ref@{@} - normal references (type the exact node name inside the
563 @@ruser@{@} - link to the NR.
565 @@rlearning@{@} - link to the LM.
567 @@rglos@{@} - link to the MG.
569 @@rprogram@{@} - link to the AU.
571 @@rlsr@{@} - link to a Snippet section.
573 @@rinternals@{@} - link to the IR.
575 @@uref@{@} - link to an external url.
581 @node Other text concerns
582 @subsection Other text concerns
587 References must occur at the end of a sentence, for more
588 information see @@ref@{the texinfo manual@}. Ideally this should
589 also be the final sentence of a paragraph, but this is not
590 required. Any link in a doc section must be duplicated in the
591 @@seealso section at the bottom.
594 Introducing examples must be done with
597 . (ie finish the previous sentence/paragaph)
598 : (ie `in this example:')
599 , (ie `may add foo with the blah construct,')
602 The old "sentence runs directly into the example" method is not
606 Abbrevs in caps, e.g., HTML, DVI, MIDI, etc.
617 When beginning a quote: "So, he said,...".
619 This usage is rarer. Americans often just use a comma.
622 When adding a defining example at the end of a sentence.
627 Non-ASCII characters which are in utf-8 should be directly used;
628 this is, don't say `Ba@@ss@{@}tuba' but `Baßtuba'. This ensures
629 that all such characters appear in all output formats.
636 @node Documentation policy
637 @section Documentation policy
641 * Section organization::
642 * Checking cross-references::
644 * Technical writing style::
650 There are four parts to the documentation: the Learning Manual,
651 the Notation Reference, the Program Reference, and the Music
659 The LM is written in a tutorial style which introduces the most
660 important concepts, structure and syntax of the elements of a
661 LilyPond score in a carefully graded sequence of steps.
662 Explanations of all musical concepts used in the Manual can be
663 found in the Music Glossary, and readers are assumed to have no
664 prior knowledge of LilyPond. The objective is to take readers to
665 a level where the Notation Reference can be understood and
666 employed to both adapt the templates in the Appendix to their
667 needs and to begin to construct their own scores. Commonly used
668 tweaks are introduced and explained. Examples are provided
669 throughout which, while being focussed on the topic being
670 introduced, are long enough to seem real in order to retain the
671 readers' interest. Each example builds on the previous material,
672 and comments are used liberally. Every new aspect is thoroughly
673 explained before it is used.
675 Users are encouraged to read the complete Learning Manual from
680 Notation Reference: a (hopefully complete) description of LilyPond
681 input notation. Some material from here may be duplicated in the
682 Learning Manual (for teaching), but consider the NR to be the
683 "definitive" description of each notation element, with the LM
684 being an "extra". The goal is _not_ to provide a step-by-step
685 learning environment -- do not avoid using notation that has not
686 be introduced previously in the NR (for example, use \break if
687 appropriate). This section is written in formal technical writing
690 Avoid duplication. Although users are not expected to read this
691 manual from start to finish, they should be familiar with the
692 material in the Learning Manual (particularly ``Fundamental
693 Concepts''), so do not repeat that material in each section of
694 this book. Also watch out for common constructs, like ^ - _ for
695 directions -- those are explained in NR 3. In NR 1, you can
696 write: DYNAMICS may be manually placed above or below the staff,
697 see @@ref@{Controlling direction and placement@}.
699 Most tweaks should be added to LSR and not placed directly in the
700 .itely file. In some cases, tweaks may be placed in the main
701 text, but ask about this first.
703 Finally, you should assume that users know what the notation
704 means; explaining musical concepts happens in the Music Glossary.
708 Application Usage: information about using the program lilypond
709 with other programs (lilypond-book, operating systems, GUIs,
710 convert-ly, etc). This section is written in formal technical
713 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
717 Music Glossary: information about the music notation itself.
718 Explanations and translations about notation terms go here.
720 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
723 Internals Reference: not really a documentation book, since it is
724 automagically generated from the source, but this is its name.
729 @node Section organization
730 @subsection Section organization
735 The order of headings inside documentation sections should
748 You @emph{must} include a @@seealso.
752 The order of items inside the @@seealso section is
761 @@rlearning@{foozle@}.
771 @@file@{path/to/dir/blahz@}.
773 Snippets: @@rlsr@{section@}.
776 @@rinternals@{fazzle@},
777 @@rinternals@{booar@}.
781 If there are multiple entries, separate them by commas but do not
785 Always end with a period.
788 Place each link on a new line as above; this makes it much easier
789 to add or remove links. In the output, they appear on a single
792 ("Snippets" is REQUIRED; the others are optional)
795 Any new concepts or links which require an explanation should go
796 as a full sentence(s) in the main text.
799 Don't insert an empty line between @@seealso and the first entry!
800 Otherwise there is excessive vertical space in the PDF output.
805 To create links, use @@ref@{@} if the link is within the same
809 @@predefined ... @@endpredefined is for commands in ly/*-init.ly
813 Do not include any real info in second-level sections (ie 1.1
814 Pitches). A first-level section may have introductory material,
815 but other than that all material goes into third-level sections
816 (ie 1.1.1 Writing Pitches).
821 @node Checking cross-references
822 @subsection Checking cross-references
824 Cross-references between different manuals are heavily used in the
825 documentation, but they are not checked during compilation.
826 However, if you compile the documentation, a script called
827 check_texi_refs can help you with checking and fixing these
828 cross-references; for information on usage, cd into a source tree
829 where documentation has been built, cd into Documentation and look
830 for check-xrefs and fix-xrefs targets in 'make help' output. Note
831 that you have to find yourself the source files to fix
832 cross-references in the generated documentation such as the
833 Internals Reference; e.g. you can grep scm/ and lily/.
836 @node General writing
837 @subsection General writing
842 Do not forget to create @@cindex entries for new sections of text.
843 Enter commands with @@funindex, i.e.
846 @@cindex pitches, writing in different octaves
851 do not bother with the @@code@{@} (they are added automatically).
852 These items are added to both the command index and the unified
855 Both index commands should go in front of the actual material.
857 @@cindex entries should not be capitalized, ie
860 @@cindex time signature
864 is preferred instead of @qq{Time signature}, Only use capital
865 letters for musical terms which demand them, like D.S. al Fine.
867 For scheme functions, only include the final part, i.e.,
870 @@funindex modern-voice-cautionary
872 @@funindex #(set-accidental-style modern-voice-cautionary)
881 In general, use the American spellings. The internal lilypond
882 property names use this spelling.
885 List of specific terms:
889 simultaneous NOT concurrent
890 measure: the unit of music
891 bar line: the symbol delimiting a measure NOT barline
892 note head NOT notehead
893 chord construct NOT chord (when referring to <>)
901 @node Technical writing style
902 @subsection Technical writing style
904 These refer to the NR. The LM uses a more gentle, colloquial
910 Do not refer to LilyPond in the text. The reader knows what the
911 manual is about. If you do, capitalization is LilyPond.
914 If you explicitly refer to @q{lilypond} the program (or any other
915 command to be executed), write @code{@@command@{lilypond@}}.
918 Do not explicitly refer to the reader/user. There is no one else
919 besides the reader and the writer.
922 Avoid contractions (don't, won't, etc.). Spell the words out completely.
925 Avoid abbreviations, except for commonly used abbreviations of foreign
926 language terms such as etc. and i.e.
929 Avoid fluff (@qq{Notice that,} @qq{as you can see,}
933 The use of the word @q{illegal} is inappropriate in most cases.
934 Say @q{invalid} instead.
939 @node Tips for writing docs
940 @section Tips for writing docs
942 In the NR, I highly recommend focusing on one subsection at a
943 time. For each subsection,
948 check the mundane formatting. Are the headings (@@predefined,
949 @@seealso, etc.) in the right order?
952 add any appropriate index entries.
955 check the links in the @@seealso section -- links to music
956 glossary, internal references, and other NR sections are the main
957 concern. Check for potential additions.
960 move LSR-worthy material into LSR. Add the snippet, delete the
961 material from the .itely file, and add a @@lilypondfile command.
964 check the examples and descriptions. Do they still work?
965 @strong{Do not} assume that the existing text is
966 accurate/complete; some of the manual is highly out of date.
969 is the material in the @@knownissues still accurate?
972 can the examples be improved (made more explanatory), or is there
973 any missing info? (feel free to ask specific questions on -user;
974 a couple of people claimed to be interesting in being
975 @qq{consultants} who would help with such questions)
979 In general, I favor short text explanations with good examples --
980 @qq{an example is worth a thousand words}. When I worked on the
981 docs, I spent about half my time just working on those tiny
982 lilypond examples. Making easily-understandable examples is much
983 harder than it looks.
986 @subsubheading Tweaks
988 In general, any \set or \override commands should go in the
989 @qq{select snippets} section, which means that they should go in
990 LSR and not the .itely file. For some cases, the command
991 obviously belongs in the @qq{main text} (i.e. not inside
992 @@predefined or @@seealso or whatever) -- instrument names are a
993 good example of this.
996 \set Staff.instrumentName = #"foo"
999 On the other side of this,
1002 \override Score.Hairpin #'after-line-breaking = ##t
1005 clearly belongs in LSR.
1007 I'm quite willing to discuss specific cases if you think that a
1008 tweaks needs to be in the main text. But items that can go into
1009 LSR are easier to maintain, so I'd like to move as much as
1010 possible into there.
1013 It would be @qq{nice} if you spent a lot of time crafting nice
1014 tweaks for users@dots{} but my recommendation is @strong{not} to do
1015 this. There's a lot of doc work to do without adding examples of
1016 tweaks. Tweak examples can easily be added by normal users by adding
1019 One place where a documentation writer can profitably spend time writing
1020 or upgrading tweaks is creating tweaks to deal with known issues. It
1021 would be ideal if every significant known issue had a workaround to avoid
1026 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1029 @node Updating docs with convert-ly
1030 @section Updating doc with @command{convert-ly}
1032 cd into @file{Documentation/} and run
1035 find . -name '*.itely' | xargs convert-ly -e
1039 This also updates translated documentation.
1043 @node Translating the documentation
1044 @section Translating the documentation
1047 * Getting started with documentation translation::
1048 * Documentation translation details::
1049 * Documentation translation maintenance::
1050 * Translations management policies::
1051 * Technical background::
1052 * Translation status::
1055 @node Getting started with documentation translation
1056 @subsection Getting started with documentation translation
1058 First, get the sources from the Git repository, see @ref{Documentation
1059 translations source code}.
1062 * Translation requirements::
1063 * Which documentation can be translated::
1064 * Starting translation in a new language::
1067 @node Translation requirements
1068 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translation requirements
1070 Working on LilyPond documentation translations requires the following
1071 pieces of software, in order to make use of dedicated helper tools:
1074 @item Python 2.4 or higher,
1080 It is not required to build LilyPond and the documentation to
1081 translate the documentation. However, if you have enough time and
1082 motivation and a suitable system, it can be very useful to build at
1083 least the documentation so that you can check the output yourself and
1084 more quickly; if you are interested, see @ref{Compiling from source}.
1089 @node Which documentation can be translated
1090 @unnumberedsubsubsec Which documentation can be translated
1092 The makefiles and scripts infrastructure currently supports translation
1093 of the following documentation:
1096 @item documentation index (HTML);
1097 @item user manual and program usage -- Texinfo source, PDF and HTML
1098 output; Info output might be added if there is enough demand for it;
1099 @item the News document.
1102 The following pieces of documentation should be added soon, by
1103 descending order of priority:
1106 @item automatically generated documentation: markup commands,
1107 predefined music functions;
1108 @item the Snippets List;
1109 @item the examples page;
1110 @item the Internals Reference.
1114 @node Starting translation in a new language
1115 @unnumberedsubsubsec Starting translation in a new language
1117 At top of the source directory, do
1124 or (if you want to install your self-compiled LilyPond locally)
1127 ./autogen.sh --prefix=$HOME
1131 If you want to compile LilyPond -- which is almost required to build
1132 the documentation, but is not required to do translation only -- fix
1133 all dependencies and rerun @command{./configure} (with the same
1134 options as for @command{autogen.sh}).
1136 Then @command{cd} into @file{Documentation/} and run
1139 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} new-lang
1143 where @var{MY-LANGUAGE} is the ISO 639 language code.
1145 Finally, add a language definition for your language in
1146 @file{python/langdefs.py}.
1148 Before starting the real translation work, it is recommended to commit
1149 changes you made so far to Git, so e.g. you are able to get back to
1150 this state of the sources easily if needed; see @ref{Sharing your
1154 @node Documentation translation details
1155 @subsection Documentation translation details
1157 Please follow all the instructions with care to ensure quality work.
1159 All files should be encoded in UTF-8.
1162 * Files to be translated::
1163 * Translating the Learning Manual and other Texinfo documentation::
1164 * Translating the Notation Reference and Application Usage::
1165 * Translating the Documentation index index.html.in::
1168 @node Files to be translated
1169 @unnumberedsubsubsec Files to be translated
1171 @include contributor/doc-translation-list.itexi
1173 @node Translating the Learning Manual and other Texinfo documentation
1174 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translating the Learning Manual and other Texinfo documentation
1176 Any title which comes with one of the following commands must not be
1177 translated directly in the Texinfo source
1180 @@node @@majorheading
1181 @@chapter @@unnumbered @@appendix @@chapheading
1182 @@section @@unnumberedsec @@appendixsec @@heading
1183 @@subsection @@unnumberedsubsec @@appendixsubsec @@subheading
1184 @@subsubsection @@unnumberedsubsubsec @@appendixsubsubsec @@subsubheading
1185 @@ref @@rglos @@ruser @@rlearning @@rprogram @@rlsr
1188 The same applies to first argument of @code{@@r@var{manual}named}
1189 commands; however, the second argument @var{Bar baz} of
1190 @code{@@ref@{@var{Foo},@var{Bar baz},,@var{info-file}@}} and
1191 @code{@@r@var{manual}named@{@var{Foo},@var{Bar baz}@}} should be
1194 @code{@@uref}'s names are to be translated.
1196 In any section which looks like
1200 * @var{node1}:: @var{thing1}
1201 * @var{node2}:: @var{thing2}
1207 the node names @var{nodeN} are @emph{not} to be translated, whereas
1208 extra title information @var{thingN} is.
1210 Every node name or section title must from now on be translated
1211 separately in a @file{.po} file (just as well as LilyPond output
1212 messages) in @file{Documentation/po}. The Gettext domain is named
1213 @code{lilypond-doc}, and unlike @code{lilypond} domain it is not
1214 managed through the Free Translation Project.
1217 Take care of using typographic rules for your language, especially in
1218 @file{macros.itexi}.
1221 Please keep verbatim copies of music snippets (in @code{@@lilypond}
1222 blocs). However, some music snippets containing text that shows in
1223 the rendered music, and sometimes translating this text really helps
1224 the user to understand the documentation; in this case, and only in
1225 this case, you may as an exception translate text in the music
1226 snippet, and then you must add a line immediately before the
1227 @code{@@lilypond} block, starting with
1234 Otherwise the music snippet would be reset to the same content as the
1235 English version at next @command{make snippet-update} run -- see
1236 @ref{Updating documentation translation}.
1241 @@lilypondfile[<number of fragment options>,texidoc]@{@var{filename.ly}@}
1245 in the source, open @file{Documentation/snippets/@var{filename}.ly}, translate the
1246 @code{texidoc} header field it contains, enclose it with
1247 @code{texidoc@var{MY-LANGUAGE} = "} and @code{"}, and write it into
1248 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@var{filename}.texidoc}.
1249 Additionnally, you may translate the snippet's title in @code{doctitle}
1250 header field, in case @code{doctitle} is a fragment option used in
1251 @code{@@lilypondfile}; you can do this exactly the same way as
1252 @code{texidoc}. For instance,
1253 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@var{filename}.texidoc}
1257 doctitlees = "Spanish title baz"
1259 Spanish translation blah
1263 @code{@@example} blocs need not be verbatim copies, e.g. variable
1264 names, file names and comments should be translated.
1266 Index entries (@code{@@cindex} and so on) should be translated.
1268 Finally, please carefully apply every rule exposed in @ref{Texinfo
1269 introduction and usage policy}, and @ref{Documentation policy}. If
1270 one of these rules conflicts with a rule specific to your language,
1271 please ask the Translation meister and/or the Documentation Editors on
1272 @email{lilypond-devel@@gnu.org}.
1275 @node Translating the Notation Reference and Application Usage
1276 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translating the Notation Reference and Application Usage
1278 Copy @file{notation.tely} (or @file{application.tely},
1279 respectively) into @file{@var{MY-LANGUAGE}}, then translate this
1280 file and run @code{skeleton-update} -- see @ref{Updating documentation
1281 translation}. Your are now ready to translate the Notation Reference
1282 (Application Usage, respectively) exactly like the Learning Manual.
1285 @node Translating the Documentation index index.html.in
1286 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translating the Documentation index @file{index.html.in}
1288 Unlike almost all HTML pages in this documentation, links in this page
1289 are not tweaked by @file{postprocess_html.py}, so links should be
1290 manually edited to link to existing translations.
1293 @node Documentation translation maintenance
1294 @subsection Documentation translation maintenance
1296 Several tools have been developed to make translations maintenance
1297 easier. These helper scripts make use of the power of Git, the
1298 version control system used for LilyPond development.
1301 * Check state of translation::
1302 * Updating documentation translation::
1305 @node Check state of translation
1306 @unnumberedsubsubsec Check state of translation
1308 First pull from Git, then cd into @file{Documentation/} (or at top of
1309 the source tree, replace @command{make} with @command{make -C
1310 Documentation}) and run
1313 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation
1317 This presents a diff of the original files since the most recent
1318 revision of the translation. To check a single file, cd into
1319 @file{Documentation/} and run
1322 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@var{manual}/@var{foo}.itely check-translation
1325 To see only which files need to be updated, do
1328 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation | grep 'diff --git'
1331 To avoid printing terminal colors control characters, which is often
1332 desirable when you redirect output to a file, run
1335 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} NO_COLOR=1 check-translation
1338 Global state of the translation is recorded in
1339 @file{Documentation/translations.html.in}, which is used to generate
1340 Translations status page. To update that page, do from
1341 @file{Documentation/}
1344 make translation-status
1347 This will also leave @file{out/translations-status.txt}, which contains
1348 up-to-dateness percentages for each translated file, and update word
1349 counts of documentation files in this Guide.
1353 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1356 @node Updating documentation translation
1357 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating documentation translation
1359 Instead of running @code{check-translation}, you may want to run
1360 @code{update-translation}, which will run your favorite text editor to
1361 update files. First, make sure environment variable @code{EDITOR} is
1362 set to a text editor command, then run from @file{Documentation/}
1365 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} update-translation
1368 or to update a single file
1371 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE/@var{manual}/foo.itely} update-translation
1374 For each file to be udpated, update-translation will open your text
1375 editor with this file and a diff of the file in English; if the diff
1376 cannot be generated or is bigger than the file in English itself, the
1377 full file in English will be opened instead.
1379 Texinfo skeleton files, i.e. @file{.itely} files not yet translated,
1380 containing only the Texinfo structure can be updated automatically:
1381 whenever @command{make check-translation} shows that such files should
1382 be updated, run from @file{Documentation/}
1385 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} skeleton-update
1388 @file{.po} message catalogs in @file{Documentation/po/} may be updated
1389 by issuing from @file{Documentation/} or @file{Documentation/po/}
1395 @warning{if you run po-update and somebody else does the same and
1396 pushes before you push or send a patch to be applied, there will be a
1397 conflict when you pull. Therefore, it is better that only the
1398 Translation meister runs this command.}
1400 Updating music snippets can quickly become cumbersome, as most
1401 snippets should be identical in all languages. Fortunately, there is
1402 a script that can do this odd job for you (run from
1403 @file{Documentation/}):
1406 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} snippet-update
1409 This script overwrites music snippets in
1410 @file{@var{MY_LANGUAGE/foo/every.itely}} with music snippets from
1411 @file{@var{foo/every.itely}}. It ignores skeleton files, and keeps
1412 intact music snippets preceded with a line starting with @code{@@c
1413 KEEP LY}; it reports an error for each @file{.itely} that has not the
1414 same music snippet count in both languages. Always use this script
1415 with a lot of care, i.e. run it on a clean Git working tree, and check
1416 the changes it made with @command{git diff} before committing; if you
1417 don't do so, some @code{@@lilypond} snippets might be broken or make
1418 no sense in their context.
1420 Finally, a command runs the three update processes above for all
1421 enabled languages (from @file{Documentation/}):
1424 make all-translations-update
1427 Use this command with caution, and keep in mind it will not be really
1428 useful until translations are stabilized after the end of GDP.
1432 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1435 @node Translations management policies
1436 @subsection Translations management policies
1438 These policies show the general intent of how the translations should
1439 be managed, they aim at helping translators, developers and
1440 coordinators work efficiently.
1443 * Maintaining without updating translations::
1444 * Managing documentation translation with Git::
1447 @node Maintaining without updating translations
1448 @unnumberedsubsubsec Maintaining without updating translations
1450 Keeping translations up to date under heavy changes in the
1451 documentation in English may be almost impossible, especially as
1452 during the former Grand Documentation Project (GDP) or the Grand
1453 Organization Project (GOP) when a lot of contributors brings changes.
1454 In addition, transloators may be (and that) involved in these porjects too.
1456 it is possible -- and even recommended -- to
1457 perform some maintaining that keeps translated documentation usable
1458 and eases future translation updating. The rationale below the tasks
1459 list motivates this plan. The rationale below the tasks
1460 list motivates this plan.
1462 The following tasks are listed in decreasing priority order.
1465 @item Update macros.itexi.
1466 For each obsolete macro definition, if it is possible to update macro
1467 usage in documentation with an automatic text or regexp substitution,
1468 do it and delete the macro definition from macros.itexi; otherwise,
1469 mark this macro definition as obsolete with a comment, and keep it in
1470 macros.itexi until the documentation translation has been updated and
1471 no longer uses this macro.
1473 @item Update @file{*.tely} files completely with
1474 @command{make check-translation} -- you may want to redirect ouptput
1475 to a file because of overwhelming output, or call check-translation.py
1476 on individual files, see @ref{Check state of translation}.
1478 @item In @file{.itelys}, match sections and .itely file names with those from
1479 English docs, which possibly involves moving nodes contents in block
1480 between files, without updating contents itself. In other words, the
1481 game is catching where has gone each section. In Learning manual, and
1482 in Notation Reference sections which have been revised in GDP, there
1483 may be completely new sections: in this case, copy @code{@@node} and
1484 @code{@@section}-command from English docs, and add the marker for
1485 untranslated status @code{@@untranslated} on a single line. Note that
1486 it is not possible to exactly match subsections or subsubsections of
1487 documentation in English, when contents has been deeply revised; in
1488 this case, keep obsolete (sub)subsections in the translation, marking
1489 them with a line @code{@@c obsolete} just before the node.
1491 Emacs with Texinfo mode makes this step easier:
1494 @item without Emacs AucTeX installed, @key{C-c C-s} shows structure of current
1495 Texinfo file in a new buffer *Occur*; to show structure of two files
1496 simultaneously, first split Emacs window in 4 tiles (with @key{C-x 1}
1497 and @key{C-x 2}), press @key{C-c C-s} to show structure of one file
1498 (e.g. the translated file), copy *Occur* contents into *Scratch*, then
1499 press @key{C-c C-s} for the other file.
1501 If you happen to have installed AucTeX, you can either call the macro
1502 by doing @key{M-x texinfo-show-structure} or create a key binding in your
1503 @file{~/.emacs}, by adding the four following lines:
1506 (add-hook 'Texinfo-mode-hook
1508 (define-key Texinfo-mode-map "\C-cs"
1509 'texinfo-show-structure)))
1513 and then obtain the structure in the *Occur* buffer with @key{C-c s}.
1515 @item Do not bother updating @code{@@menu}s when all menu entries are in the same
1516 file, just do @key{C-c C-u C-a} ("update all menus") when you have
1517 updated all the rest of the file.
1519 @item Moving to next or previous node using incremental search: press
1520 @key{C-s} and type @code{node} (or @key{C-s @@node} if the text
1521 contains the word @q{node}) then press @key{C-s} to move to next node
1522 or @key{C-r} to move to previous node. Similar operation can be used
1523 to move to the next/previous section. Note that every cursor move
1524 exits incremental search, and hitting @key{C-s} twice starts
1525 incremental search with the text entered in previous incremental
1528 @item Moving a whole node (or even a sequence of nodes): jump to beginning
1529 of the node (quit incremental search by pressing an arrow), press
1530 @key{C-SPACE}, press @key{C-s node} and repeat @key{C-s} until you
1531 have selected enough text, cut it with @key{C-w} or @key{C-x}, jump to
1532 the right place (moving between nodes with the previous hint is often
1533 useful) and paste with @key{C-y} or @key{C-v}.
1536 @item Update sections finished in the English documentation; check
1538 @uref{http://lilypondwiki.tuxfamily.org/index.php?title=Documentation_coordination}.
1540 @item Update documentation PO. It is recommended not to update
1541 strings which come from documentation that is currently deeply revised
1542 in English, to avoid doing the work more than once.
1544 @item Fix broken cross-references by running (from @file{Documentation/})
1547 make ISOLANG=@var{YOUR-LANGUAGE} fix-xrefs
1551 This step requires a sucessful documentation build (with @command{make
1552 doc}). Some cross-references are broken because they point to a node
1553 that exists in the documentation in English, which has not been added
1554 to the translation; in this case, do not fix the cross-reference but
1555 keep it "broken", so that the resulting HTML link will point to an
1556 existing page of documentation in English.
1559 @subsubheading Rationale
1561 You may wonder if it would not be better to leave translations as-is
1562 until you can really start updating translations. There are several
1563 reasons to do these maintenance tasks right now.
1566 @item This will have to be done sooner or later anyway, before updating
1567 translation of documentation contents, and this can already be done
1568 without needing to be redone later, as sections of documentation in
1569 English are mostly revised once. However, note that not all
1570 documentation sectioning has been revised in one go, so all this
1571 maintenance plan has to be repeated whenever a big reorganization is
1574 @item This just makes translated documentation take advantage of the new
1575 organization, which is better than the old one.
1577 @item Moving and renaming sections to match sectioning of documentation in
1578 English simplify future updating work: it allows updating the
1579 translation by side-by-side comparison, without bothering whether
1580 cross-reference names already exist in the translation.
1582 @item Each maintenance task except @q{Updating PO files} can be done by
1583 the same person for all languages, which saves overall time spent by
1584 translators to achieve this task: the node names and section titles
1585 are in English, so you can do. It is important to take advantage of
1586 this now, as it will be more complicated (but still possible) to do
1587 step 3 in all languages when documentation is compiled with
1588 @command{texi2html} and node names are directly translated in source
1593 @node Managing documentation translation with Git
1594 @unnumberedsubsubsec Managing documentation translation with Git
1596 This policy explains how to manage Git branches and commit
1597 translations to Git.
1600 @item Translation changes matching master branch are preferably made on
1601 @code{lilypond/translation} branch; they may be pushed directly to
1602 @code{master} only if they do not break compilation of LilyPond and
1603 its documentation, and in this case they should be pushed to
1604 @code{lilypond/translation} too. Similarly, changes matching
1605 @code{stable/X.Y} are preferably made on
1606 @code{lilypond/X.Ytranslation}.
1608 @item @code{lilypond/translation} Git branch may be merged into
1609 master only if LilyPond (@command{make all}) and documentation
1610 (@command{make doc}) compile succesfully.
1612 @item @code{master} Git branch may be merged into
1613 @code{lilypond/translation} whenever @command{make} and @command{make
1614 doc} are succesful (in order to ease documentation compilation by
1615 translators), or when significant changes had been made in
1616 documentation in English in master branch.
1618 @item General maintenance may be done by anybody who knows what he does
1619 in documentation in all languages, without informing translators
1620 first. General maintenance include simple text substitutions
1621 (e.g. automated by sed), compilation fixes, updating Texinfo or
1622 lilypond-book commands, updating macros, updating ly code, fixing
1623 cross-references, and operations described in @ref{Maintaining
1624 without updating translations}.
1628 @node Technical background
1629 @subsection Technical background
1631 A number of Python scripts handle a part of the documentation
1632 translation process. All scripts used to maintain the translations
1633 are located in @file{scripts/auxiliar/}.
1636 @item @file{check_translation.py} -- show diff to update a translation,
1637 @item @file{texi-langutils.py} -- quickly and dirtily parse Texinfo files to
1638 make message catalogs and Texinfo skeleton files,
1639 @item @file{texi-skeleton-update.py} -- update Texinfo skeleton files,
1640 @item @file{update-snippets.py} -- synchronize ly snippets with those
1642 @item @file{translations-status.py} -- update translations status pages and word
1643 counts in the file you are reading,
1644 @item @file{tely-gettext.py} -- gettext node names, section titles and references
1645 in the sources; WARNING only use this script once for each file, when support for
1646 "makeinfo --html" has been dropped.
1649 Other scripts are used in the build process, in @file{scripts/build/}:
1652 @item @file{html-gettext.py} -- translate node names, section titles and cross
1653 references in HTML files generated by @command{makeinfo},
1654 @item @file{texi-gettext.py} -- gettext node names, section titles and references
1655 before calling @command{texi2pdf},
1656 @item @file{mass-link.py} -- link or symlink files between English documentation
1657 and documentation in other languages.
1660 Python modules used by scripts in @file{scripts/auxiliar/} or @file{scripts/build/} (but
1661 not by installed Python scripts) are located in @file{python/auxiliar/}:
1663 @item @file{manuals_definitions.py} -- define manual names and name of
1664 cross-reference Texinfo macros,
1665 @item @file{buildlib.py} -- common functions (read piped output
1666 of a shell command, use Git),
1667 @item @file{postprocess_html.py} (module imported by @file{www_post.py}) -- add footer and
1668 tweak links in HTML pages.
1673 @item @file{python/langdefs.py} -- language definitions module
1677 @node Translation status
1678 @subsection Translation status