1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 2.1 since 2.0
20 @item Default staff sizes are now scalable. There are two new mechanisms for
21 setting staff sizes. Both are demonstrated in this fragment:
26 #(paper-set-staff-size (* 15 pt))
32 Both have the same effect on the global layout of a
33 piece. Similarly, the paper size may be changed as follows
36 #(set-paper-size "a4")
41 Warnings for bar check errors are more cleverly printed. This
42 makes barCheckSynchronize superfluous. barCheckSynchronize is now
43 switched off by default.
45 Warning: this will cause problems in scores that use bar checks to
49 The black note head was made a little rounder, which causes a less
50 frantic graphic impression.
53 A more concise syntax for checking octaves was introduced. A note may
54 be followed by @code{=}@var{quotes} which indicates what its absolute
55 octave should be. In the following example,
58 \relative c'' @{ c='' b=' d,='' @}
62 the @code{d} will generate a warning, because a @code{d''} is
63 expected, but a @code{d'} is found.
65 @item There is a new mechanism for putting lyrics to melodies.
66 With this mechanism, @code{LyricVoice}s can be put melodies
67 individually, allowing for different melismatic sections in every
68 @code{LyricVoice}. See @file{input/regression/lyric-combine-new.ly}.
70 @item Formatting of ottava brackets has been improved.
72 @item Bar lines may now be dotted.
75 @item The documentation now has links to a wiki, where everyone can
76 add personal comments to the manual.
78 @item Contexts may now be changed locally for an isolated music
79 expression. For example,
83 \consists "Pitch_squash_engraver"
89 @item The syntax for changing staffs has changed. The keyword
90 @code{\change} should now be used, e.g.
96 @item Features of spanner contexts, like @code{Staff}, can now be changed
97 using @code{\property}, eg.
101 \property Staff.StaffSymbol \set #'line-count = #4
107 puts a quarter note C on a staff with 4 lines.
110 @item Multi measure rests are now truly centered between the
111 clefs/barlines of the staff, their position is independent of symbols
114 @item Collision resolution for dots in chords has been improved greatly.
117 Spacing following barlines was improved for widely stretched lines.
120 Lyric hyphens and extenders now conform to standard typesetting
124 Lyrics are now aligned under note heads conforming to engraving
125 standards. The responsible code has been rewritten, and is drastically
126 simpler from the previous version. To aid this rewrite, the syntactic
127 function of the extender line ( __ ) has been changed: it is now
128 attached to the lyric syllable.
131 When redefining a context, the associated identifier is also
132 updated. For example, after reading the following snippet,
139 the definition of @code{ScoreContext} is updated to include the changed
144 The weight of the stafflines is now heavier at smaller staff sizes.
145 The font has been modified to match this look: at smaller sizes, the
146 font is heavier and the note heads are more rounded.
148 @item Processing scores is now done while parsing the file. New
149 Scheme functions give more flexibility: for example, it is now possible
150 interpret a score, collecting synchronized musical events in a list, and
151 manipulate that information using inline Scheme. For an example, see
152 @file{input/no-notation/recording.ly}.
154 @item Font sizes can now truly be scaled continuously: the @code{font-size}
155 is similar to the old @code{font-relative-size}, but may be set to
156 fractional values; the closest design size will be scaled to achieve
157 the desired size. As a side-effect, there are now no longer
158 limitations in using smaller fonts (eg. grace notes) at small staff
161 @item The appearance of stem tips is now also engraved with rounded corners.
164 The placement of accidentals on chords and ledgered notes is improved.
169 @chapter New features in 2.0 since 1.8
174 Crescendos can now be drawn dotted or dashed.
177 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
178 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
179 following is an ascending list of pitches:
182 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
186 The following constructs have been removed from the syntax:
189 \duration #SCHEME-DURATION
191 \outputproperty @var{func} @var{symbol} = @var{value}
194 For @code{\outputproperty}, the following may be substituted:
197 \applyoutput #(outputproperty-compatibility @var{func}
198 @var{symbol} @var{value})
202 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
212 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
213 Chords are entered as
219 while simultaneous music is entered as
222 <<@var{..music list..}>>
225 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
226 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
227 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
230 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
231 \figure @{ <@var{figures}> @}
234 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
238 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
239 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
240 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
241 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
245 @{ c4 f2 g4 @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
247 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
251 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
255 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
258 to an articulation, for example,
261 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
264 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
265 string-number indication.
268 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
269 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
272 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
275 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
279 The script previously known as @code{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
280 @code{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
284 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
287 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
288 and @code{\appoggiatura},
295 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
296 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
300 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
301 and may now be set separately from musical content.
304 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
305 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
306 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
307 score may be created by
311 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
312 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
319 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
326 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
327 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
331 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
338 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
341 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
342 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
347 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
352 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
353 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
356 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
357 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
361 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
365 Windows users can double click a @code{.ly} file to process and view
366 it automagically through the new @code{lily-wins} frontend.
373 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
378 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
379 cleaner and more flexible.
382 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
383 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
384 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
385 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
388 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
389 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
390 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
393 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
394 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
398 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
399 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
405 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
406 available, and the dashes will become optional.
408 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
409 postfix, in any order.
412 A new syntax has been added for chords:
419 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
420 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
430 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
433 for simultaneous music.
435 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
436 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
438 This change was introduced for the following reasons
442 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
443 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
446 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
447 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
448 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
449 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
453 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
457 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
461 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
462 The syntax for this feature is
465 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
469 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
470 that is created in the current context.
473 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
474 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
477 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
480 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
484 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
485 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
486 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
487 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
490 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
493 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
496 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
500 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
504 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
509 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
518 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
526 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
530 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
534 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
538 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
542 @item The emacs support has been extended.
546 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
550 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
556 Support for figured bass and tablature.
559 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
564 Completely revised and improved music font.
568 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
571 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
572 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
576 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
577 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
578 chord are handled much better.
581 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
582 details like optical stem spacing.
585 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
586 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
589 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
593 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
596 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
599 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
602 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
603 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
606 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
607 which comes with a user-friendly installer.