1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 2.1 since 2.0
20 @item Objects in the output can now be documented: the following fragment
21 boxes the note head, and adds the text ``heads or tails?'' three
25 \context Voice \applyoutput #(add-balloon-text
26 'NoteHead "heads, or tails?"
34 @item Default staff sizes are now scalable. There are two new mechanisms for
35 setting staff sizes. Both are demonstrated in this fragment:
40 #(paper-set-staff-size (* 15 pt))
46 Both have the same effect on the global layout of a
47 piece. Similarly, the paper size may be changed as follows
50 #(set-paper-size "a4")
54 @item Warnings for bar check errors are more cleverly printed. This
55 makes @code{barCheckSynchronize} superfluous, so it is now switched
58 Warning: this will cause problems in scores that use bar checks to
61 @item The black note head was made a little rounder, which causes a less
62 frantic graphic impression.
65 A more concise syntax for checking octaves was introduced. A note may
66 be followed by @code{=}@var{quotes} which indicates what its absolute
67 octave should be. In the following example,
70 \relative c'' @{ c='' b=' d,='' @}
74 the @code{d} will generate a warning, because a @code{d''} is
75 expected, but a @code{d'} is found.
77 @item There is a new mechanism for putting lyrics to melodies.
78 With this mechanism, @code{LyricVoice}s can be put melodies
79 individually, allowing for different melismatic sections in every
80 @code{LyricVoice}. See @file{input/regression/lyric-combine-new.ly}.
82 @item Formatting of ottava brackets has been improved.
84 @item Bar lines may now be dotted.
87 @item The documentation now has links to a wiki, where everyone can
88 add personal comments to the manual.
90 @item Contexts may now be changed locally for an isolated music
91 expression. For example,
95 \consists "Pitch_squash_engraver"
101 @item The syntax for changing staffs has changed. The keyword
102 @code{\change} should now be used, e.g.
108 @item Features of spanner contexts, like @code{Staff}, can now be changed
109 using @code{\property}, eg.
113 \property Staff.StaffSymbol \set #'line-count = #4
119 puts a quarter note C on a staff with 4 lines.
122 @item Multi measure rests are now truly centered between the
123 clefs/barlines of the staff, their position is independent of symbols
126 @item Collision resolution for dots in chords has been improved greatly.
129 Spacing following barlines was improved for widely stretched lines.
132 Lyric hyphens and extenders now conform to standard typesetting
136 Lyrics are now aligned under note heads conforming to engraving
137 standards. The responsible code has been rewritten, and is drastically
138 simpler from the previous version. To aid this rewrite, the syntactic
139 function of the extender line ( __ ) has been changed: it is now
140 attached to the lyric syllable.
143 When redefining a context, the associated identifier is also
144 updated. For example, after reading the following snippet,
151 the definition of @code{ScoreContext} is updated to include the changed
156 The weight of the stafflines is now heavier at smaller staff sizes.
157 The font has been modified to match this look: at smaller sizes, the
158 font is heavier and the note heads are more rounded.
160 @item Processing scores is now done while parsing the file. New
161 Scheme functions give more flexibility: for example, it is now possible
162 interpret a score, collecting synchronized musical events in a list, and
163 manipulate that information using inline Scheme. For an example, see
164 @file{input/no-notation/recording.ly}.
166 @item Font sizes can now truly be scaled continuously: the @code{font-size}
167 is similar to the old @code{font-relative-size}, but may be set to
168 fractional values; the closest design size will be scaled to achieve
169 the desired size. As a side-effect, there are now no longer
170 limitations in using smaller fonts (eg. grace notes) at small staff
173 @item The appearance of stem tips is now also engraved with rounded corners.
176 The placement of accidentals on chords and ledgered notes is improved.
181 @chapter New features in 2.0 since 1.8
186 Crescendos can now be drawn dotted or dashed.
189 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
190 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
191 following is an ascending list of pitches:
194 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
198 The following constructs have been removed from the syntax:
201 \duration #SCHEME-DURATION
203 \outputproperty @var{func} @var{symbol} = @var{value}
206 For @code{\outputproperty}, the following may be substituted:
209 \applyoutput #(outputproperty-compatibility @var{func}
210 @var{symbol} @var{value})
214 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
224 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
225 Chords are entered as
231 while simultaneous music is entered as
234 <<@var{..music list..}>>
237 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
238 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
239 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
242 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
243 \figure @{ <@var{figures}> @}
246 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
250 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
251 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
252 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
253 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
257 @{ c4 f2 g4 @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
259 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
263 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
267 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
270 to an articulation, for example,
273 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
276 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
277 string-number indication.
280 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
281 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
284 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
287 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
291 The script previously known as @code{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
292 @code{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
296 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
299 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
300 and @code{\appoggiatura},
307 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
308 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
312 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
313 and may now be set separately from musical content.
316 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
317 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
318 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
319 score may be created by
323 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
324 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
331 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
338 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
339 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
343 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
350 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
353 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
354 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
359 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
364 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
365 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
368 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
369 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
373 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
377 Windows users can double click a @code{.ly} file to process and view
378 it automagically through the new @code{lily-wins} frontend.
385 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
390 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
391 cleaner and more flexible.
394 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
395 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
396 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
397 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
400 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
401 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
402 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
405 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
406 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
410 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
411 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
417 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
418 available, and the dashes will become optional.
420 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
421 postfix, in any order.
424 A new syntax has been added for chords:
431 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
432 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
442 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
445 for simultaneous music.
447 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
448 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
450 This change was introduced for the following reasons
454 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
455 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
458 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
459 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
460 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
461 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
465 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
469 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
473 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
474 The syntax for this feature is
477 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
481 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
482 that is created in the current context.
485 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
486 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
489 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
492 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
496 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
497 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
498 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
499 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
502 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
505 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
508 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
512 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
516 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
521 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
530 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
538 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
542 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
546 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
550 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
554 @item The emacs support has been extended.
558 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
562 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
568 Support for figured bass and tablature.
571 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
576 Completely revised and improved music font.
580 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
583 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
584 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
588 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
589 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
590 chord are handled much better.
593 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
594 details like optical stem spacing.
597 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
598 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
601 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
605 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
608 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
611 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
614 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
615 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
618 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
619 which comes with a user-friendly installer.