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 is, both demonstrated in this fragment
26 #(paper-set-staff-size (* 15 pt))
31 Both have the same effect on the global layout of a
32 piece. Similarly, the paper size may be changed as follows
35 #(set-paper-size "a4")
39 The black note head was made a little rounder, which causes a less
40 frantic graphic impression.
43 A more concise syntax for checking octaves was introduced. A note may
44 be followed by @code{=}@var{quotes} which indicates what its absolute
45 octave should be. In the following example,
48 \relative c'' @{ c='' b=' d,='' @}
52 the @code{d} will generate a warning, because a @code{d''} is
53 expected, but a @code{d'} is found.
55 @item There is a new mechanism for putting lyrics to melodies.
56 With this mechanism, @code{LyricVoice}s can be put melodies
57 individually, allowing for different melismatic sections in every
58 @code{LyricVoice}. See @file{input/regression/lyric-combine-new.ly}.
60 @item Formatting of ottava brackets has been improved.
62 @item Bar lines may now be dotted.
65 @item The documentation now has links to a wiki, where everyone can
66 add personal comments to the manual.
68 @item Contexts may now be changed locally for an isolated music
69 expression. For example,
73 \consists "Pitch_squash_engraver"
79 @item The syntax for changing staffs has changed. The keyword
80 @code{\change} should now be used, e.g.
86 @item Features of spanner contexts, like @code{Staff}, can now be changed
87 using @code{\property}, eg.
91 \property Staff.StaffSymbol \set #'line-count = #4
97 puts a quarter note C on a staff with 4 lines.
100 @item Multi measure rests are now truly centered between the
101 clefs/barlines of the staff, their position is independent of symbols
104 @item Collision resolution for dots in chords has been improved greatly.
107 Spacing following barlines was improved for widely stretched lines.
110 Lyric hyphens and extenders now conform to standard typesetting
114 Lyrics are now aligned under note heads conforming to engraving
115 standards. The responsible code has been rewritten, and is drastically
116 simpler from the previous version. To aid this rewrite, the syntactic
117 function of the extender line ( __ ) has been changed: it is now
118 attached to the lyric syllable.
121 When redefining a context, the associated identifier is also
122 updated. For example, after reading the following snippet,
129 the definition of @code{ScoreContext} is updated to include the changed
134 The weight of the stafflines is now heavier at smaller staff sizes.
135 The font has been modified to match this look: at smaller sizes, the
136 font is heavier and the note heads are more rounded.
138 @item Processing scores is now done while parsing the file. New
139 Scheme functions give more flexibility: for example, it is now possible
140 interpret a score, collecting synchronized musical events in a list, and
141 manipulate that information using inline Scheme. For an example, see
142 @file{input/no-notation/recording.ly}.
144 @item Font sizes can now truly be scaled continuously: the @code{font-size}
145 is similar to the old @code{font-relative-size}, but may be set to
146 fractional values; the closest design size will be scaled to achieve
147 the desired size. As a side-effect, there are now no longer
148 limitations in using smaller fonts (eg. grace notes) at small staff
151 @item The appearance of stem tips is now also engraved with rounded corners.
154 The placement of accidentals on chords and ledgered notes is improved.
159 @chapter New features in 2.0 since 1.8
164 Crescendos can now be drawn dotted or dashed.
167 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
168 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
169 following is an ascending list of pitches:
172 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
176 The following constructs have been removed from the syntax:
179 \duration #SCHEME-DURATION
181 \outputproperty @var{func} @var{symbol} = @var{value}
184 For @code{\outputproperty}, the following may be substituted:
187 \applyoutput #(outputproperty-compatibility @var{func}
188 @var{symbol} @var{value})
192 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
202 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
203 Chords are entered as
209 while simultaneous music is entered as
212 <<@var{..music list..}>>
215 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
216 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
217 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
220 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
221 \figure @{ <@var{figures}> @}
224 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
228 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
229 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
230 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
231 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
235 @{ c4 f2 g4 @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
237 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
241 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
245 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
248 to an articulation, for example,
251 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
254 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
255 string-number indication.
258 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
259 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
262 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
265 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
269 The script previously known as @code{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
270 @code{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
274 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
277 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
278 and @code{\appoggiatura},
285 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
286 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
290 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
291 and may now be set separately from musical content.
294 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
295 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
296 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
297 score may be created by
301 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
302 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
309 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
316 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
317 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
321 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
328 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
331 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
332 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
337 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
342 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
343 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
346 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
347 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
351 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
355 Windows users can double click a @code{.ly} file to process and view
356 it automagically through the new @code{lily-wins} frontend.
363 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
368 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
369 cleaner and more flexible.
372 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
373 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
374 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
375 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
378 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
379 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
380 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
383 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
384 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
388 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
389 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
395 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
396 available, and the dashes will become optional.
398 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
399 postfix, in any order.
402 A new syntax has been added for chords:
409 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
410 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
420 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
423 for simultaneous music.
425 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
426 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
428 This change was introduced for the following reasons
432 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
433 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
436 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
437 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
438 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
439 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
443 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
447 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
451 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
452 The syntax for this feature is
455 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
459 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
460 that is created in the current context.
463 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
464 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
467 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
470 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
474 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
475 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
476 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
477 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
480 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
483 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
486 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
490 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
494 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
499 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
508 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
516 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
520 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
524 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
528 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
532 @item The emacs support has been extended.
536 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
540 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
546 Support for figured bass and tablature.
549 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
554 Completely revised and improved music font.
558 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
561 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
562 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
566 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
567 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
568 chord are handled much better.
571 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
572 details like optical stem spacing.
575 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
576 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
579 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
583 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
586 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
589 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
592 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
593 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
596 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
597 which comes with a user-friendly installer.