1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
4 Translation of GIT committish: FILL-IN-HEAD-COMMITTISH
6 When revising a translation, copy the HEAD committish of the
7 version that you are working on. For details, see the Contributors'
8 Guide, node Updating translation committishes..
14 @node Updating files with convert-ly
15 @chapter Updating files with @command{convert-ly}
17 @cindex Updating a LilyPond file
20 The LilyPond input syntax is routinely changed to simplify it or improve
21 it in different ways. As a side effect of this, the LilyPond interpreter
22 often is no longer compatible with older input files. To remedy this,
23 the program @command{convert-ly} can be used to deal with most of the
24 syntax changes between LilyPond versions.
27 * Why does the syntax change?::
28 * Invoking convert-ly::
29 * Command line options for convert-ly::
30 * Problems running convert-ly::
31 * Manual conversions::
35 @node Why does the syntax change?
36 @section Why does the syntax change?
39 @cindex updating old input files
41 The LilyPond input syntax occasionally changes. As LilyPond
42 itself improves, the syntax (input language) is modified
43 accordingly. Sometimes these changes are made to make the input
44 easier to read and write or sometimes the changes are made to
45 accommodate new features of LilyPond.
47 For example, all @code{\paper} and @code{\layout} property names
48 are supposed to be written in the form @code{first-second-third}.
49 However, in version 2.11.60, we noticed that the
50 @code{printallheaders} property did not follow this convention.
51 Should we leave it alone (confusing new users who must deal with
52 an inconsistent input format), or change it (annoying old users
53 with existing scores)? In this case, we decided to change the
54 name to @code{print-all-headers}. Fortunately, this change can be
55 automated with our @command{convert-ly} tool.
57 Unfortunately, @code{convert-ly} cannot handle all input changes.
58 For example, in LilyPond 2.4 and earlier, accents and non-English
59 letters were entered using LaTeX -- displaying the French word for
60 Christmas was entered as @code{No\"el}. But in LilyPond
61 @c keep "-matching straight in fancy editors
62 2.6 and above, the special @code{ë} must be entered directly into
63 the LilyPond file as an UTF-8 character. @code{convert-ly} cannot
64 change all the LaTeX special characters into UTF-8 characters; you
65 must manually update your old LilyPond input files.
68 @node Invoking convert-ly
69 @section Invoking @command{convert-ly}
71 @command{convert-ly} uses @code{\version} statements in the input
72 file to detect the old version number. In most cases, to upgrade
73 your input file it is sufficient to run
76 convert-ly -e myfile.ly
80 in the directory containing the file. This will upgrade
81 @file{myfile.ly} in-place and preserve the original file in
84 @warning{@command{convert-ly} always converts up to the last
85 syntax change handled by it. This means that the @code{\version}
86 number left in the file is usually lower than the version of
87 @command{convert-ly} itself.}
89 To convert all the input files in a directory together use
95 Alternatively, if you want to specify a different name for the
96 upgraded file, preserving the original file and name unchanged,
100 convert-ly myfile.ly > mynewfile.ly
103 The program will list the version numbers for which conversions
104 have been made. If no version numbers are listed the file is
107 MacOS@tie{}X users may execute these commands under the menu entry
108 @code{Compile > Update syntax}.
110 Windows users should enter these commands in a Command Prompt
111 window, which is usually found under
112 @code{Start > Accessories > Command Prompt}.
115 @node Command line options for convert-ly
116 @section Command line options for @command{convert-ly}
118 The program is invoked as follows:
121 convert-ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{filename}@dots{}
124 The following options can be given:
127 @item -d,--diff-version-update
128 update the @code{\version} to the latest or, if this is greater, do
132 Apply the conversions direct to the input file, modifying it
135 @item -f,--from=@var{from-patchlevel}
136 Set the version to convert from. If this is not set, @command{convert-ly}
137 will guess this, on the basis of @code{\version} strings in the file.
138 E.g. @option{--from=2.10.25}
143 @item -l @var{loglevel}, --loglevel=@var{loglevel}
144 Set the output verbosity to @var{loglevel}. Possible values, in upper
145 case, are @code{PROGRESS} (the default), @code{NONE}, @code{WARNING},
146 @code{ERROR} and @code{DEBUG}.
148 @item -n,--no-version
149 Normally, @command{convert-ly} adds a @code{\version} indicator
150 to the output. Specifying this option suppresses this.
152 @item -s, --show-rules
153 Show all known conversions and exit.
155 @item -t, --to=@var{to-patchlevel}
156 Explicitly set which @code{\version} to convert to, otherwise the
157 default is the most current value.
160 convert-ly --to=2.14.1 myfile.ly
165 To upgrade LilyPond fragments in texinfo files, use
168 convert-ly --from=... --to=... --no-version *.itely
171 To see the changes in the LilyPond syntax between two versions, use
174 convert-ly --from=... --to=... -s
178 @node Problems running convert-ly
179 @section Problems running @code{convert-ly}
181 When running convert-ly in a Command Prompt window under Windows
182 on a file which has spaces in the filename or in the path to it,
183 it is necessary to surround the entire input file name with three
184 (!) sets of double quotes:
187 convert-ly """D:/My Scores/Ode.ly""" > "D:/My Scores/new Ode.ly"
190 If the simple @command{convert-ly -e *.ly} command fails because the
191 expanded command line becomes too long, the @command{convert-ly}
192 command may be placed in a loop instead. This example for UNIX
193 will upgrade all @file{.ly} files in the current directory
196 for f in *.ly; do convert-ly -e $f; done;
199 In the Windows Command Prompt window the corresponding command is
202 for %x in (*.ly) do convert-ly -e """%x"""
205 Not all language changes are handled. Only one output option can be
206 specified. Automatically updating scheme and LilyPond scheme
207 interfaces is quite unlikely; be prepared to tweak scheme code
211 @node Manual conversions
212 @section Manual conversions
214 In theory, a program like @command{convert-ly} could handle any
215 syntax change. After all, a computer program interprets the old
216 version and the new version, so another computer program can
217 translate one file into another@footnote{At least, this is
218 possible in any LilyPond file which does not contain scheme. If
219 there is scheme in the file, then the LilyPond file contains a
220 Turing-complete language, and we run into problems with the famous
221 @qq{Halting Problem} in computer science.}.
223 However, the LilyPond project has limited resources: not all
224 conversions are performed automatically. Below is a list of known
230 Doesn't always convert figured bass correctly, specifically things like {<
231 >}. Mats' comment on working around this:
232 To be able to run convert-ly
233 on it, I first replaced all occurrences of '{<' to some dummy like '{#'
234 and similarly I replaced '>}' with '&}'. After the conversion, I could
235 then change back from '{ #' to '{ <' and from '& }' to '> }'.
236 Doesn't convert all text markup correctly. In the old markup syntax,
237 it was possible to group a number of markup commands together within
239 -#'((bold italic) "string")
240 This will incorrectly be converted into
241 -\markup{{\bold italic} "string"}
242 instead of the correct
243 -\markup{\bold \italic "string"}
245 Doesn't handle \partcombine
246 Doesn't do \addlyrics => \lyricsto, this breaks some scores with multiple
249 \magnify isn't changed to \fontsize.
250 - \magnify #m => \fontsize #f, where f = 6ln(m)/ln(2)
251 remove-tag isn't changed.
252 - \applyMusic #(remove-tag '. . .) => \keepWithTag #'. . .
253 first-page-number isn't changed.
254 - first-page-number no => print-first-page-number = ##f
255 Line breaks in header strings aren't converted.
256 - \\\\ as line break in \header strings => \markup \center-align <
257 "First Line" "Second Line" >
258 Crescendo and decrescendo terminators aren't converted.
262 \turnOff (used in \set Staff.VoltaBracket = \turnOff) is not properly
265 \markup{ \center-align <{ ... }> } should be converted to:
266 \markup{ \center-align {\line { ... }} }
267 but now, \line is missing.
269 Special LaTeX characters such as $~$ in text are not converted to UTF8.
271 \score{} must now begin with a music expression. Anything else
272 (particularly \header{}) must come after the music.