1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @node Documentation work
3 @chapter Documentation work
5 There are currently 11 manuals for LilyPond, not including the
6 translations. Each book is available in HTML, PDF, and info. The
7 documentation is written in a language called @code{texinfo} --
8 this allows us to generate different output formats from a single
11 To organize multiple authors working on the documentation, we use a
12 Version Control System (VCS) called git, previously discussed in
13 @ref{Starting with Git}.
16 * Introduction to documentation work::
17 * Documentation suggestions::
18 * Texinfo introduction and usage policy::
19 * Documentation policy::
20 * Tips for writing docs::
21 * Scripts to ease doc work::
22 * Docstrings in scheme::
23 * Translating the documentation::
27 @node Introduction to documentation work
28 @section Introduction to documentation work
30 Our documentation tries to adhere to our @ref{Documentation
31 policy}. This policy contains a few items which may seem odd.
32 One policy in particular is often questioned by potential
33 contributors: we do not repeat material in the Notation Reference,
34 and instead provide links to the @qq{definitive} presentation of
35 that information. Some people point out, with good reason, that
36 this makes the documentation harder to read. If we repeated
37 certain information in relevant places, readers would be less
38 likely to miss that information.
40 That reasoning is sound, but we have two counter-arguments.
41 First, the Notation Reference -- one of @emph{five} manuals for
42 users to read -- is already over 500 pages long. If we repeated
43 material, we could easily exceed 1000 pages! Second, and much
44 more importantly, LilyPond is an evolving project. New features
45 are added, bugs are fixed, and bugs are discovered and documented.
46 If features are discussed in multiple places, the documentation
47 team must find every instance. Since the manual is so large, it
48 is impossible for one person to have the location of every piece
49 of information memorized, so any attempt to update the
50 documentation will invariably omit a few places. This second
51 concern is not at all theoretical; the documentation used to be
52 plagued with inconsistent information.
54 If the documentation were targeted for a specific version -- say,
55 LilyPond 2.10.5 -- and we had unlimited resources to spend on
56 documentation, then we could avoid this second problem. But since
57 LilyPond evolves (and that is a very good thing!), and since we
58 have quite limited resources, this policy remains in place.
60 A few other policies (such as not permitting the use of tweaks in
61 the main portion of NR 1+2) may also seem counter-intuitive, but
62 they also stem from attempting to find the most effective use of
63 limited documentation help.
65 Before undertaking any large documentation work, contributors are
66 encouraged to contact the @ref{Meisters, Documentation Meister}.
69 @node Documentation suggestions
70 @section Documentation suggestions
72 @subheading Small additions
74 For additions to the documentation,
79 Tell us where the addition should be placed. Please include both
80 the section number and title (i.e. "LM 2.13 Printing lyrics").
83 Please write exact changes to the text.
86 A formal patch to the source code is @emph{not} required; we can
87 take care of the technical details. Here is an example of a
88 perfect documentation report:
91 To: lilypond-devel@gnu.org
92 From: helpful-user@example.net
95 In LM 2.13 (printing lyrics), above the last line ("More options,
96 like..."), please add:
99 To add lyrics to a divided part, use blah blah blah. For example,
102 \notes {blah <<blah>> }
103 \lyrics {blah <<blah>> }
108 In addition, the second sentence of the first paragraph is
109 confusing. Please delete that sentence (it begins "Users
110 often...") and replace it with this:
112 To align lyrics with something, do this thing.
122 @subheading Larger contributions
124 To replace large sections of the documentation, the guidelines are
125 stricter. We cannot remove parts of the current documentation
126 unless we are certain that the new version is an improvement.
131 Ask on the lilypond-devel maillist if such a rewrite is necessary;
132 somebody else might already be working on this issue!
135 Split your work into small sections; this makes it much easier to
136 compare the new and old documentation.
139 Please prepare a formal git patch.
143 Once you have followed these guidelines, please send a message to
144 lilypond-devel with your documentation submissions. Unfortunately
145 there is a strict “no top-posting” check on the mailist; to avoid
148 > I'm not top posting.
150 (you must include the > ) to the top of your documentation
153 We may edit your suggestion for spelling, grammar, or style, and
154 we may not place the material exactly where you suggested, but if
155 you give us some material to work with, we can improve the manual
156 much faster. Thanks for your interest!
159 @node Texinfo introduction and usage policy
160 @section Texinfo introduction and usage policy
163 * Texinfo introduction::
164 * Documentation files::
165 * Sectioning commands::
166 * LilyPond formatting::
169 * Other text concerns::
173 @node Texinfo introduction
174 @subsection Texinfo introduction
176 The language is called Texinfo; you can see its manual here:
178 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/}
180 However, you don't need to read those docs. The most important
181 thing to notice is that text is text. If you see a mistake in the
182 text, you can fix it. If you want to change the order of
183 something, you can cut-and-paste that stuff into a new location.
185 @warning{Rule of thumb: follow the examples in the existing docs.
186 You can learn most of what you need to know from this; if you want
187 to do anything fancy, discuss it on @code{lilypond-devel} first.}
190 @node Documentation files
191 @subsection Documentation files
193 All manuals live in @file{Documentation/}.
195 In particular, there are four user manuals, their respective master
196 source files are @file{learning.tely} (LM, Learning Manual),
197 @file{notation.tely} (NR, Notation Reference),
198 @file{music-glossary.tely} (MG, Music Glossary), and
199 @file{lilypond-program} (AU). Each chapter is written in a separate
200 file, ending in @file{.itely} for files containing lilypond code, and
201 @file{.itexi} for files without lilypond code, located in a subdirectory
202 associated to the manual (@file{learning/} for @file{learning.tely}, and
203 so on); list the subdirectory of each manual to determine the filename
204 of the specific chapter you wish to modify.
206 Developer manuals live in @file{Documentation/} too. Currently there is
207 only one: the Contributor's Guide @file{contrib-guide.texi} you are
210 Snippet files are part of documentation, and the Snippet List (SL) lives
211 in @file{Documentation/} just like the manuals. For information about
212 how to modify the snippet files and SL, see @ref{LSR work}.
215 @node Sectioning commands
216 @subsection Sectioning commands
218 Most of the manual operates at the
226 level. Sections are created with
235 Please leave two blank lines above a @code{@@node}; this makes it
236 easier to find sections in texinfo.
239 Do not use any @code{@@} commands for a @code{@@node}. They may be
240 used for any @code{@@sub...} sections or headings however.
244 @@node @@code@{Foo@} Bar
245 @@subsection @@code@{Foo@} Bar
249 @@subsection @@code@{Foo@} Bar
253 If a heading is desired without creating a @code{@@node}, please use
261 Sectioning commands (@code{@@node} and @code{@@section}) must not appear
262 inside an @code{@@ignore}. Separate those commands with a space, ie
263 @code{@@n}@tie{}@code{ode}.
267 Nodes must be included inside a
277 construct. These are easily constructed with automatic tools; see
278 @ref{Scripts to ease doc work}.
281 @node LilyPond formatting
282 @subsection LilyPond formatting
287 Use two spaces for indentation in lilypond examples (no tabs).
290 All engravers should have double-quotes around them:
293 \consists "Spans_arpeggio_engraver"
296 LilyPond does not strictly require this, but it is a useful
297 convention to follow.
300 All context or layout object strings should be prefaced with @code{#}.
301 Again, LilyPond does not strictly require this, but it is helpful
302 to get users accustomed to this scheme construct. i.e. @code{\set
303 Staff.instrumentName = #"cello"}
306 Try to avoid using @code{#'} or @code{#`} within when describing
307 context or layout properties outside of an @code{@@example} or @code{@@lilypond}, unless
308 the description explicitly requires it.
310 ie @qq{...setting the @code{transparent} property leaves the object where it
311 is, but makes it invisible.}
314 If possible, only write one bar per line.
317 If you only have one bar per line, omit bar checks. If you
318 must put more than one bar per line (not recommended), then include bar
322 Tweaks should, if possible, also occur on their own line.
324 not: \override TextScript #'padding = #3 c1^"hi"
325 but instead: \override TextScript #'padding = #3
330 Most LilyPond input should be produced with:
333 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
340 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
343 If you want to use @code{\layout@{@}} or define variables, use
346 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
349 In rare cases, other options may be used (or omitted), but ask first.
352 Inspirational headwords are produced with
355 @@lilypondfile[quote,ragged-right,line-width=16\cm,staffsize=16]
356 @{pitches-headword.ly@}
360 LSR snippets are linked with
363 @@lilypondfile[verbatim,lilyquote,ragged-right,texidoc,doctitle]
368 excepted in Templates, where `doctitle' may be omitted.
371 Avoid long stretches of input code. Nobody is going to read
372 them in print. Create small examples. However, this does not mean
376 Specify durations for at least the first note of every bar.
379 If possible, end with a complete bar.
382 Comments should go on their own line, and be placed before
383 the line(s) to which they refer.
386 For clarity, always use @{ @} marks even if they are not technically
392 \context Voice \repeat unfold 2 \relative c' @{
408 Add a space around @{ @} marks; ie
411 not: \chordmode@{c e g@}
412 but instead: \chordmode @{ c e g @}
416 Use @{ @} marks for additional @code{\markup} format comands; ie
419 not: c^\markup \tiny\sharp
420 but instead: c^\markup @{ \tiny \sharp @}
424 Remove any space around @code{<} @code{>} marks; ie
428 but instead: <c e g>4
432 Beam, slur and tie marks should begin immediately after the first
433 note with beam and phrase marks ending immediately after the last.
436 a8(\ ais16[ b cis( d] b) cis4~ b' cis,\)
440 If you want to work on an example outside of the manual (for
441 easier/faster processing), use this header:
446 line-width = 160\mm - 2.0 * 0.4\in
448 force-assignment = #""
449 line-width = #(- line-width (* mm 3.000000))
456 You may not change any of these values. If you are making an
457 example demonstrating special @code{\paper@{@}} values, contact the
458 Documentation Editor.
463 @node Text formatting
464 @subsection Text formatting
468 Lines should be less than 72 characters long. (We personally
469 recommend writing with 66-char lines, but do not bother modifying
470 existing material). Also see the recommendations for fixed-width
471 fonts in the @ref{Syntax survey}.
477 Do not use spaces at the beginning of a line (except in
478 @code{@@example} or @code{@@verbatim} environments), and do not
479 use more than a single space between words. @q{makeinfo} copies
480 the input lines verbatim without removing those spaces.
483 Use two spaces after a period.
486 In examples of syntax, use @code{@@var@{@var{musicexpr}@}} for a
490 Don't use @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in the main text. If you're
491 tempted to do so, you're probably getting too close to @qq{talking
492 through the code}. If you really want to refer to a context, use
493 @code{@@code@{@}} in the main text and @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in
494 the @code{@@seealso}.
499 @subsection Syntax survey
509 * Special characters::
515 @unnumberedsubsubsec Comments
519 @code{@@c @dots{}} --- single line comment. @samp{@@c NOTE:} is a
520 comment which should remain in the final version. (gp only
524 @code{@@ignore} --- multi-line comment:
534 @node Cross references
535 @unnumberedsubsubsec Cross references
537 Enter the exact @code{@@node} name of the target reference between
538 the brackets (eg.@tie{}@w{@samp{@@ref@{Syntax survey@}}}).
542 @code{@@ref@{@dots{}@}} --- link within current manual.
545 @code{@@rchanges@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Changes.
548 @code{@@rcontrib@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Contributor's Guide.
551 @code{@@ressay@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Engraving Essay.
554 @code{@@rextend@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Extending LilyPond.
557 @code{@@rglos@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Music Glossary.
560 @code{@@rinternals@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Internals Reference.
563 @code{@@rlearning@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Learning Manual.
566 @code{@@rlsr@{@dots{}@}} --- link to a Snippet section.
569 @code{@@rprogram@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Application Usage.
572 @code{@@ruser@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Notation Reference.
575 @code{@@rweb@{@dots{}@}} --- link to General Informaion.
580 @unnumberedsubsubsec External links
584 @code{@@email@{@dots{}@}} --- create a @code{mailto:} E-mail link.
587 @code{@@uref@{@var{URL}[, @var{link text}]@}} --- link to an
588 external url. Use within an @code{@@example ... @@end example}.
592 @@uref@{URL [, link text ]@}
598 @node Fixed-width font
599 @unnumberedsubsubsec Fixed-width font
603 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} ---
605 Use the @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} command for individual
606 language-specific tokens (keywords, commands, engravers, scheme
607 symbols, etc.). Ideally, a single @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} block
608 should fit within one line in the PDF output. Use the
609 @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} command when you have a short example of
610 user input, unless it constitutes an entire @code{@@item} by
611 itself, in which case @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} is preferable.
612 Otherwise, both should only be used when part of a larger sentence
613 within a paragraph or @code{@@item}. Never use a
614 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} block as a
615 free-standing paragraph; use @code{@@example} instead.
617 A single unindented line in the PDF has space for about 79
618 fixed-width characters (76 if indented). Within an @code{@@item}
619 there is space for about 75 fixed-width characters. Each
620 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
621 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
623 However, even short blocks of @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} and
624 @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} can run into the margin if the Texinfo
625 line-breaking algorithm gets confused. Additionally, blocks that
626 are longer than this may in fact print nicely; it all depends
627 where the line breaks end up. If you compile the docs yourself,
628 check the PDF output to make sure the line breaks are
631 The Texinfo setting @code{@@allowcodebreaks} is set to
632 @code{false} in the manuals, so lines within
633 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} blocks will
634 only break at spaces, not at hyphens or underscores. If the block
635 contains spaces, use @code{@@w@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}} or
636 @code{@@w@{@@samp@{@dots{}@}@}} to prevent unexpected line breaks.
638 The Texinfo settings @code{txicodequoteundirected} and
639 @code{txicodequotebacktick} are both set in the manuals, so
640 backticks (@code{`}) and apostrophes (@code{'}) placed within
641 blocks of @code{@@code}, @code{@@example}, or @code{@@verbatim}
642 are not converted to left- and right-angled quotes
643 (@code{@quoteleft{} @quoteright{}}) as they normally are within
644 the text, so the apostrophes in
645 @q{@w{@code{@@w@{@@code@{@bs{}relative c''@}@}}}} will display
646 correctly. However, these settings do not affect the PDF output
647 for anything within a @code{@@samp} block (even if it includes a
648 nested @code{@@code} block), so entering
649 @q{@code{@@w@{@@samp@{@bs{}relative c''@}@}}} wrongly produces
650 @q{@w{@code{@bs{}relative c@quoteright{}@quoteright{}}}} in PDF.
651 Consequently, if you want to use a @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} block
652 which contains backticks or apostrophes, you should instead use
653 @q{@code{@@q@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}}} (or
654 @q{@code{@@q@{@@w@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}@}}} if the block also
655 contains spaces). Note that backslashes within
656 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}} blocks must be entered as @samp{@@bs@{@}},
657 so the example above would be coded as
658 @q{@code{@@q@{@@w@{@@code@{@@bs@{@}relative c''@}@}@}}}.
661 @code{@@command@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for command-line commands (eg.
662 @samp{@@command@{lilypond-book@}}).
665 @code{@@example} --- Use for examples of program code. Do not add
666 extraneous indentation (ie. don't start every line with
667 whitespace). Use the following layout (notice the use of blank
668 lines). Omit the @code{@@noindent} if the text following the
669 example starts a new paragraph:
672 @var{@dots{}text leading into the example@dots{}}
679 @var{continuation of the text@dots{}}
682 Individual lines within an @code{@@example} block should not
683 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
684 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@example} block
685 is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
686 @code{@@example} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
687 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
688 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
690 For long command line examples, if possible, use a trailing
691 backslash to break up a single line, indenting the next line with
692 2 spaces. If this isn't feasible, use @samp{@@smallexample
693 @dots{} @@end@tie{}smallexample} instead, which uses a smaller
694 fontsize. Use @code{@@example} whenever possible, but if needed,
695 @code{@@smallexample} can fit up to 90 characters per line before
696 running into the PDF margin. Each additional level of
697 @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate} shortens a
698 @code{@@smallexample} line by about 5 columns.
701 @code{@@file@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for filenames and directories.
704 @code{@@option@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for options to command-line
705 commands (eg. @samp{@@option@{--format@}}).
708 @code{@@verbatim} --- Prints the block exactly as it appears in
709 the source file (including whitespace, etc.). For program code
710 examples, use @code{@@example} instead. @code{@@verbatim} uses
711 the same format as @code{@@example}.
713 Individual lines within an @code{@@verbatim} block should not
714 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
715 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@verbatim}
716 block is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
717 @code{@@verbatim} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
718 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
719 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
724 @unnumberedsubsubsec Indexing
728 @code{@@cindex @dots{}} --- General index. Please add as many as you can.
729 Don't capitalize the first word.
732 @code{@@funindex @dots{}} --- is for a \lilycommand.
737 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lists
741 @code{@@enumerate} --- Create an ordered list (with numbers).
742 Always put @samp{@@item} on its own line, and separate consecutive
743 items with a blank line:
756 @code{@@itemize} --- Create an unordered list (with bullets). Use
757 the same format as @code{@@enumerate}. Do not use
758 @samp{@@itemize@tie{}@@bullet}.
762 @node Special characters
763 @unnumberedsubsubsec Special characters
767 @code{--}, @code{---} --- Create an en dash (--) or an em dash
768 (---) in the text. To print two or three literal hyphens in a
769 row, wrap one of them in a @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} (eg.
773 @code{@@@@}, @code{@@@{}, @code{@@@}} --- Create an at-sign (@@),
774 a left curly bracket (@{), or a right curly bracket (@}).
777 @code{@@bs@{@}} --- Create a backslash within a
778 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}}, or
779 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} block. This is a custom LilyPond
780 macro, not a builtin @@-command in Texinfo. Texinfo would also
781 allow @samp{\\}, but this breaks the PDF output.
784 @code{@@tie@{@}} --- Create a @emph{variable-width} non-breaking
785 space in the text (use @w{@samp{@@w@{ @}}} for a single
786 @emph{fixed-width} non-breaking space). Variables or numbers
787 which consist of a single character (probably followed by a
788 punctuation mark) should be tied properly, either to the previous
789 or the next word. Example: @samp{The letter@@tie@{@}@@q@{I@} is
795 @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellany
799 @code{@@notation@{@dots{}@}} --- refers to pieces of notation, e.g.
800 @samp{@@notation@{clef@}}. Also use for specific lyrics
801 (@samp{the @@notation@{A@tie{}-@tie{}men@} is centered}).
802 Only use once per subsection per term.
805 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}} --- Single quotes. Used for
806 @quoteleft{}vague@quoteright{} terms. To get a backslash
807 (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
810 @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}} --- Double quotes. Used for actual quotes
811 (@qq{he said}) or for introducing special input modes. To get a
812 backslash (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
815 @code{@@var@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for variables.
818 @code{@@version@{@}} --- Return the current LilyPond version
819 string. Use @samp{@@w@{@@version@{@}@}} if it's at the end of a
820 line (to prevent an ugly line break in PDF); use
821 @samp{@@w@{"@@version@{@}"@}} if you need it in quotes.
824 @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} --- Do not allow any line breaks.
827 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} --- produces a @qq{Note:@tie{}} box.
828 Use for important messages. To get a backslash (\), you must use
833 @node Other text concerns
834 @subsection Other text concerns
838 References must occur at the end of a sentence, for more
840 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/,texinfo
841 manual}. Ideally this should also be the final sentence of a
842 paragraph, but this is not required. Any link in a doc section
843 must be duplicated in the @code{@@seealso} section at the bottom.
846 Introducing examples must be done with
849 . (ie finish the previous sentence/paragaph)
850 : (ie `in this example:')
851 , (ie `may add foo with the blah construct,')
854 The old @qq{sentence runs directly into the example} method is not
858 Abbrevs in caps, e.g., HTML, DVI, MIDI, etc.
868 When beginning a quote: @qq{So, he said,...}.
870 This usage is rarer. Americans often just use a comma.
873 When adding a defining example at the end of a sentence.
877 Non-ASCII characters which are in utf-8 should be directly used;
878 this is, don't say @samp{Ba@@ss@{@}tuba} but @samp{Baßtuba}. This
879 ensures that all such characters appear in all output formats.
883 @node Documentation policy
884 @section Documentation policy
888 * Section organization::
889 * Checking cross-references::
891 * Technical writing style::
897 There are four parts to the documentation: the Learning Manual,
898 the Notation Reference, the Program Reference, and the Music
906 The LM is written in a tutorial style which introduces the most
907 important concepts, structure and syntax of the elements of a
908 LilyPond score in a carefully graded sequence of steps.
909 Explanations of all musical concepts used in the Manual can be
910 found in the Music Glossary, and readers are assumed to have no
911 prior knowledge of LilyPond. The objective is to take readers to
912 a level where the Notation Reference can be understood and
913 employed to both adapt the templates in the Appendix to their
914 needs and to begin to construct their own scores. Commonly used
915 tweaks are introduced and explained. Examples are provided
916 throughout which, while being focussed on the topic being
917 introduced, are long enough to seem real in order to retain the
918 readers' interest. Each example builds on the previous material,
919 and comments are used liberally. Every new aspect is thoroughly
920 explained before it is used.
922 Users are encouraged to read the complete Learning Manual from
927 Notation Reference: a (hopefully complete) description of LilyPond
928 input notation. Some material from here may be duplicated in the
929 Learning Manual (for teaching), but consider the NR to be the
930 "definitive" description of each notation element, with the LM
931 being an "extra". The goal is _not_ to provide a step-by-step
932 learning environment -- do not avoid using notation that has not
933 be introduced previously in the NR (for example, use \break if
934 appropriate). This section is written in formal technical writing
937 Avoid duplication. Although users are not expected to read this
938 manual from start to finish, they should be familiar with the
939 material in the Learning Manual (particularly ``Fundamental
940 Concepts''), so do not repeat that material in each section of
941 this book. Also watch out for common constructs, like ^ - _ for
942 directions -- those are explained in NR 3. In NR 1, you can
943 write: DYNAMICS may be manually placed above or below the staff,
944 see @@ref@{Controlling direction and placement@}.
946 Most tweaks should be added to LSR and not placed directly in the
947 .itely file. In some cases, tweaks may be placed in the main
948 text, but ask about this first.
950 Finally, you should assume that users know what the notation
951 means; explaining musical concepts happens in the Music Glossary.
955 Application Usage: information about using the program lilypond
956 with other programs (lilypond-book, operating systems, GUIs,
957 convert-ly, etc). This section is written in formal technical
960 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
964 Music Glossary: information about the music notation itself.
965 Explanations and translations about notation terms go here.
967 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
970 Internals Reference: not really a documentation book, since it is
971 automagically generated from the source, but this is its name.
976 @node Section organization
977 @subsection Section organization
982 The order of headings inside documentation sections should
995 You @emph{must} include a @@seealso.
999 The order of items inside the @@seealso section is
1008 @@rlearning@{foozle@}.
1021 @@file@{path/to/dir/blahz@}.
1023 Snippets: @@rlsr@{section@}.
1025 Internals Reference:
1026 @@rinternals@{fazzle@},
1027 @@rinternals@{booar@}.
1031 If there are multiple entries, separate them by commas but do not
1035 Always end with a period.
1038 Place each link on a new line as above; this makes it much easier
1039 to add or remove links. In the output, they appear on a single
1042 ("Snippets" is REQUIRED; the others are optional)
1045 Any new concepts or links which require an explanation should go
1046 as a full sentence(s) in the main text.
1049 Don't insert an empty line between @@seealso and the first entry!
1050 Otherwise there is excessive vertical space in the PDF output.
1055 To create links, use @@ref@{@} if the link is within the same
1059 @@predefined ... @@endpredefined is for commands in
1063 Do not include any real info in second-level sections (ie 1.1
1064 Pitches). A first-level section may have introductory material,
1065 but other than that all material goes into third-level sections
1066 (ie 1.1.1 Writing Pitches).
1071 @node Checking cross-references
1072 @subsection Checking cross-references
1074 Cross-references between different manuals are heavily used in the
1075 documentation, but they are not checked during compilation.
1076 However, if you compile the documentation, a script called
1077 check_texi_refs can help you with checking and fixing these
1078 cross-references; for information on usage, cd into a source tree
1079 where documentation has been built, cd into Documentation and run:
1086 Note that you have to find yourself the source files to fix
1087 cross-references in the generated documentation such as the
1088 Internals Reference; e.g. you can grep scm/ and lily/.
1090 @c temporary? how long will kainhofer be used? -gp
1091 Also of interest may be the linkdoc checks on kainhofer.com. Be
1092 warned that these docs are not completely rebuilt every day, so it
1093 might not accurately reflect the current state of the docs.
1096 @uref{http://kainhofer.com/~lilypond/linkdoc/}
1100 @node General writing
1101 @subsection General writing
1106 Do not forget to create @@cindex entries for new sections of text.
1107 Enter commands with @@funindex, i.e.
1110 @@cindex pitches, writing in different octaves
1111 @@funindex \relative
1115 do not bother with the @@code@{@} (they are added automatically).
1116 These items are added to both the command index and the unified
1119 Both index commands should go in front of the actual material.
1121 @@cindex entries should not be capitalized, ie
1124 @@cindex time signature
1128 is preferred instead of @qq{Time signature}, Only use capital
1129 letters for musical terms which demand them, like D.S. al Fine.
1131 For scheme functions, only include the final part, i.e.,
1134 @@funindex modern-voice-cautionary
1136 @@funindex #(set-accidental-style modern-voice-cautionary)
1145 In general, use the American spellings. The internal lilypond
1146 property names use this spelling.
1149 List of specific terms:
1153 simultaneous NOT concurrent
1154 measure: the unit of music
1155 bar line: the symbol delimiting a measure NOT barline
1156 note head NOT notehead
1157 chord construct NOT chord (when referring to <>)
1165 @node Technical writing style
1166 @subsection Technical writing style
1168 These refer to the NR. The LM uses a more gentle, colloquial
1174 Do not refer to LilyPond in the text. The reader knows what the
1175 manual is about. If you do, capitalization is LilyPond.
1178 If you explicitly refer to @q{lilypond} the program (or any other
1179 command to be executed), write @code{@@command@{lilypond@}}.
1182 Do not explicitly refer to the reader/user. There is no one else
1183 besides the reader and the writer.
1186 Avoid contractions (don't, won't, etc.). Spell the words out completely.
1189 Avoid abbreviations, except for commonly used abbreviations of foreign
1190 language terms such as etc. and i.e.
1193 Avoid fluff (@qq{Notice that,} @qq{as you can see,}
1197 The use of the word @q{illegal} is inappropriate in most cases.
1198 Say @q{invalid} instead.
1203 @node Tips for writing docs
1204 @section Tips for writing docs
1206 In the NR, I highly recommend focusing on one subsection at a
1207 time. For each subsection,
1212 check the mundane formatting. Are the headings (@@predefined,
1213 @@seealso, etc.) in the right order?
1216 add any appropriate index entries.
1219 check the links in the @@seealso section -- links to music
1220 glossary, internal references, and other NR sections are the main
1221 concern. Check for potential additions.
1224 move LSR-worthy material into LSR. Add the snippet, delete the
1225 material from the .itely file, and add a @@lilypondfile command.
1228 check the examples and descriptions. Do they still work?
1229 @strong{Do not} assume that the existing text is
1230 accurate/complete; some of the manual is highly out of date.
1233 is the material in the @@knownissues still accurate?
1236 can the examples be improved (made more explanatory), or is there
1237 any missing info? (feel free to ask specific questions on -user;
1238 a couple of people claimed to be interesting in being
1239 @qq{consultants} who would help with such questions)
1243 In general, I favor short text explanations with good examples --
1244 @qq{an example is worth a thousand words}. When I worked on the
1245 docs, I spent about half my time just working on those tiny
1246 lilypond examples. Making easily-understandable examples is much
1247 harder than it looks.
1250 @subsubheading Tweaks
1252 In general, any \set or \override commands should go in the
1253 @qq{select snippets} section, which means that they should go in
1254 LSR and not the .itely file. For some cases, the command
1255 obviously belongs in the @qq{main text} (i.e. not inside
1256 @@predefined or @@seealso or whatever) -- instrument names are a
1257 good example of this.
1260 \set Staff.instrumentName = #"foo"
1263 On the other side of this,
1266 \override Score.Hairpin #'after-line-breaking = ##t
1269 clearly belongs in LSR.
1271 I'm quite willing to discuss specific cases if you think that a
1272 tweaks needs to be in the main text. But items that can go into
1273 LSR are easier to maintain, so I'd like to move as much as
1274 possible into there.
1277 It would be @qq{nice} if you spent a lot of time crafting nice
1278 tweaks for users@dots{} but my recommendation is @strong{not} to do
1279 this. There's a lot of doc work to do without adding examples of
1280 tweaks. Tweak examples can easily be added by normal users by adding
1283 One place where a documentation writer can profitably spend time writing
1284 or upgrading tweaks is creating tweaks to deal with known issues. It
1285 would be ideal if every significant known issue had a workaround to avoid
1289 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1292 @node Scripts to ease doc work
1293 @section Scripts to ease doc work
1295 @subheading Stripping whitespace
1297 @c TODO: should this be documented elsewhere? It's useful for
1298 @c more than just docs.
1299 To remove extra whitespace from the ends of lines, run
1302 scripts/auxiliar/strip-whitespace.py Documentation/FILENAME
1306 @subheading Sectioning commands
1308 @warning{These commands add whitespace.}
1310 The emacs @code{M-x texinfo-all-menus-update} command will
1311 regenerate @@menu blocks. This can also be run with this
1312 command-line script:
1316 emacs $1 -batch -f texinfo-all-menus-update -f save-buffer
1320 (save the above as something like @command{texinfo-menus.sh}, make
1321 it executable, then run @command{texinfo-menus.sh foo.itely})
1324 @subheading Updating doc with @command{convert-ly}
1326 cd into @file{Documentation/} and run
1329 find . -name '*.itely' | xargs convert-ly -e
1333 This also updates translated documentation.
1337 @node Docstrings in scheme
1338 @section Docstrings in scheme
1340 Material in the Internals reference is generated automatically
1341 from our source code. Any doc work on Internals therefore
1342 requires modifying files in @file{scm/*.scm}. Texinfo is allowed
1343 in these docstrings.
1345 Most documentation writers never touch these, though. If you want
1346 to work on them, please ask for help.
1349 @node Translating the documentation
1350 @section Translating the documentation
1352 The mailing list @code{translations@@lilynet.net} is dedicated to
1353 LilyPond web site and documentation translation; on this list, you will
1354 get support from the Translations Meister and experimented translators,
1355 and we regularly discuss translations issues common to all languagues.
1356 All people interested in LilyPond translations are invited to subscribe
1357 to this list regardless of the amount of their contribution, by sending
1358 an email to @code{translations-request@@lilynet.net} with subject
1359 @code{subscribe} and an empty message body. Unless mentioned explicitly
1360 or except if a translations coordinator contacts you privately, you
1361 should send questions, remarks, patches to this list
1362 @code{translations@@lilynet.net}; especially note that the traffic is so
1363 high on English-speaking list @code{lilypond-user@@gnu.org} that it may
1364 take months before your request or contribution is handled if you send a
1365 email to these lists.
1368 * Getting started with documentation translation::
1369 * Documentation translation details::
1370 * Documentation translation maintenance::
1371 * Translations management policies::
1372 * Technical background::
1375 @node Getting started with documentation translation
1376 @subsection Getting started with documentation translation
1378 First, get the sources of branch @code{lilypond/translation} from the
1379 Git repository, see @ref{Starting with Git}.
1382 * Translation requirements::
1383 * Which documentation can be translated::
1384 * Starting translation in a new language::
1387 @node Translation requirements
1388 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translation requirements
1390 Working on LilyPond documentation translations requires the following
1391 pieces of software, in order to make use of dedicated helper tools:
1394 @item Python 2.4 or higher,
1400 It is not required to build LilyPond and the documentation to
1401 translate the documentation. However, if you have enough time and
1402 motivation and a suitable system, it can be very useful to build at
1403 least the documentation so that you can check the output yourself and
1404 more quickly; if you are interested, see @ref{Compiling}.
1406 Before undertaking any large translation work, contributors are
1407 encouraged to contact the @ref{Meisters, Translation Meister}.
1410 @node Which documentation can be translated
1411 @unnumberedsubsubsec Which documentation can be translated
1413 The makefiles and scripts infrastructure currently supports translation
1414 of the following documentation:
1417 @item the web site, the Learning Manual, the Notation Reference and
1418 Application Usage -- Texinfo source, PDF and HTML output; Info output
1419 might be added if there is enough demand for it;
1420 @item the Changes document.
1423 Support for translating the following pieces of documentation should be
1424 added soon, by decreasing order of priority:
1427 @item automatically generated documentation: markup commands,
1428 predefined music functions;
1429 @item the Snippets List;
1430 @item the Internals Reference.
1434 @node Starting translation in a new language
1435 @unnumberedsubsubsec Starting translation in a new language
1437 At top of the source directory, do
1444 or (if you want to install your self-compiled LilyPond locally)
1447 ./autogen.sh --prefix=$HOME
1451 If you want to compile LilyPond -- which is almost required to build
1452 the documentation, but is not required to do translation only -- fix
1453 all dependencies and rerun @command{./configure} (with the same
1454 options as for @command{autogen.sh}).
1456 Then @command{cd} into @file{Documentation/} and run
1459 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} new-lang
1463 where @var{MY-LANGUAGE} is the ISO 639 language code.
1465 Finally, add a language definition for your language in
1466 @file{python/langdefs.py}.
1469 @node Documentation translation details
1470 @subsection Documentation translation details
1472 Please follow all the instructions with care to ensure quality work.
1474 All files should be encoded in UTF-8.
1477 * Files to be translated::
1478 * Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation::
1479 * Adding a Texinfo manual::
1482 @node Files to be translated
1483 @unnumberedsubsubsec Files to be translated
1485 @include contributor/doc-translation-list.itexi
1487 In addition, not listed above, Snippets' titles and descriptions
1488 should be translated; they are a part of the Notation Reference and
1489 therefore their priority is 5.
1491 @node Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1492 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1494 Every piece of text should be translated in the source file, except
1495 Texinfo comments, text in @code{@@lilypond} blocks and a few cases
1498 Node names are translated, but the original node name in English should
1499 be kept as the argument of @code{@@translationof} put after the section
1500 title; that is, every piece in the original file like
1504 @@@var{section_command} Bar baz
1508 should be translated as
1511 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1512 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1513 @@translationof Foo bar
1516 The argument of @code{@@rglos} commands and the first argument of
1517 @code{@@rglosnamed} commands must not be translated, as it is the node
1518 name of an entry in Music Glossary.
1520 Every time you translate a node name in a cross-reference, i.e. the
1521 argument of commands @code{@@ref, @@rprogram, @@rlearning, @@rlsr,
1522 @@ruser} or the first argument of their @code{@var{*}named} variants,
1523 you should make sure the target node is defined in the correct source
1524 file; if you do not intend to translate the target node right now, you
1525 should at least write the node definition (that is, the @code{@@node
1526 @@@var{section_commmand} @@translationof} trio mentioned above) in the
1527 expected source file and define all its parent nodes; for each node you
1528 have defined this way but have not translated, insert a line that
1529 contains @code{@@untranslated}. That is, you should end up
1530 for each untranslated node with something like
1533 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1534 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1535 @@translationof Foo bar
1540 @warning{you do not have to translate the node name of a cross-reference
1541 to a node that you do not have translated. If you do, you must define
1542 an @qq{empty} node like explained just above; this will produce a
1543 cross-reference with the translated node name in output, although the
1544 target node will still be in English. On the opposite, if all
1545 cross-references that refer to an untranslated node use the node name in
1546 English, then you do not have to define such an @qq{empty} node, and the
1547 cross-reference text will appear in English in the output. The choice
1548 between these two strategies implies its particular maintenance
1549 requirements and is left to the translators, although the opinion of the
1550 Translation meister leans towards not translating these
1553 Please think of the fact that it may not make sense translating
1554 everything in some Texinfo files, and you may take distance from the
1555 original text; for instance, in the translation of the web site section
1556 Community, you may take this into account depending on what you know the
1557 community in your language is willing to support, which is possible only
1558 if you personnally assume this support, or there exists a public forum
1559 or mailing list listed in Community for LilyPond in your language:
1562 @item @rweb{Bug reports}: this page should be translated only if you
1563 know that every bug report sent on your language's mailing list or forum
1564 will be handled by someone who will translate it to English and send it
1565 on bug-lilypond or add an issue in the tracker, then translate back the
1566 reply from developers.
1568 @item @rweb{Help us}: this page should be translated very freely,
1569 and possibly not at all: ask help for contributing to LilyPond for tasks
1570 that LilyPond community in your language is able and going to handle.
1574 In any case, please mark in your work the sections which do not result
1575 from the direct translation of a piece of English translation, using
1576 comments i.e. lines starting with @q{@code{@@c}}.
1578 Finally, press in Emacs @key{C-c C-u C-a} to update or generate
1579 menus. This process should be made easier in the future, when the helper
1580 script @command{texi-langutils.py} and the makefile target are updated.
1582 Some pieces of text manipulated by build scripts that appear in the
1583 output are translated in a @file{.po} file -- just like LilyPond output
1584 messages -- in @file{Documentation/po}. The Gettext domain is named
1585 @code{lilypond-doc}, and unlike @code{lilypond} domain it is not managed
1586 through the Free Translation Project.
1589 Take care of using typographic rules for your language, especially in
1590 @file{macros.itexi}.
1592 If you wonder whether a word, phrase or larger piece of text should be
1593 translated, whether it is an argument of a Texinfo command or a small
1594 piece sandwiched between two Texinfo commands, try to track whether and
1595 where it appears in PDF and/or HTML output as visible text. This piece
1596 of advice is especially useful for translating @file{macros.itexi}.
1598 Please keep verbatim copies of music snippets (in @code{@@lilypond}
1599 blocs). However, some music snippets containing text that shows in
1600 the rendered music, and sometimes translating this text really helps
1601 the user to understand the documentation; in this case, and only in
1602 this case, you may as an exception translate text in the music
1603 snippet, and then you must add a line immediately before the
1604 @code{@@lilypond} block, starting with
1611 Otherwise the music snippet would be reset to the same content as the
1612 English version at next @command{make snippet-update} run -- see
1613 @ref{Updating documentation translation}.
1618 @@lilypondfile[<number of fragment options>,texidoc]@{@var{filename.ly}@}
1622 in the source, open @file{Documentation/snippets/@var{filename}.ly},
1623 translate the @code{texidoc} header field it contains, enclose it with
1624 @code{texidoc@var{MY-LANGUAGE} = "} and @code{"}, and write it into
1625 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@var{filename}.texidoc}.
1626 Additionnally, you may translate the snippet's title in @code{doctitle}
1627 header field, in case @code{doctitle} is a fragment option used in
1628 @code{@@lilypondfile}; you can do this exactly the same way as
1629 @code{texidoc}. For instance,
1630 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@var{filename}.texidoc}
1634 doctitlees = "Spanish title baz"
1636 Spanish translation blah
1641 Then, you should get these translated strings into compiled snippets in
1642 @file{Documentation/snippets}, see @q{General guidelines} in @ref{Adding
1643 and editing snippets}.
1645 @code{@@example} blocks need not be verbatim copies, e.g. variable
1646 names, file names and comments should be translated.
1648 Finally, please carefully apply every rule exposed in @ref{Texinfo
1649 introduction and usage policy}, and @ref{Documentation policy}. If one
1650 of these rules conflicts with a rule specific to your language, please
1651 ask the Translation meister on @email{translations@@lilynet.net} list
1652 and/or the Documentation Editors on @email{lilypond-devel@@gnu.org}
1656 @node Adding a Texinfo manual
1657 @unnumberedsubsubsec Adding a Texinfo manual
1659 In order to start translating a new manual whose basename is @var{FOO},
1663 cd Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}
1664 cp ../@var{FOO}.tely .
1666 cp web/GNUmakefile @var{FOO}
1670 then append @var{FOO} to variable @code{SUBDIRS} in
1671 Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/GNUmakefile, then translate file
1672 @var{MY-LANGUAGE}/@var{FOO}.tely and run @code{skeleton-update}:
1676 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} TEXI_LANGUTIL_FLAGS=--head-only skeleton-update
1680 Your are now ready to translate the new manual exactly like the web site
1681 or the Learning Manual.
1684 @node Documentation translation maintenance
1685 @subsection Documentation translation maintenance
1687 Several tools have been developed to make translations maintenance
1688 easier. These helper scripts make use of the power of Git, the
1689 version control system used for LilyPond development.
1691 You should use them whenever you would like to update the translation in
1692 your language, which you may do at the frequency that fits your and your
1693 cotranslators' respective available times. In the case your translation
1694 is up-do-date (which you can discover in the first subsection below), it
1695 is enough to check its state every one or two weeks. If you feel
1696 overwhelmed by the quantity of documentation to be updated, see
1697 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1700 * Check state of translation::
1701 * Updating documentation translation::
1702 * Updating translation committishes::
1705 @macro seeCommittishesUpdate{}
1706 @warning{do not forget to update the committish in each file you have
1707 completely updated, see @ref{Updating translation committishes}.}
1710 @node Check state of translation
1711 @unnumberedsubsubsec Check state of translation
1713 First pull from Git -- see @ref{Pulling and rebasing}, but DO NOT rebase
1714 unless you are sure to master the translation state checking and
1715 updating system -- then cd into @file{Documentation/} (or at top of the
1716 source tree, replace @command{make} with @command{make -C
1717 Documentation}) and run
1720 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation
1724 This presents a diff of the original files since the most recent
1725 revision of the translation. To check a single file, cd into
1726 @file{Documentation/} and run
1729 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@var{manual}/@var{foo}.itely check-translation
1733 In case this file has been renamed since you last updated the
1734 translation, you should specify both old and new file names, e.g.
1735 @code{CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@{@var{manual},user@}/@var{foo}.itely}.
1737 To see only which files need to be updated, do
1740 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation | grep 'diff --git'
1743 To avoid printing terminal colors control characters, which is often
1744 desirable when you redirect output to a file, run
1747 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} NO_COLOR=1 check-translation
1750 You can see the diffs generated by the commands above as changes that
1751 you should make in your language to the existing translation, in order
1752 to make your translation up to date.
1754 @seeCommittishesUpdate
1756 Global state of the translation is recorded in
1757 @file{Documentation/translations.itexi}, which is used to generate
1758 Translations status page. To update that page, do from
1759 @file{Documentation/}
1762 make translation-status
1765 This will also leave @file{out/translations-status.txt}, which contains
1766 up-to-dateness percentages for each translated file, and update word
1767 counts of documentation files in this Guide.
1770 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1772 @node Updating documentation translation
1773 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating documentation translation
1775 Instead of running @code{check-translation}, you may want to run
1776 @code{update-translation}, which will run your favorite text editor to
1777 update files. First, make sure environment variable @code{EDITOR} is
1778 set to a text editor command, then run from @file{Documentation/}
1781 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} update-translation
1785 or to update a single file
1788 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE/@var{manual}/foo.itely} update-translation
1791 For each file to be udpated, @code{update-translation} will open your
1792 text editor with this file and a diff of the file in English; if the
1793 diff cannot be generated or is bigger than the file in English itself,
1794 the full file in English will be opened instead.
1796 @seeCommittishesUpdate
1798 Texinfo skeleton files, i.e. @file{.itely} files not yet translated,
1799 containing only the first node of the original file in English can be
1800 updated automatically: whenever @command{make check-translation} shows
1801 that such files should be updated, run from @file{Documentation/}
1804 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} skeleton-update
1807 @file{.po} message catalogs in @file{Documentation/po/} may be updated
1808 by issuing from @file{Documentation/} or @file{Documentation/po/}
1814 @warning{if you run po-update and somebody else does the same and
1815 pushes before you push or send a patch to be applied, there will be a
1816 conflict when you pull. Therefore, it is better that only the
1817 Translation meister runs this command.}
1819 Updating music snippets can quickly become cumbersome, as most
1820 snippets should be identical in all languages. Fortunately, there is
1821 a script that can do this odd job for you (run from
1822 @file{Documentation/}):
1825 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} snippet-update
1828 This script overwrites music snippets in
1829 @file{@var{MY_LANGUAGE/foo/every.itely}} with music snippets from
1830 @file{@var{foo/every.itely}}. It ignores skeleton files, and keeps
1831 intact music snippets preceded with a line starting with @code{@@c
1832 KEEP LY}; it reports an error for each @file{.itely} that has not the
1833 same music snippet count in both languages. Always use this script
1834 with a lot of care, i.e. run it on a clean Git working tree, and check
1835 the changes it made with @command{git diff} before committing; if you
1836 don't do so, some @code{@@lilypond} snippets might be broken or make
1837 no sense in their context.
1839 When you have updated texidocs in
1840 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs}, you can get these
1841 changes into compiled snippets in @file{Documentation/snippets}, see
1842 @q{General guidelines} in @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1844 Finally, a command runs the three update processes above for all
1845 enabled languages (from @file{Documentation/}):
1848 make all-translations-update
1851 Use this command with caution, and keep in mind it will not be really
1852 useful until translations are stabilized after the end of GDP and GOP.
1855 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations},
1856 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1859 @node Updating translation committishes
1860 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating translation committishes
1862 At the beginning of each translated file except PO files, there is a
1863 committish which represents the revision of the sources which you have
1864 used to translate this file from the file in English.
1866 When you have pulled and updated a translation, it is very important to
1867 update this committish in the files you have completely updated (and
1868 only these); to do this, first commit possible changes to any
1869 documentation in English which you are sure to have done in your
1870 translation as well, then replace in the up-to-date translated files the
1871 old committish by the committish of latest commit, which can be obtained
1875 git rev-list HEAD |head -1
1878 A special case is updating Snippet documentation strings in
1879 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs}. For these to be
1880 correctly marked as up-to-date, first run @code{makelsr.py} as
1881 explained in @ref{Adding and editing snippets}, and commit the
1882 resulting compiled snippets left in @file{Documentation/snippets/}.
1883 Say the SHA1 ID code of this commit is <C>. Now edit again your
1884 translated files in @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs}
1885 adjusting the 40-digit committish that appears in the text to be <C>;
1886 finally, commit these updated files. Not doing so would result in
1887 changes made both to your updates and original snippets to
1888 persistently appear in the check-translation output as if they were
1891 This two-phase mechanism avoids the (practically) unsolvable problem
1892 of guessing what committish will have our update, and pretending to
1893 put this very committish on the files in the same commit.
1895 @c http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2009-01/msg00245.html
1896 @c contains a helper script which could be used to perform massive
1897 @c committish updates.
1903 @node Translations management policies
1904 @subsection Translations management policies
1906 These policies show the general intent of how the translations should
1907 be managed, they aim at helping translators, developers and
1908 coordinators work efficiently.
1911 * Maintaining without updating translations::
1912 * Managing documentation translation with Git::
1915 @node Maintaining without updating translations
1916 @unnumberedsubsubsec Maintaining without updating translations
1918 Keeping translations up to date under heavy changes in the documentation
1919 in English may be almost impossible, especially as during the former
1920 Grand Documentation Project (GDP) or the Grand Organization Project
1921 (GOP) when a lot of contributors brings changes. In addition,
1922 translators may be --- and that is a very good thing --- involved in
1925 it is possible --- and even recommended --- to perform some maintenance
1926 that keeps translated documentation usable and eases future translation
1927 updating. The rationale below the tasks list motivates this plan.
1929 The following tasks are listed in decreasing priority order.
1932 @item Update macros.itexi.
1933 For each obsolete macro definition, if it is possible to update macro
1934 usage in documentation with an automatic text or regexp substitution,
1935 do it and delete the macro definition from macros.itexi; otherwise,
1936 mark this macro definition as obsolete with a comment, and keep it in
1937 macros.itexi until the documentation translation has been updated and
1938 no longer uses this macro.
1940 @item Update @file{*.tely} files completely with
1941 @command{make check-translation} -- you may want to redirect ouptput
1942 to a file because of overwhelming output, or call check-translation.py
1943 on individual files, see @ref{Check state of translation}.
1945 @item In @file{.itelys}, match sections and .itely file names with those from
1946 English docs, which possibly involves moving nodes contents in block
1947 between files, without updating contents itself. In other words, the
1948 game is catching where has gone each section. In Learning manual, and
1949 in Notation Reference sections which have been revised in GDP, there may
1950 be completely new sections: in this case, copy @code{@@node} and
1951 @code{@@section}-command from English docs, and add the marker for
1952 untranslated status @code{@@untranslated} on a single line. Note that
1953 it is not possible to exactly match subsections or subsubsections of
1954 documentation in English, when contents has been deeply revised; in this
1955 case, keep obsolete (sub)subsections in the translation, marking them
1956 with a line @code{@@c obsolete} just before the node.
1958 Emacs with Texinfo mode makes this step easier:
1961 @item without Emacs AucTeX installed, @key{C-c C-s} shows structure of current
1962 Texinfo file in a new buffer @code{*Occur*}; to show structure of two files
1963 simultaneously, first split Emacs window in 4 tiles (with @key{C-x 1}
1964 and @key{C-x 2}), press @key{C-c C-s} to show structure of one file
1965 (e.g. the translated file), copy @code{*Occur*} contents into
1966 @code{*Scratch*}, then press @key{C-c C-s} for the other file.
1968 If you happen to have installed AucTeX, you can either call the macro
1969 by doing @key{M-x texinfo-show-structure} or create a key binding in your
1970 @file{~/.emacs}, by adding the four following lines:
1973 (add-hook 'Texinfo-mode-hook
1975 (define-key Texinfo-mode-map "\C-cs"
1976 'texinfo-show-structure)))
1980 and then obtain the structure in the @code{*Occur*} buffer with @key{C-c
1983 @item Do not bother updating @code{@@menu}s when all menu entries are in the same
1984 file, just do @key{C-c C-u C-a} (@qq{update all menus}) when you have
1985 updated all the rest of the file.
1987 @item Moving to next or previous node using incremental search: press
1988 @key{C-s} and type @code{node} (or @key{C-s @@node} if the text
1989 contains the word @q{node}) then press @key{C-s} to move to next node
1990 or @key{C-r} to move to previous node. Similar operation can be used
1991 to move to the next/previous section. Note that every cursor move
1992 exits incremental search, and hitting @key{C-s} twice starts
1993 incremental search with the text entered in previous incremental
1996 @item Moving a whole node (or even a sequence of nodes): jump to beginning
1997 of the node (quit incremental search by pressing an arrow), press
1998 @key{C-SPACE}, press @key{C-s node} and repeat @key{C-s} until you
1999 have selected enough text, cut it with @key{C-w} or @key{C-x}, jump to
2000 the right place (moving between nodes with the previous hint is often
2001 useful) and paste with @key{C-y} or @key{C-v}.
2004 @item Update sections finished in the English documentation; check
2006 @uref{http://lilypondwiki.tuxfamily.org/index.php?title=Documentation_coordination}.
2008 @item Update documentation PO. It is recommended not to update
2009 strings which come from documentation that is currently deeply revised
2010 in English, to avoid doing the work more than once.
2012 @item Fix broken cross-references by running (from @file{Documentation/})
2015 make ISOLANG=@var{YOUR-LANGUAGE} fix-xrefs
2019 This step requires a sucessful documentation build (with @command{make
2020 doc}). Some cross-references are broken because they point to a node
2021 that exists in the documentation in English, which has not been added
2022 to the translation; in this case, do not fix the cross-reference but
2023 keep it "broken", so that the resulting HTML link will point to an
2024 existing page of documentation in English.
2027 @subsubheading Rationale
2029 You may wonder if it would not be better to leave translations as-is
2030 until you can really start updating translations. There are several
2031 reasons to do these maintenance tasks right now.
2034 @item This will have to be done sooner or later anyway, before updating
2035 translation of documentation contents, and this can already be done
2036 without needing to be redone later, as sections of documentation in
2037 English are mostly revised once. However, note that not all
2038 documentation sectioning has been revised in one go, so all this
2039 maintenance plan has to be repeated whenever a big reorganization is
2042 @item This just makes translated documentation take advantage of the new
2043 organization, which is better than the old one.
2045 @item Moving and renaming sections to match sectioning of documentation in
2046 English simplify future updating work: it allows updating the
2047 translation by side-by-side comparison, without bothering whether
2048 cross-reference names already exist in the translation.
2050 @item Each maintenance task except @q{Updating PO files} can be done by
2051 the same person for all languages, which saves overall time spent by
2052 translators to achieve this task: the node names and section titles
2053 are in English, so you can do. It is important to take advantage of
2054 this now, as it will be more complicated (but still possible) to do
2055 step 3 in all languages when documentation is compiled with
2056 @command{texi2html} and node names are directly translated in source
2061 @node Managing documentation translation with Git
2062 @unnumberedsubsubsec Managing documentation translation with Git
2064 This policy explains how to manage Git branches and commit
2065 translations to Git.
2068 @item Translation changes matching master branch are preferably made on
2069 @code{lilypond/translation} branch; they may be pushed directly to
2070 @code{master} only if they do not break compilation of LilyPond and
2071 its documentation, and in this case they should be pushed to
2072 @code{lilypond/translation} too. Similarly, changes matching
2073 @code{stable/X.Y} are preferably made on
2074 @code{lilypond/X.Ytranslation}.
2076 @item @code{lilypond/translation} Git branch may be merged into
2077 master only if LilyPond (@command{make all}) and documentation
2078 (@command{make doc}) compile succesfully.
2080 @item @code{master} Git branch may be merged into
2081 @code{lilypond/translation} whenever @command{make} and @command{make
2082 doc} are succesful (in order to ease documentation compilation by
2083 translators), or when significant changes had been made in
2084 documentation in English in master branch.
2086 @item General maintenance may be done by anybody who knows what he does
2087 in documentation in all languages, without informing translators
2088 first. General maintenance include simple text substitutions
2089 (e.g. automated by sed), compilation fixes, updating Texinfo or
2090 lilypond-book commands, updating macros, updating ly code, fixing
2091 cross-references, and operations described in @ref{Maintaining
2092 without updating translations}.
2096 @node Technical background
2097 @subsection Technical background
2099 A number of Python scripts handle a part of the documentation
2100 translation process. All scripts used to maintain the translations
2101 are located in @file{scripts/auxiliar/}.
2104 @item @file{check_translation.py} -- show diff to update a translation,
2105 @item @file{texi-langutils.py} -- quickly and dirtily parse Texinfo files to
2106 make message catalogs and Texinfo skeleton files,
2107 @item @file{texi-skeleton-update.py} -- update Texinfo skeleton files,
2108 @item @file{update-snippets.py} -- synchronize ly snippets with those
2110 @item @file{translations-status.py} -- update translations status pages and word
2111 counts in the file you are reading,
2112 @item @file{tely-gettext.py} -- gettext node names, section titles and references
2113 in the sources; WARNING only use this script once for each file, when support for
2114 "makeinfo --html" has been dropped.
2117 Other scripts are used in the build process, in @file{scripts/build/}:
2120 @item @file{mass-link.py} -- link or symlink files between English documentation
2121 and documentation in other languages.
2124 Python modules used by scripts in @file{scripts/auxiliar/} or @file{scripts/build/} (but
2125 not by installed Python scripts) are located in @file{python/auxiliar/}:
2127 @item @file{manuals_definitions.py} -- define manual names and name of
2128 cross-reference Texinfo macros,
2129 @item @file{buildlib.py} -- common functions (read piped output
2130 of a shell command, use Git),
2131 @item @file{postprocess_html.py} (module imported by @file{www_post.py}) -- add footer and
2132 tweak links in HTML pages.
2137 @item @file{python/langdefs.py} -- language definitions module