1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 2.1 since 2.0
21 @item Safe mode has been reinstated for lilypond.
22 When lilypond is invoked with @{--safe-mode}, @TeX{} and PostScript
23 file output is disallowed, and lilypond-bin is invoked with
24 @code{--safe-mode}, the user's Guile expressions are evaluated in a
25 safe environment and file inclusion is not allowed.
26 (This feature is still experimental.)
28 @item There is now a Scheme macro for defining markup
29 commands. Special mark-up commands can be defined in user-files too.
31 @item Many fixes for dimension scaling have been made,
32 resulting in correct results for scores that mix staves in different
35 @item Improved robustness when layout properties are accidentally removed.
37 @item A more cleanly constructed part combiner has been installed.
38 It is more robust and less buggy. The part-combiner can be used with
40 \newpartcombine @var{mus1} @var{mus2}
44 See @file{input/regression/new-part-combine.ly} for an example.
46 (This feature is still experimental.)
48 @item Formatting of rehearsal marks has been improved. The @code{\mark}
49 command now only does automatic incrementing for marks specified as
50 integer. For example, @code{\mark #1} will print an A in the default
51 style. See @file{input/regression/rehearsal-mark-letter.ly},
52 @file{input/regression/rehearsal-mark-number.ly}.
54 @item Formatting of ottava brackets has been much improved.
56 @item Objects in the output can now be documented: the following fragment
57 boxes the note head, and adds the text ``heads or tails?'' three
61 \context Voice \applyoutput #(add-balloon-text
62 'NoteHead "heads, or tails?"
70 @item Default staff sizes are now scalable. There are two new mechanisms for
71 setting staff sizes. Both are demonstrated in this fragment:
74 #(set-global-staff-size 15)
76 #(paper-set-staff-size (* 15 pt))
82 Both have the same effect on the global layout of a
83 piece. Similarly, the paper size may be changed as follows
86 #(set-paper-size "a4")
90 @item Warnings for bar check errors are more cleverly printed. This
91 makes @code{barCheckSynchronize} superfluous, so it is now switched
94 Warning: this will cause problems in scores that use bar checks to
97 @item The black note head was made a little rounder, which causes a less
98 frantic graphic impression.
101 A more concise syntax for checking octaves was introduced. A note may
102 be followed by @code{=}@var{quotes} which indicates what its absolute
103 octave should be. In the following example,
106 \relative c'' @{ c='' b=' d,='' @}
110 the d will generate a warning, because a d'' is
111 expected, but a d' is found.
112 @c @code adds ` ' very confusing.
114 @item There is a new mechanism for putting lyrics to melodies.
115 With this mechanism, @code{LyricVoice}s can be put melodies
116 individually, allowing for different melismatic sections in every
117 @code{LyricVoice}. See @file{input/regression/lyric-combine-new.ly}.
119 @item Bar lines may now be dotted.
122 @item The documentation now has links to a wiki, where everyone can
123 add personal comments to the manual.
125 @item Contexts may now be changed locally for an isolated music
126 expression. For example,
130 \consists "Pitch_squash_engraver"
136 @item The syntax for changing staffs has changed. The keyword
137 @code{\change} should now be used, e.g.
143 @item Features of spanner contexts, like @code{Staff}, can now be changed
144 using @code{\property}, eg.
148 \property Staff.StaffSymbol \set #'line-count = #4
154 puts a quarter note C on a staff with 4 lines.
157 @item Multi measure rests are now truly centered between the
158 clefs/barlines of the staff, their position is independent of symbols
161 @item Collision resolution for dots in chords has been improved greatly.
164 Spacing following barlines was improved for widely stretched lines.
167 Lyric hyphens and extenders now conform to standard typesetting
171 Lyrics are now aligned under note heads conforming to engraving
172 standards. The responsible code has been rewritten, and is drastically
173 simpler from the previous version. To aid this rewrite, the syntactic
174 function of the extender line ( __ ) has been changed: it is now
175 attached to the lyric syllable.
178 When redefining a context, the associated identifier is also
179 updated. For example, after reading the following snippet,
186 the definition of @code{ScoreContext} is updated to include the changed
191 The weight of the stafflines is now heavier at smaller staff sizes.
192 The font has been modified to match this look: at smaller sizes, the
193 font is heavier and the note heads are more rounded.
195 @item Processing scores is now done while parsing the file. New
196 Scheme functions give more flexibility: for example, it is now possible
197 interpret a score, collecting synchronized musical events in a list, and
198 manipulate that information using inline Scheme. For an example, see
199 @file{input/no-notation/recording.ly}.
201 @item Font sizes can now truly be scaled continuously: the @code{font-size}
202 is similar to the old @code{font-relative-size}, but may be set to
203 fractional values; the closest design size will be scaled to achieve
204 the desired size. As a side-effect, there are now no longer
205 limitations in using smaller fonts (eg. grace notes) at small staff
208 @item The appearance of stem tips is now also engraved with rounded corners.
211 The placement of accidentals on chords and ledgered notes is improved.
216 @chapter New features in 2.0 since 1.8
221 Crescendos can now be drawn dotted or dashed.
224 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
225 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
226 following is an ascending list of pitches:
229 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
233 The following constructs have been removed from the syntax:
236 \duration #SCHEME-DURATION
238 \outputproperty @var{func} @var{symbol} = @var{value}
241 For @code{\outputproperty}, the following may be substituted:
244 \applyoutput #(outputproperty-compatibility @var{func}
245 @var{symbol} @var{value})
249 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
259 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
260 Chords are entered as
266 while simultaneous music is entered as
269 <<@var{..music list..}>>
272 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
273 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
274 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
277 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
278 \figure @{ <@var{figures}> @}
281 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
285 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
286 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
287 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
288 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
292 @{ c4 f2 g4 @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
294 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
298 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
302 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
305 to an articulation, for example,
308 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
311 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
312 string-number indication.
315 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
316 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
319 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
322 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
326 The script previously known as @code{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
327 @code{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
331 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
334 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
335 and @code{\appoggiatura},
342 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
343 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
347 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
348 and may now be set separately from musical content.
351 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
352 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
353 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
354 score may be created by
358 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
359 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
366 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
373 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
374 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
378 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
385 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
388 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
389 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
394 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
399 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
400 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
403 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
404 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
408 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
412 Windows users can double click a @code{.ly} file to process and view
413 it automagically through the new @code{lily-wins} frontend.
420 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
425 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
426 cleaner and more flexible.
429 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
430 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
431 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
432 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
435 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
436 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
437 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
440 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
441 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
445 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
446 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
452 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
453 available, and the dashes will become optional.
455 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
456 postfix, in any order.
459 A new syntax has been added for chords:
466 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
467 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
477 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
480 for simultaneous music.
482 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
483 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
485 This change was introduced for the following reasons
489 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
490 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
493 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
494 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
495 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
496 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
500 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
504 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
508 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
509 The syntax for this feature is
512 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
516 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
517 that is created in the current context.
520 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
521 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
524 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
527 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
531 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
532 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
533 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
534 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
537 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
540 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
543 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
547 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
551 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
556 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
565 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
573 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
577 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
581 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
585 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
589 @item The emacs support has been extended.
593 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
597 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
603 Support for figured bass and tablature.
606 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
611 Completely revised and improved music font.
615 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
618 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
619 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
623 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
624 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
625 chord are handled much better.
628 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
629 details like optical stem spacing.
632 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
633 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
636 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
640 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
643 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
646 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
649 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
650 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
653 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
654 which comes with a user-friendly installer.