[lilypond.git] / Documentation / topdocs / NEWS.texi

\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
@setfilename NEWS.info
@settitle NEWS

@node Top, , , 
@top

@chapter New features in 1.9 since 1.8

@itemize

@item
Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
versions from the same music expression.  In the following example,
we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
@example
< \tag #'part <
  @{ c4 f2 g @}      % in the part, we have cue-notes  
  \\ R1 >
  \tag #'score R1  % in the score: only a rest
>
@end example
 
The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
made by prepending
@example
        -\tag #@var{your-tag(s)} 
@end example
to an articulation, for example, 
@example
        c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
@end example

This defines a note, which has a fingering and a string-number
indication. 



@item
Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too. 

@item
Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
and @code{\appoggiatura},

@example
  \appoggiatura f8 e4
  \acciaccatura g8 f4
@end example

Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
note.

@item 
Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
and may now be set separately from musical content.

@item
The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
score may be created by

@example
  \simultaneous @{
    \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
    \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
  @}
@end example



@item
Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
The syntax is 

@example
  \octave @var{pitch}
@end example

This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
octave is corrected.

@item
All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,

@example
        c8[( d8]) 
@end example

@noindent
is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.

@item
The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified.  Octaves are
now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
following example,  

@example
  PRE
  \repeat "unfold" 3  BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
  POST
@end example

@noindent
the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
POST on ALT2.

The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
which is set through 

@example
  #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
@end example

@end itemize




@chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6

@itemize

@item 
The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
cleaner and more flexible.

@item 
A new syntax has been added for text entry.  This syntax is more
friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
"Text markup" in the notation manual.

@item 
The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.

@item 
The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
and converted to Scheme data structures.  The representation may be
exported as XML.

@item 
A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as

@example
        c8-[-( d8-]-) 
@end example

In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
available, and the dashes will become optional.

This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
postfix, in any order.

@item 
A new syntax has been added for chords:


@example
        << PITCHES >>
@end example 

It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
using LilyPond version 2.0.  In version 2.0, this syntax will be
changed to

@example
        < PITCHES >
@end example

for chords, and

@example
        \simultaneous @{ .. @} 
@end example

for simultaneous music.

To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py

This change was introduced for the following reasons

@itemize @bullet
@item
It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
  state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
  Staff or Score.
@item
With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
  articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
  and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
  fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
@end itemize

@item 
User code may now be executed during interpreting.  The syntax for
this code is

@example
        \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
@end example

@item 
User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
The syntax for this feature is

@example
        \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
@end example

@noindent
SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
that is created in the current context.

@item 
New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.

@item 
Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.

@example
        R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
@end example

@item
Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983.  Ligatures are still printed
without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.

@item 
Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.

@item 
LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is

@example
        \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
@end example

@item
For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
syntax for this is

@example
        #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
@end example


@item 
Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:

@example
        NOTE-\startGroup
                ..
        NOTE-\stopGroup
@end example


@item  Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature.  The syntax
is

@example
        #(set-octavation 1)
@end example


@item  Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.



@item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.



@item  The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.



@item  Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.



@item  The emacs support has been extended.


@item 
The manual has been completely revised and extended.

@end itemize

@chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4


@itemize @bullet

@item
Support for figured bass and tablature.

@item
Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
now.


@item
Completely revised and improved music font.


@item
Completely rewritten MIDI import support.

@item
Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.


@item
Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
chord are handled much better.

@item
Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
details like optical stem spacing.

@item
More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
(pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.

@item
More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
arpeggio brackets.

@item
Easier music polyphonic music entry.

@item
More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes

@item
The manual has been thoroughly revised.

@item
Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.

@item
Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
which comes with a user-friendly installer.

@end itemize