1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @node Documentation work
3 @chapter Documentation work
5 There are currently 11 manuals for LilyPond, not including the
6 translations. Each book is available in HTML, PDF, and info. The
7 documentation is written in a language called @code{texinfo} --
8 this allows us to generate different output formats from a single
11 To organize multiple authors working on the documentation, we use a
12 Version Control System (VCS) called git, previously discussed in
13 @ref{Starting with Git}.
16 * Introduction to documentation work::
17 * Documentation suggestions::
18 * Texinfo introduction and usage policy::
19 * Documentation policy::
20 * Tips for writing docs::
21 * Scripts to ease doc work::
22 * Docstrings in scheme::
23 * Translating the documentation::
27 @node Introduction to documentation work
28 @section Introduction to documentation work
30 Our documentation tries to adhere to our @ref{Documentation
31 policy}. This policy contains a few items which may seem odd.
32 One policy in particular is often questioned by potential
33 contributors: we do not repeat material in the Notation Reference,
34 and instead provide links to the @qq{definitive} presentation of
35 that information. Some people point out, with good reason, that
36 this makes the documentation harder to read. If we repeated
37 certain information in relevant places, readers would be less
38 likely to miss that information.
40 That reasoning is sound, but we have two counter-arguments.
41 First, the Notation Reference -- one of @emph{five} manuals for
42 users to read -- is already over 500 pages long. If we repeated
43 material, we could easily exceed 1000 pages! Second, and much
44 more importantly, LilyPond is an evolving project. New features
45 are added, bugs are fixed, and bugs are discovered and documented.
46 If features are discussed in multiple places, the documentation
47 team must find every instance. Since the manual is so large, it
48 is impossible for one person to have the location of every piece
49 of information memorized, so any attempt to update the
50 documentation will invariably omit a few places. This second
51 concern is not at all theoretical; the documentation used to be
52 plagued with inconsistent information.
54 If the documentation were targeted for a specific version -- say,
55 LilyPond 2.10.5 -- and we had unlimited resources to spend on
56 documentation, then we could avoid this second problem. But since
57 LilyPond evolves (and that is a very good thing!), and since we
58 have quite limited resources, this policy remains in place.
60 A few other policies (such as not permitting the use of tweaks in
61 the main portion of NR 1+2) may also seem counter-intuitive, but
62 they also stem from attempting to find the most effective use of
63 limited documentation help.
66 @node Documentation suggestions
67 @section Documentation suggestions
69 @subheading Small additions
71 For additions to the documentation,
76 Tell us where the addition should be placed. Please include both
77 the section number and title (i.e. "LM 2.13 Printing lyrics").
80 Please write exact changes to the text.
83 A formal patch to the source code is @emph{not} required; we can
84 take care of the technical details. Here is an example of a
85 perfect documentation report:
88 To: lilypond-devel@gnu.org
89 From: helpful-user@example.net
92 In LM 2.13 (printing lyrics), above the last line ("More options,
93 like..."), please add:
96 To add lyrics to a divided part, use blah blah blah. For example,
99 \notes {blah <<blah>> }
100 \lyrics {blah <<blah>> }
105 In addition, the second sentence of the first paragraph is
106 confusing. Please delete that sentence (it begins "Users
107 often...") and replace it with this:
109 To align lyrics with something, do this thing.
119 @subheading Larger contributions
121 To replace large sections of the documentation, the guidelines are
122 stricter. We cannot remove parts of the current documentation
123 unless we are certain that the new version is an improvement.
128 Ask on the lilypond-devel maillist if such a rewrite is necessary;
129 somebody else might already be working on this issue!
132 Split your work into small sections; this makes it much easier to
133 compare the new and old documentation.
136 Please prepare a formal git patch.
140 Once you have followed these guidelines, please send a message to
141 lilypond-devel with your documentation submissions. Unfortunately
142 there is a strict “no top-posting” check on the mailist; to avoid
145 > I'm not top posting.
147 (you must include the > ) to the top of your documentation
150 We may edit your suggestion for spelling, grammar, or style, and
151 we may not place the material exactly where you suggested, but if
152 you give us some material to work with, we can improve the manual
153 much faster. Thanks for your interest!
156 @node Texinfo introduction and usage policy
157 @section Texinfo introduction and usage policy
160 * Texinfo introduction::
161 * Documentation files::
162 * Sectioning commands::
163 * LilyPond formatting::
166 * Other text concerns::
170 @node Texinfo introduction
171 @subsection Texinfo introduction
173 The language is called Texinfo; you can see its manual here:
175 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/}
177 However, you don't need to read those docs. The most important
178 thing to notice is that text is text. If you see a mistake in the
179 text, you can fix it. If you want to change the order of
180 something, you can cut-and-paste that stuff into a new location.
182 @warning{Rule of thumb: follow the examples in the existing docs.
183 You can learn most of what you need to know from this; if you want
184 to do anything fancy, discuss it on @code{lilypond-devel} first.}
187 @node Documentation files
188 @subsection Documentation files
190 All manuals live in @file{Documentation/}.
192 In particular, there are four user manuals, their respective master
193 source files are @file{learning.tely} (LM, Learning Manual),
194 @file{notation.tely} (NR, Notation Reference),
195 @file{music-glossary.tely} (MG, Music Glossary), and
196 @file{lilypond-program} (AU). Each chapter is written in a separate
197 file, ending in @file{.itely} for files containing lilypond code, and
198 @file{.itexi} for files without lilypond code, located in a subdirectory
199 associated to the manual (@file{learning/} for @file{learning.tely}, and
200 so on); list the subdirectory of each manual to determine the filename
201 of the specific chapter you wish to modify.
203 Developer manuals live in @file{Documentation/} too. Currently there is
204 only one: the Contributor's Guide @file{contrib-guide.texi} you are
207 Snippet files are part of documentation, and the Snippet List (SL) lives
208 in @file{Documentation/} just like the manuals. For information about
209 how to modify the snippet files and SL, see @ref{LSR work}.
212 @node Sectioning commands
213 @subsection Sectioning commands
215 Most of the manual operates at the
223 level. Sections are created with
232 Please leave two blank lines above a @@node; this makes it
233 easier to find sections in texinfo.
236 If a heading is desired without creating a node, please use
244 Sectioning commands (@@node and @@section) must not appear
245 inside an @@ignore. Separate those commands with a space, ie
250 Nodes must be included inside a
260 construct. These are easily constructed with automatic tools; see
261 @ref{Scripts to ease doc work}.
264 @node LilyPond formatting
265 @subsection LilyPond formatting
270 Use two spaces for indentation in lilypond examples. (no
274 All text strings should be prefaced with #. LilyPond does
275 not strictly require this, but it is helpful to get users
276 accustomed to this scheme construct. ie @code{\set
277 Staff.instrumentName = #"cello"}
280 All engravers should have double-quotes around them:
283 \consists "Spans_arpeggio_engraver"
286 Again, LilyPond does not strictly require this, but it is a useful
290 If possible, only write one bar per line.
293 If you only have one bar per line, omit bar checks. If you
294 must put more than one bar per line (not recommended), then include bar
298 Tweaks should, if possible, also occur on their own line.
300 not: \override TextScript #'padding = #3 c1^"hi"
301 but instead: \override TextScript #'padding = #3
306 Most LilyPond input should be produced with:
309 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
316 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
319 If you want to use @code{\layout@{@}} or define variables, use
322 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
325 In rare cases, other options may be used (or omitted), but ask first.
328 Inspirational headwords are produced with
331 @@lilypondfile[quote,ragged-right,line-width=16\cm,staffsize=16]
332 @{pitches-headword.ly@}
336 LSR snippets are linked with
339 @@lilypondfile[verbatim,lilyquote,ragged-right,texidoc,doctitle]
344 excepted in Templates, where `doctitle' may be omitted.
347 Avoid long stretches of input code. Nobody is going to read
348 them in print. Create small examples. However, this does not mean
352 Specify durations for at least the first note of every bar.
355 If possible, end with a complete bar.
358 Comments should go on their own line, and be placed before
359 the line(s) to which they refer.
362 Add extra spaces around @{ @} marks; ie
365 not: \chordmode @{c e g@}
366 but instead: \chordmode @{ c e g @}
370 Use @{ @} marks for additional @code{\markup} format comands; ie
373 not: c^\markup \tiny\sharp
374 but instead: c^\markup @{ \tiny \sharp @}
378 Remove any space around @code{<} @code{>} marks; ie
382 but instead: <c e g>4
386 Beam, slur and tie marks should begin immediately after the first
387 note with beam and phrase marks ending immediately after the last.
390 a8(\ ais16[ b cis( d] b) cis4~ b' cis,\)
394 If you want to work on an example outside of the manual (for
395 easier/faster processing), use this header:
400 line-width = 160\mm - 2.0 * 0.4\in
402 force-assignment = #""
403 line-width = #(- line-width (* mm 3.000000))
410 You may not change any of these values. If you are making an
411 example demonstrating special @code{\paper@{@}} values, contact the
412 Documentation Editor.
417 @node Text formatting
418 @subsection Text formatting
422 Lines should be less than 72 characters long. (We personally
423 recommend writing with 66-char lines, but do not bother modifying
424 existing material). Also see the recommendations for fixed-width
425 fonts in the @ref{Syntax survey}.
431 Do not use spaces at the beginning of a line (except in
432 @code{@@example} or @code{@@verbatim} environments), and do not
433 use more than a single space between words. @q{makeinfo} copies
434 the input lines verbatim without removing those spaces.
437 Use two spaces after a period.
440 In examples of syntax, use @code{@@var@{@var{musicexpr}@}} for a
444 Don't use @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in the main text. If you're
445 tempted to do so, you're probably getting too close to @qq{talking
446 through the code}. If you really want to refer to a context, use
447 @code{@@code@{@}} in the main text and @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in
448 the @code{@@seealso}.
453 @subsection Syntax survey
463 * Special characters::
469 @unnumberedsubsubsec Comments
473 @code{@@c @dots{}} --- single line comment. @samp{@@c NOTE:} is a
474 comment which should remain in the final version. (gp only
478 @code{@@ignore} --- multi-line comment:
488 @node Cross references
489 @unnumberedsubsubsec Cross references
491 Enter the exact @code{@@node} name of the target reference between
492 the brackets (eg.@tie{}@w{@samp{@@ref@{Syntax survey@}}}).
496 @code{@@ref@{@dots{}@}} --- link within current manual.
499 @code{@@rchanges@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Changes.
502 @code{@@rcontrib@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Contributor's Guide.
505 @code{@@ressay@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Engraving Essay.
508 @code{@@rextend@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Extending LilyPond.
511 @code{@@rglos@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Music Glossary.
514 @code{@@rinternals@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Internals Reference.
517 @code{@@rlearning@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Learning Manual.
520 @code{@@rlsr@{@dots{}@}} --- link to a Snippet section.
523 @code{@@rprogram@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Application Usage.
526 @code{@@ruser@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Notation Reference.
529 @code{@@rweb@{@dots{}@}} --- link to General Informaion.
534 @unnumberedsubsubsec External links
538 @code{@@email@{@dots{}@}} --- create a @code{mailto:} E-mail link.
541 @code{@@uref@{@var{URL}[, @var{link text}]@}} --- link to an
546 @node Fixed-width font
547 @unnumberedsubsubsec Fixed-width font
551 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} ---
553 Use the @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} command for individual
554 language-specific tokens (keywords, commands, engravers, scheme
555 symbols, etc.). Ideally, a single @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} block
556 should fit within one line in the PDF output. Use the
557 @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} command when you have a short example of
558 user input, unless it constitutes an entire @code{@@item} by
559 itself, in which case @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} is preferable.
560 Otherwise, both should only be used when part of a larger sentence
561 within a paragraph or @code{@@item}. Never use a
562 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} block as a
563 free-standing paragraph; use @code{@@example} instead.
565 A single unindented line in the PDF has space for about 79
566 fixed-width characters (76 if indented). Within an @code{@@item}
567 there is space for about 75 fixed-width characters. Each
568 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
569 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
571 However, even short blocks of @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} and
572 @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} can run into the margin if the Texinfo
573 line-breaking algorithm gets confused. Additionally, blocks that
574 are longer than this may in fact print nicely; it all depends
575 where the line breaks end up. If you compile the docs yourself,
576 check the PDF output to make sure the line breaks are
579 The Texinfo setting @code{@@allowcodebreaks} is set to
580 @code{false} in the manuals, so lines within
581 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} blocks will
582 only break at spaces, not at hyphens or underscores. If the block
583 contains spaces, use @code{@@w@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}} or
584 @code{@@w@{@@samp@{@dots{}@}@}} to prevent unexpected line breaks.
587 @code{@@command@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for command-line commands (eg.
588 @samp{@@command@{lilypond-book@}}).
591 @code{@@example} --- Use for examples of program code. Do not add
592 extraneous indentation (ie. don't start every line with
593 whitespace). Use the following layout (notice the use of blank
594 lines). Omit the @code{@@noindent} if the text following the
595 example starts a new paragraph:
598 @var{@dots{}text leading into the example@dots{}}
605 @var{continuation of the text@dots{}}
608 Individual lines within an @code{@@example} block should not
609 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
610 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@example} block
611 is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
612 @code{@@example} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
613 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
614 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
616 For long command line examples, if possible, use a trailing
617 backslash to break up a single line, indenting the next line with
618 2 spaces. If this isn't feasible, use @samp{@@smallexample
619 @dots{} @@end@tie{}smallexample} instead, which uses a smaller
620 fontsize. Use @code{@@example} whenever possible, but if needed,
621 @code{@@smallexample} can fit up to 90 characters per line before
622 running into the PDF margin. Each additional level of
623 @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate} shortens a
624 @code{@@smallexample} line by about 5 columns.
627 @code{@@file@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for filenames and directories.
630 @code{@@option@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for options to command-line
631 commands (eg. @samp{@@option@{--format@}}).
634 @code{@@verbatim} --- Prints the block exactly as it appears in
635 the source file (including whitespace, etc.). For program code
636 examples, use @code{@@example} instead. @code{@@verbatim} uses
637 the same format as @code{@@example}.
639 Individual lines within an @code{@@verbatim} block should not
640 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
641 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@verbatim}
642 block is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
643 @code{@@verbatim} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
644 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
645 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
650 @unnumberedsubsubsec Indexing
654 @code{@@cindex @dots{}} --- General index. Please add as many as you can.
655 Don't capitalize the first word.
658 @code{@@funindex @dots{}} --- is for a \lilycommand.
663 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lists
667 @code{@@enumerate} --- Create an ordered list (with numbers).
668 Always put @samp{@@item} on its own line, and separate consecutive
669 items with a blank line:
682 @code{@@itemize} --- Create an unordered list (with bullets). Use
683 the same format as @code{@@enumerate}. Do not use
684 @samp{@@itemize@tie{}@@bullet}.
688 @node Special characters
689 @unnumberedsubsubsec Special characters
693 @code{--}, @code{---} --- Create an en dash (--) or an em dash
694 (---) in the text. To print two or three literal hyphens in a
695 row, wrap one of them in a @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} (eg.
699 @code{@@@@}, @code{@@@{}, @code{@@@}} --- Create an at-sign (@@),
700 a left curly bracket (@{), or a right curly bracket (@}).
703 @code{@@bs@{@}} --- Create a backslash within a
704 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}}, or
705 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} block. This is a custom LilyPond
706 macro, not a builtin @@-command in Texinfo. Texinfo would also
707 allow @samp{\\}, but this breaks the PDF output.
710 @code{@@tie@{@}} --- Create a @emph{variable-width} non-breaking
711 space in the text (use @w{@samp{@@w@{ @}}} for a single
712 @emph{fixed-width} non-breaking space). Variables or numbers
713 which consist of a single character (probably followed by a
714 punctuation mark) should be tied properly, either to the previous
715 or the next word. Example: @samp{The letter@@tie@{@}@@q@{I@} is
721 @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellany
725 @code{@@notation@{@dots{}@}} --- refers to pieces of notation, e.g.
726 @samp{@@notation@{clef@}}. Also use for specific lyrics
727 (@samp{the @@notation@{A@tie{}-@tie{}men@} is centered}).
728 Only use once per subsection per term.
731 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}} --- Single quotes. Used for
732 @quoteleft{}vague@quoteright{} terms. To get a backslash
733 (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
736 @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}} --- Double quotes. Used for actual quotes
737 (@qq{he said}) or for introducing special input modes. To get a
738 backslash (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
741 @code{@@var@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for variables.
744 @code{@@version@{@}} --- Return the current LilyPond version
745 string. Use @samp{@@w@{@@version@{@}@}} if it's at the end of a
746 line (to prevent an ugly line break in PDF); use
747 @samp{@@w@{"@@version@{@}"@}} if you need it in quotes.
750 @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} --- Do not allow any line breaks.
753 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} --- produces a @qq{Note:@tie{}} box.
754 Use for important messages. To get a backslash (\), you must use
759 @node Other text concerns
760 @subsection Other text concerns
764 References must occur at the end of a sentence, for more
766 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/,texinfo
767 manual}. Ideally this should also be the final sentence of a
768 paragraph, but this is not required. Any link in a doc section
769 must be duplicated in the @code{@@seealso} section at the bottom.
772 Introducing examples must be done with
775 . (ie finish the previous sentence/paragaph)
776 : (ie `in this example:')
777 , (ie `may add foo with the blah construct,')
780 The old @qq{sentence runs directly into the example} method is not
784 Abbrevs in caps, e.g., HTML, DVI, MIDI, etc.
794 When beginning a quote: @qq{So, he said,...}.
796 This usage is rarer. Americans often just use a comma.
799 When adding a defining example at the end of a sentence.
803 Non-ASCII characters which are in utf-8 should be directly used;
804 this is, don't say @samp{Ba@@ss@{@}tuba} but @samp{Baßtuba}. This
805 ensures that all such characters appear in all output formats.
809 @node Documentation policy
810 @section Documentation policy
814 * Section organization::
815 * Checking cross-references::
817 * Technical writing style::
823 There are four parts to the documentation: the Learning Manual,
824 the Notation Reference, the Program Reference, and the Music
832 The LM is written in a tutorial style which introduces the most
833 important concepts, structure and syntax of the elements of a
834 LilyPond score in a carefully graded sequence of steps.
835 Explanations of all musical concepts used in the Manual can be
836 found in the Music Glossary, and readers are assumed to have no
837 prior knowledge of LilyPond. The objective is to take readers to
838 a level where the Notation Reference can be understood and
839 employed to both adapt the templates in the Appendix to their
840 needs and to begin to construct their own scores. Commonly used
841 tweaks are introduced and explained. Examples are provided
842 throughout which, while being focussed on the topic being
843 introduced, are long enough to seem real in order to retain the
844 readers' interest. Each example builds on the previous material,
845 and comments are used liberally. Every new aspect is thoroughly
846 explained before it is used.
848 Users are encouraged to read the complete Learning Manual from
853 Notation Reference: a (hopefully complete) description of LilyPond
854 input notation. Some material from here may be duplicated in the
855 Learning Manual (for teaching), but consider the NR to be the
856 "definitive" description of each notation element, with the LM
857 being an "extra". The goal is _not_ to provide a step-by-step
858 learning environment -- do not avoid using notation that has not
859 be introduced previously in the NR (for example, use \break if
860 appropriate). This section is written in formal technical writing
863 Avoid duplication. Although users are not expected to read this
864 manual from start to finish, they should be familiar with the
865 material in the Learning Manual (particularly ``Fundamental
866 Concepts''), so do not repeat that material in each section of
867 this book. Also watch out for common constructs, like ^ - _ for
868 directions -- those are explained in NR 3. In NR 1, you can
869 write: DYNAMICS may be manually placed above or below the staff,
870 see @@ref@{Controlling direction and placement@}.
872 Most tweaks should be added to LSR and not placed directly in the
873 .itely file. In some cases, tweaks may be placed in the main
874 text, but ask about this first.
876 Finally, you should assume that users know what the notation
877 means; explaining musical concepts happens in the Music Glossary.
881 Application Usage: information about using the program lilypond
882 with other programs (lilypond-book, operating systems, GUIs,
883 convert-ly, etc). This section is written in formal technical
886 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
890 Music Glossary: information about the music notation itself.
891 Explanations and translations about notation terms go here.
893 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
896 Internals Reference: not really a documentation book, since it is
897 automagically generated from the source, but this is its name.
902 @node Section organization
903 @subsection Section organization
908 The order of headings inside documentation sections should
921 You @emph{must} include a @@seealso.
925 The order of items inside the @@seealso section is
934 @@rlearning@{foozle@}.
947 @@file@{path/to/dir/blahz@}.
949 Snippets: @@rlsr@{section@}.
952 @@rinternals@{fazzle@},
953 @@rinternals@{booar@}.
957 If there are multiple entries, separate them by commas but do not
961 Always end with a period.
964 Place each link on a new line as above; this makes it much easier
965 to add or remove links. In the output, they appear on a single
968 ("Snippets" is REQUIRED; the others are optional)
971 Any new concepts or links which require an explanation should go
972 as a full sentence(s) in the main text.
975 Don't insert an empty line between @@seealso and the first entry!
976 Otherwise there is excessive vertical space in the PDF output.
981 To create links, use @@ref@{@} if the link is within the same
985 @@predefined ... @@endpredefined is for commands in
989 Do not include any real info in second-level sections (ie 1.1
990 Pitches). A first-level section may have introductory material,
991 but other than that all material goes into third-level sections
992 (ie 1.1.1 Writing Pitches).
997 @node Checking cross-references
998 @subsection Checking cross-references
1000 Cross-references between different manuals are heavily used in the
1001 documentation, but they are not checked during compilation.
1002 However, if you compile the documentation, a script called
1003 check_texi_refs can help you with checking and fixing these
1004 cross-references; for information on usage, cd into a source tree
1005 where documentation has been built, cd into Documentation and run:
1012 Note that you have to find yourself the source files to fix
1013 cross-references in the generated documentation such as the
1014 Internals Reference; e.g. you can grep scm/ and lily/.
1016 @c temporary? how long will kainhofer be used? -gp
1017 Also of interest may be the linkdoc checks on kainhofer.com. Be
1018 warned that these docs are not completely rebuilt every day, so it
1019 might not accurately reflect the current state of the docs.
1022 @uref{http://kainhofer.com/~lilypond/linkdoc/}
1026 @node General writing
1027 @subsection General writing
1032 Do not forget to create @@cindex entries for new sections of text.
1033 Enter commands with @@funindex, i.e.
1036 @@cindex pitches, writing in different octaves
1037 @@funindex \relative
1041 do not bother with the @@code@{@} (they are added automatically).
1042 These items are added to both the command index and the unified
1045 Both index commands should go in front of the actual material.
1047 @@cindex entries should not be capitalized, ie
1050 @@cindex time signature
1054 is preferred instead of @qq{Time signature}, Only use capital
1055 letters for musical terms which demand them, like D.S. al Fine.
1057 For scheme functions, only include the final part, i.e.,
1060 @@funindex modern-voice-cautionary
1062 @@funindex #(set-accidental-style modern-voice-cautionary)
1071 In general, use the American spellings. The internal lilypond
1072 property names use this spelling.
1075 List of specific terms:
1079 simultaneous NOT concurrent
1080 measure: the unit of music
1081 bar line: the symbol delimiting a measure NOT barline
1082 note head NOT notehead
1083 chord construct NOT chord (when referring to <>)
1091 @node Technical writing style
1092 @subsection Technical writing style
1094 These refer to the NR. The LM uses a more gentle, colloquial
1100 Do not refer to LilyPond in the text. The reader knows what the
1101 manual is about. If you do, capitalization is LilyPond.
1104 If you explicitly refer to @q{lilypond} the program (or any other
1105 command to be executed), write @code{@@command@{lilypond@}}.
1108 Do not explicitly refer to the reader/user. There is no one else
1109 besides the reader and the writer.
1112 Avoid contractions (don't, won't, etc.). Spell the words out completely.
1115 Avoid abbreviations, except for commonly used abbreviations of foreign
1116 language terms such as etc. and i.e.
1119 Avoid fluff (@qq{Notice that,} @qq{as you can see,}
1123 The use of the word @q{illegal} is inappropriate in most cases.
1124 Say @q{invalid} instead.
1129 @node Tips for writing docs
1130 @section Tips for writing docs
1132 In the NR, I highly recommend focusing on one subsection at a
1133 time. For each subsection,
1138 check the mundane formatting. Are the headings (@@predefined,
1139 @@seealso, etc.) in the right order?
1142 add any appropriate index entries.
1145 check the links in the @@seealso section -- links to music
1146 glossary, internal references, and other NR sections are the main
1147 concern. Check for potential additions.
1150 move LSR-worthy material into LSR. Add the snippet, delete the
1151 material from the .itely file, and add a @@lilypondfile command.
1154 check the examples and descriptions. Do they still work?
1155 @strong{Do not} assume that the existing text is
1156 accurate/complete; some of the manual is highly out of date.
1159 is the material in the @@knownissues still accurate?
1162 can the examples be improved (made more explanatory), or is there
1163 any missing info? (feel free to ask specific questions on -user;
1164 a couple of people claimed to be interesting in being
1165 @qq{consultants} who would help with such questions)
1169 In general, I favor short text explanations with good examples --
1170 @qq{an example is worth a thousand words}. When I worked on the
1171 docs, I spent about half my time just working on those tiny
1172 lilypond examples. Making easily-understandable examples is much
1173 harder than it looks.
1176 @subsubheading Tweaks
1178 In general, any \set or \override commands should go in the
1179 @qq{select snippets} section, which means that they should go in
1180 LSR and not the .itely file. For some cases, the command
1181 obviously belongs in the @qq{main text} (i.e. not inside
1182 @@predefined or @@seealso or whatever) -- instrument names are a
1183 good example of this.
1186 \set Staff.instrumentName = #"foo"
1189 On the other side of this,
1192 \override Score.Hairpin #'after-line-breaking = ##t
1195 clearly belongs in LSR.
1197 I'm quite willing to discuss specific cases if you think that a
1198 tweaks needs to be in the main text. But items that can go into
1199 LSR are easier to maintain, so I'd like to move as much as
1200 possible into there.
1203 It would be @qq{nice} if you spent a lot of time crafting nice
1204 tweaks for users@dots{} but my recommendation is @strong{not} to do
1205 this. There's a lot of doc work to do without adding examples of
1206 tweaks. Tweak examples can easily be added by normal users by adding
1209 One place where a documentation writer can profitably spend time writing
1210 or upgrading tweaks is creating tweaks to deal with known issues. It
1211 would be ideal if every significant known issue had a workaround to avoid
1215 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1218 @node Scripts to ease doc work
1219 @section Scripts to ease doc work
1221 @subheading Stripping whitespace
1223 @c TODO: should this be documented elsewhere? It's useful for
1224 @c more than just docs.
1225 To remove extra whitespace from the ends of lines, run
1228 scripts/auxiliar/strip-whitespace.py Documentation/FILENAME
1232 @subheading Sectioning commands
1234 @warning{These commands add whitespace.}
1236 The emacs @code{M-x texinfo-all-menus-update} command will
1237 regenerate @@menu blocks. This can also be run with this
1238 command-line script:
1242 emacs $1 -batch -f texinfo-all-menus-update -f save-buffer
1246 (save the above as something like @command{texinfo-menus.sh}, make
1247 it executable, then run @command{texinfo-menus.sh foo.itely})
1250 @subheading Updating doc with @command{convert-ly}
1252 cd into @file{Documentation/} and run
1255 find . -name '*.itely' | xargs convert-ly -e
1259 This also updates translated documentation.
1263 @node Docstrings in scheme
1264 @section Docstrings in scheme
1266 Material in the Internals reference is generated automatically
1267 from our source code. Any doc work on Internals therefore
1268 requires modifying files in @file{scm/*.scm}. Texinfo is allowed
1269 in these docstrings.
1271 Most documentation writers never touch these, though. If you want
1272 to work on them, please ask for help.
1275 @node Translating the documentation
1276 @section Translating the documentation
1278 The mailing list @code{translations@@lilynet.net} is dedicated to
1279 LilyPond web site and documentation translation; on this list, you will
1280 get support from the Translations Meister and experimented translators,
1281 and we regularly discuss translations issues common to all languagues.
1282 All people interested in LilyPond translations are invited to subscribe
1283 to this list regardless of the amount of their contribution, by sending
1284 an email to @code{translations-request@@lilynet.net} with subject
1285 @code{subscribe} and an empty message body. Unless mentioned explicitly
1286 or except if a translations coordinator contacts you privately, you
1287 should send questions, remarks, patches to this list
1288 @code{translations@@lilynet.net}; especially note that the traffic is so
1289 high on English-speaking list @code{lilypond-user@@gnu.org} that it may
1290 take months before your request or contribution is handled if you send a
1291 email to these lists.
1294 * Getting started with documentation translation::
1295 * Documentation translation details::
1296 * Documentation translation maintenance::
1297 * Translations management policies::
1298 * Technical background::
1301 @node Getting started with documentation translation
1302 @subsection Getting started with documentation translation
1304 First, get the sources of branch @code{lilypond/translation} from the
1305 Git repository, see @ref{Starting with Git}.
1308 * Translation requirements::
1309 * Which documentation can be translated::
1310 * Starting translation in a new language::
1313 @node Translation requirements
1314 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translation requirements
1316 Working on LilyPond documentation translations requires the following
1317 pieces of software, in order to make use of dedicated helper tools:
1320 @item Python 2.4 or higher,
1326 It is not required to build LilyPond and the documentation to
1327 translate the documentation. However, if you have enough time and
1328 motivation and a suitable system, it can be very useful to build at
1329 least the documentation so that you can check the output yourself and
1330 more quickly; if you are interested, see @ref{Compiling}.
1333 @node Which documentation can be translated
1334 @unnumberedsubsubsec Which documentation can be translated
1336 The makefiles and scripts infrastructure currently supports translation
1337 of the following documentation:
1340 @item the web site, the Learning Manual, the Notation Reference and
1341 Application Usage -- Texinfo source, PDF and HTML output; Info output
1342 might be added if there is enough demand for it;
1343 @item the Changes document.
1346 Support for translating the following pieces of documentation should be
1347 added soon, by decreasing order of priority:
1350 @item automatically generated documentation: markup commands,
1351 predefined music functions;
1352 @item the Snippets List;
1353 @item the Internals Reference.
1357 @node Starting translation in a new language
1358 @unnumberedsubsubsec Starting translation in a new language
1360 At top of the source directory, do
1367 or (if you want to install your self-compiled LilyPond locally)
1370 ./autogen.sh --prefix=$HOME
1374 If you want to compile LilyPond -- which is almost required to build
1375 the documentation, but is not required to do translation only -- fix
1376 all dependencies and rerun @command{./configure} (with the same
1377 options as for @command{autogen.sh}).
1379 Then @command{cd} into @file{Documentation/} and run
1382 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} new-lang
1386 where @var{MY-LANGUAGE} is the ISO 639 language code.
1388 Finally, add a language definition for your language in
1389 @file{python/langdefs.py}.
1392 @node Documentation translation details
1393 @subsection Documentation translation details
1395 Please follow all the instructions with care to ensure quality work.
1397 All files should be encoded in UTF-8.
1400 * Files to be translated::
1401 * Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation::
1402 * Adding a Texinfo manual::
1405 @node Files to be translated
1406 @unnumberedsubsubsec Files to be translated
1408 @include contributor/doc-translation-list.itexi
1410 In addition, not listed above, Snippets' titles and descriptions
1411 should be translated; they are a part of the Notation Reference and
1412 therefore their priority is 5.
1414 @node Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1415 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1417 Every piece of text should be translated in the source file, except
1418 Texinfo comments, text in @code{@@lilypond} blocks and a few cases
1421 Node names are translated, but the original node name in English should
1422 be kept as the argument of @code{@@translationof} put after the section
1423 title; that is, every piece in the original file like
1427 @@@var{section_command} Bar baz
1431 should be translated as
1434 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1435 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1436 @@translationof Foo bar
1439 The argument of @code{@@rglos} commands and the first argument of
1440 @code{@@rglosnamed} commands must not be translated, as it is the node
1441 name of an entry in Music Glossary.
1443 Every time you translate a node name in a cross-reference, i.e. the
1444 argument of commands @code{@@ref, @@rprogram, @@rlearning, @@rlsr,
1445 @@ruser} or the first argument of their @code{@var{*}named} variants,
1446 you should make sure the target node is defined in the correct source
1447 file; if you do not intend to translate the target node right now, you
1448 should at least write the node definition (that is, the @code{@@node
1449 @@@var{section_commmand} @@translationof} trio mentioned above) in the
1450 expected source file and define all its parent nodes; for each node you
1451 have defined this way but have not translated, insert a line that
1452 contains @code{@@untranslated}. That is, you should end up
1453 for each untranslated node with something like
1456 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1457 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1458 @@translationof Foo bar
1463 @warning{you do not have to translate the node name of a cross-reference
1464 to a node that you do not have translated. If you do, you must define
1465 an @qq{empty} node like explained just above; this will produce a
1466 cross-reference with the translated node name in output, although the
1467 target node will still be in English. On the opposite, if all
1468 cross-references that refer to an untranslated node use the node name in
1469 English, then you do not have to define such an @qq{empty} node, and the
1470 cross-reference text will appear in English in the output. The choice
1471 between these two strategies implies its particular maintenance
1472 requirements and is left to the translators, although the opinion of the
1473 Translation meister leans towards not translating these
1476 Please think of the fact that it may not make sense translating
1477 everything in some Texinfo files, and you may take distance from the
1478 original text; for instance, in the translation of the web site section
1479 Community, you may take this into account depending on what you know the
1480 community in your language is willing to support, which is possible only
1481 if you personnally assume this support, or there exists a public forum
1482 or mailing list listed in Community for LilyPond in your language:
1485 @item @rweb{Bug reports}: this page should be translated only if you
1486 know that every bug report sent on your language's mailing list or forum
1487 will be handled by someone who will translate it to English and send it
1488 on bug-lilypond or add an issue in the tracker, then translate back the
1489 reply from developers.
1491 @item @rweb{Help us}: this page should be translated very freely,
1492 and possibly not at all: ask help for contributing to LilyPond for tasks
1493 that LilyPond community in your language is able and going to handle.
1497 In any case, please mark in your work the sections which do not result
1498 from the direct translation of a piece of English translation, using
1499 comments i.e. lines starting with @q{@code{@@c}}.
1501 Finally, press in Emacs @key{C-c C-u C-a} to update or generate
1502 menus. This process should be made easier in the future, when the helper
1503 script @command{texi-langutils.py} and the makefile target are updated.
1505 Some pieces of text manipulated by build scripts that appear in the
1506 output are translated in a @file{.po} file -- just like LilyPond output
1507 messages -- in @file{Documentation/po}. The Gettext domain is named
1508 @code{lilypond-doc}, and unlike @code{lilypond} domain it is not managed
1509 through the Free Translation Project.
1512 Take care of using typographic rules for your language, especially in
1513 @file{macros.itexi}.
1515 If you wonder whether a word, phrase or larger piece of text should be
1516 translated, whether it is an argument of a Texinfo command or a small
1517 piece sandwiched between two Texinfo commands, try to track whether and
1518 where it appears in PDF and/or HTML output as visible text. This piece
1519 of advice is especially useful for translating @file{macros.itexi}.
1521 Please keep verbatim copies of music snippets (in @code{@@lilypond}
1522 blocs). However, some music snippets containing text that shows in
1523 the rendered music, and sometimes translating this text really helps
1524 the user to understand the documentation; in this case, and only in
1525 this case, you may as an exception translate text in the music
1526 snippet, and then you must add a line immediately before the
1527 @code{@@lilypond} block, starting with
1534 Otherwise the music snippet would be reset to the same content as the
1535 English version at next @command{make snippet-update} run -- see
1536 @ref{Updating documentation translation}.
1541 @@lilypondfile[<number of fragment options>,texidoc]@{@var{filename.ly}@}
1545 in the source, open @file{Documentation/snippets/@var{filename}.ly},
1546 translate the @code{texidoc} header field it contains, enclose it with
1547 @code{texidoc@var{MY-LANGUAGE} = "} and @code{"}, and write it into
1548 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@var{filename}.texidoc}.
1549 Additionnally, you may translate the snippet's title in @code{doctitle}
1550 header field, in case @code{doctitle} is a fragment option used in
1551 @code{@@lilypondfile}; you can do this exactly the same way as
1552 @code{texidoc}. For instance,
1553 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@var{filename}.texidoc}
1557 doctitlees = "Spanish title baz"
1559 Spanish translation blah
1564 Then, you should get these translated strings into compiled snippets in
1565 @file{Documentation/snippets}, see @q{General guidelines} in @ref{Adding
1566 and editing snippets}.
1568 @code{@@example} blocks need not be verbatim copies, e.g. variable
1569 names, file names and comments should be translated.
1571 Finally, please carefully apply every rule exposed in @ref{Texinfo
1572 introduction and usage policy}, and @ref{Documentation policy}. If one
1573 of these rules conflicts with a rule specific to your language, please
1574 ask the Translation meister on @email{translations@@lilynet.net} list
1575 and/or the Documentation Editors on @email{lilypond-devel@@gnu.org}
1579 @node Adding a Texinfo manual
1580 @unnumberedsubsubsec Adding a Texinfo manual
1582 In order to start translating a new manual whose basename is @var{FOO},
1586 cd Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}
1587 cp ../@var{FOO}.tely .
1589 cp web/GNUmakefile @var{FOO}
1593 then append @var{FOO} to variable @code{SUBDIRS} in
1594 Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/GNUmakefile, then translate file
1595 @var{MY-LANGUAGE}/@var{FOO}.tely and run @code{skeleton-update}:
1599 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} TEXI_LANGUTIL_FLAGS=--head-only skeleton-update
1603 Your are now ready to translate the new manual exactly like the web site
1604 or the Learning Manual.
1607 @node Documentation translation maintenance
1608 @subsection Documentation translation maintenance
1610 Several tools have been developed to make translations maintenance
1611 easier. These helper scripts make use of the power of Git, the
1612 version control system used for LilyPond development.
1614 You should use them whenever you would like to update the translation in
1615 your language, which you may do at the frequency that fits your and your
1616 cotranslators' respective available times. In the case your translation
1617 is up-do-date (which you can discover in the first subsection below), it
1618 is enough to check its state every one or two weeks. If you feel
1619 overwhelmed by the quantity of documentation to be updated, see
1620 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1623 * Check state of translation::
1624 * Updating documentation translation::
1625 * Updating translation committishes::
1628 @macro seeCommittishesUpdate{}
1629 @warning{do not forget to update the committish in each file you have
1630 completely updated, see @ref{Updating translation committishes}.}
1633 @node Check state of translation
1634 @unnumberedsubsubsec Check state of translation
1636 First pull from Git -- see @ref{Pulling and rebasing}, but DO NOT rebase
1637 unless you are sure to master the translation state checking and
1638 updating system -- then cd into @file{Documentation/} (or at top of the
1639 source tree, replace @command{make} with @command{make -C
1640 Documentation}) and run
1643 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation
1647 This presents a diff of the original files since the most recent
1648 revision of the translation. To check a single file, cd into
1649 @file{Documentation/} and run
1652 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@var{manual}/@var{foo}.itely check-translation
1656 In case this file has been renamed since you last updated the
1657 translation, you should specify both old and new file names, e.g.
1658 @code{CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@{@var{manual},user@}/@var{foo}.itely}.
1660 To see only which files need to be updated, do
1663 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation | grep 'diff --git'
1666 To avoid printing terminal colors control characters, which is often
1667 desirable when you redirect output to a file, run
1670 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} NO_COLOR=1 check-translation
1673 You can see the diffs generated by the commands above as changes that
1674 you should make in your language to the existing translation, in order
1675 to make your translation up to date.
1677 @seeCommittishesUpdate
1679 Global state of the translation is recorded in
1680 @file{Documentation/translations.itexi}, which is used to generate
1681 Translations status page. To update that page, do from
1682 @file{Documentation/}
1685 make translation-status
1688 This will also leave @file{out/translations-status.txt}, which contains
1689 up-to-dateness percentages for each translated file, and update word
1690 counts of documentation files in this Guide.
1693 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1695 @node Updating documentation translation
1696 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating documentation translation
1698 Instead of running @code{check-translation}, you may want to run
1699 @code{update-translation}, which will run your favorite text editor to
1700 update files. First, make sure environment variable @code{EDITOR} is
1701 set to a text editor command, then run from @file{Documentation/}
1704 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} update-translation
1708 or to update a single file
1711 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE/@var{manual}/foo.itely} update-translation
1714 For each file to be udpated, @code{update-translation} will open your
1715 text editor with this file and a diff of the file in English; if the
1716 diff cannot be generated or is bigger than the file in English itself,
1717 the full file in English will be opened instead.
1719 @seeCommittishesUpdate
1721 Texinfo skeleton files, i.e. @file{.itely} files not yet translated,
1722 containing only the first node of the original file in English can be
1723 updated automatically: whenever @command{make check-translation} shows
1724 that such files should be updated, run from @file{Documentation/}
1727 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} skeleton-update
1730 @file{.po} message catalogs in @file{Documentation/po/} may be updated
1731 by issuing from @file{Documentation/} or @file{Documentation/po/}
1737 @warning{if you run po-update and somebody else does the same and
1738 pushes before you push or send a patch to be applied, there will be a
1739 conflict when you pull. Therefore, it is better that only the
1740 Translation meister runs this command.}
1742 Updating music snippets can quickly become cumbersome, as most
1743 snippets should be identical in all languages. Fortunately, there is
1744 a script that can do this odd job for you (run from
1745 @file{Documentation/}):
1748 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} snippet-update
1751 This script overwrites music snippets in
1752 @file{@var{MY_LANGUAGE/foo/every.itely}} with music snippets from
1753 @file{@var{foo/every.itely}}. It ignores skeleton files, and keeps
1754 intact music snippets preceded with a line starting with @code{@@c
1755 KEEP LY}; it reports an error for each @file{.itely} that has not the
1756 same music snippet count in both languages. Always use this script
1757 with a lot of care, i.e. run it on a clean Git working tree, and check
1758 the changes it made with @command{git diff} before committing; if you
1759 don't do so, some @code{@@lilypond} snippets might be broken or make
1760 no sense in their context.
1762 When you have updated texidocs in
1763 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs}, you can get these
1764 changes into compiled snippets in @file{Documentation/snippets}, see
1765 @q{General guidelines} in @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1767 Finally, a command runs the three update processes above for all
1768 enabled languages (from @file{Documentation/}):
1771 make all-translations-update
1774 Use this command with caution, and keep in mind it will not be really
1775 useful until translations are stabilized after the end of GDP and GOP.
1778 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations},
1779 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1782 @node Updating translation committishes
1783 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating translation committishes
1785 At the beginning of each translated file except PO files, there is a
1786 committish which represents the revision of the sources which you have
1787 used to translate this file from the file in English.
1789 When you have pulled and updated a translation, it is very important to
1790 update this committish in the files you have completely updated (and
1791 only these); to do this, first commit possible changes to any
1792 documentation in English which you are sure to have done in your
1793 translation as well, then replace in the up-to-date translated files the
1794 old committish by the committish of latest commit, which can be obtained
1798 git rev-list HEAD |head -1
1801 A special case is updating Snippet documentation strings in
1802 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs}. For these to be
1803 correctly marked as up-to-date, first run @code{makelsr.py} as
1804 explained in @ref{Adding and editing snippets}, and commit the
1805 resulting compiled snippets left in @file{Documentation/snippets/}.
1806 Say the SHA1 ID code of this commit is <C>. Now edit again your
1807 translated files in @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs}
1808 adjusting the 40-digit committish that appears in the text to be <C>;
1809 finally, commit these updated files. Not doing so would result in
1810 changes made both to your updates and original snippets to
1811 persistently appear in the check-translation output as if they were
1814 This two-phase mechanism avoids the (practically) unsolvable problem
1815 of guessing what committish will have our update, and pretending to
1816 put this very committish on the files in the same commit.
1818 @c http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2009-01/msg00245.html
1819 @c contains a helper script which could be used to perform massive
1820 @c committish updates.
1826 @node Translations management policies
1827 @subsection Translations management policies
1829 These policies show the general intent of how the translations should
1830 be managed, they aim at helping translators, developers and
1831 coordinators work efficiently.
1834 * Maintaining without updating translations::
1835 * Managing documentation translation with Git::
1838 @node Maintaining without updating translations
1839 @unnumberedsubsubsec Maintaining without updating translations
1841 Keeping translations up to date under heavy changes in the documentation
1842 in English may be almost impossible, especially as during the former
1843 Grand Documentation Project (GDP) or the Grand Organization Project
1844 (GOP) when a lot of contributors brings changes. In addition,
1845 translators may be --- and that is a very good thing --- involved in
1848 it is possible --- and even recommended --- to perform some maintenance
1849 that keeps translated documentation usable and eases future translation
1850 updating. The rationale below the tasks list motivates this plan.
1852 The following tasks are listed in decreasing priority order.
1855 @item Update macros.itexi.
1856 For each obsolete macro definition, if it is possible to update macro
1857 usage in documentation with an automatic text or regexp substitution,
1858 do it and delete the macro definition from macros.itexi; otherwise,
1859 mark this macro definition as obsolete with a comment, and keep it in
1860 macros.itexi until the documentation translation has been updated and
1861 no longer uses this macro.
1863 @item Update @file{*.tely} files completely with
1864 @command{make check-translation} -- you may want to redirect ouptput
1865 to a file because of overwhelming output, or call check-translation.py
1866 on individual files, see @ref{Check state of translation}.
1868 @item In @file{.itelys}, match sections and .itely file names with those from
1869 English docs, which possibly involves moving nodes contents in block
1870 between files, without updating contents itself. In other words, the
1871 game is catching where has gone each section. In Learning manual, and
1872 in Notation Reference sections which have been revised in GDP, there may
1873 be completely new sections: in this case, copy @code{@@node} and
1874 @code{@@section}-command from English docs, and add the marker for
1875 untranslated status @code{@@untranslated} on a single line. Note that
1876 it is not possible to exactly match subsections or subsubsections of
1877 documentation in English, when contents has been deeply revised; in this
1878 case, keep obsolete (sub)subsections in the translation, marking them
1879 with a line @code{@@c obsolete} just before the node.
1881 Emacs with Texinfo mode makes this step easier:
1884 @item without Emacs AucTeX installed, @key{C-c C-s} shows structure of current
1885 Texinfo file in a new buffer @code{*Occur*}; to show structure of two files
1886 simultaneously, first split Emacs window in 4 tiles (with @key{C-x 1}
1887 and @key{C-x 2}), press @key{C-c C-s} to show structure of one file
1888 (e.g. the translated file), copy @code{*Occur*} contents into
1889 @code{*Scratch*}, then press @key{C-c C-s} for the other file.
1891 If you happen to have installed AucTeX, you can either call the macro
1892 by doing @key{M-x texinfo-show-structure} or create a key binding in your
1893 @file{~/.emacs}, by adding the four following lines:
1896 (add-hook 'Texinfo-mode-hook
1898 (define-key Texinfo-mode-map "\C-cs"
1899 'texinfo-show-structure)))
1903 and then obtain the structure in the @code{*Occur*} buffer with @key{C-c
1906 @item Do not bother updating @code{@@menu}s when all menu entries are in the same
1907 file, just do @key{C-c C-u C-a} (@qq{update all menus}) when you have
1908 updated all the rest of the file.
1910 @item Moving to next or previous node using incremental search: press
1911 @key{C-s} and type @code{node} (or @key{C-s @@node} if the text
1912 contains the word @q{node}) then press @key{C-s} to move to next node
1913 or @key{C-r} to move to previous node. Similar operation can be used
1914 to move to the next/previous section. Note that every cursor move
1915 exits incremental search, and hitting @key{C-s} twice starts
1916 incremental search with the text entered in previous incremental
1919 @item Moving a whole node (or even a sequence of nodes): jump to beginning
1920 of the node (quit incremental search by pressing an arrow), press
1921 @key{C-SPACE}, press @key{C-s node} and repeat @key{C-s} until you
1922 have selected enough text, cut it with @key{C-w} or @key{C-x}, jump to
1923 the right place (moving between nodes with the previous hint is often
1924 useful) and paste with @key{C-y} or @key{C-v}.
1927 @item Update sections finished in the English documentation; check
1929 @uref{http://lilypondwiki.tuxfamily.org/index.php?title=Documentation_coordination}.
1931 @item Update documentation PO. It is recommended not to update
1932 strings which come from documentation that is currently deeply revised
1933 in English, to avoid doing the work more than once.
1935 @item Fix broken cross-references by running (from @file{Documentation/})
1938 make ISOLANG=@var{YOUR-LANGUAGE} fix-xrefs
1942 This step requires a sucessful documentation build (with @command{make
1943 doc}). Some cross-references are broken because they point to a node
1944 that exists in the documentation in English, which has not been added
1945 to the translation; in this case, do not fix the cross-reference but
1946 keep it "broken", so that the resulting HTML link will point to an
1947 existing page of documentation in English.
1950 @subsubheading Rationale
1952 You may wonder if it would not be better to leave translations as-is
1953 until you can really start updating translations. There are several
1954 reasons to do these maintenance tasks right now.
1957 @item This will have to be done sooner or later anyway, before updating
1958 translation of documentation contents, and this can already be done
1959 without needing to be redone later, as sections of documentation in
1960 English are mostly revised once. However, note that not all
1961 documentation sectioning has been revised in one go, so all this
1962 maintenance plan has to be repeated whenever a big reorganization is
1965 @item This just makes translated documentation take advantage of the new
1966 organization, which is better than the old one.
1968 @item Moving and renaming sections to match sectioning of documentation in
1969 English simplify future updating work: it allows updating the
1970 translation by side-by-side comparison, without bothering whether
1971 cross-reference names already exist in the translation.
1973 @item Each maintenance task except @q{Updating PO files} can be done by
1974 the same person for all languages, which saves overall time spent by
1975 translators to achieve this task: the node names and section titles
1976 are in English, so you can do. It is important to take advantage of
1977 this now, as it will be more complicated (but still possible) to do
1978 step 3 in all languages when documentation is compiled with
1979 @command{texi2html} and node names are directly translated in source
1984 @node Managing documentation translation with Git
1985 @unnumberedsubsubsec Managing documentation translation with Git
1987 This policy explains how to manage Git branches and commit
1988 translations to Git.
1991 @item Translation changes matching master branch are preferably made on
1992 @code{lilypond/translation} branch; they may be pushed directly to
1993 @code{master} only if they do not break compilation of LilyPond and
1994 its documentation, and in this case they should be pushed to
1995 @code{lilypond/translation} too. Similarly, changes matching
1996 @code{stable/X.Y} are preferably made on
1997 @code{lilypond/X.Ytranslation}.
1999 @item @code{lilypond/translation} Git branch may be merged into
2000 master only if LilyPond (@command{make all}) and documentation
2001 (@command{make doc}) compile succesfully.
2003 @item @code{master} Git branch may be merged into
2004 @code{lilypond/translation} whenever @command{make} and @command{make
2005 doc} are succesful (in order to ease documentation compilation by
2006 translators), or when significant changes had been made in
2007 documentation in English in master branch.
2009 @item General maintenance may be done by anybody who knows what he does
2010 in documentation in all languages, without informing translators
2011 first. General maintenance include simple text substitutions
2012 (e.g. automated by sed), compilation fixes, updating Texinfo or
2013 lilypond-book commands, updating macros, updating ly code, fixing
2014 cross-references, and operations described in @ref{Maintaining
2015 without updating translations}.
2019 @node Technical background
2020 @subsection Technical background
2022 A number of Python scripts handle a part of the documentation
2023 translation process. All scripts used to maintain the translations
2024 are located in @file{scripts/auxiliar/}.
2027 @item @file{check_translation.py} -- show diff to update a translation,
2028 @item @file{texi-langutils.py} -- quickly and dirtily parse Texinfo files to
2029 make message catalogs and Texinfo skeleton files,
2030 @item @file{texi-skeleton-update.py} -- update Texinfo skeleton files,
2031 @item @file{update-snippets.py} -- synchronize ly snippets with those
2033 @item @file{translations-status.py} -- update translations status pages and word
2034 counts in the file you are reading,
2035 @item @file{tely-gettext.py} -- gettext node names, section titles and references
2036 in the sources; WARNING only use this script once for each file, when support for
2037 "makeinfo --html" has been dropped.
2040 Other scripts are used in the build process, in @file{scripts/build/}:
2043 @item @file{mass-link.py} -- link or symlink files between English documentation
2044 and documentation in other languages.
2047 Python modules used by scripts in @file{scripts/auxiliar/} or @file{scripts/build/} (but
2048 not by installed Python scripts) are located in @file{python/auxiliar/}:
2050 @item @file{manuals_definitions.py} -- define manual names and name of
2051 cross-reference Texinfo macros,
2052 @item @file{buildlib.py} -- common functions (read piped output
2053 of a shell command, use Git),
2054 @item @file{postprocess_html.py} (module imported by @file{www_post.py}) -- add footer and
2055 tweak links in HTML pages.
2060 @item @file{python/langdefs.py} -- language definitions module