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{}
125 The following options can be given:
129 Apply the conversions direct to the input file, modifying it
132 @item -f,--from=@var{from-patchlevel}
133 Set the version to convert from. If this is not set, @command{convert-ly}
134 will guess this, on the basis of @code{\version} strings in the file.
135 E.g. @code{--from=2.10.25}
137 @item -n,--no-version
138 Normally, @command{convert-ly} adds a @code{\version} indicator
139 to the output. Specifying this option suppresses this.
141 @item -s, --show-rules
142 Show all known conversions and exit.
144 @item --to=@var{to-patchlevel}
145 Set the goal version of the conversion. It defaults to the latest
146 available version. E.g. @code{--to=2.12.2}
152 To upgrade LilyPond fragments in texinfo files, use
155 convert-ly --from=... --to=... --no-version *.itely
158 To see the changes in the LilyPond syntax between two versions, use
161 convert-ly --from=... --to=... -s
165 @node Problems running convert-ly
166 @section Problems running @code{convert-ly}
168 When running convert-ly in a Command Prompt window under Windows
169 on a file which has spaces in the filename or in the path to it,
170 it is necessary to surround the entire input file name with three
171 (!) sets of double quotes:
174 convert-ly """D:/My Scores/Ode.ly""" > "D:/My Scores/new Ode.ly"
177 If the simple @command{convert-ly -e *.ly} command fails because the
178 expanded command line becomes too long, the @command{convert-ly}
179 command may be placed in a loop instead. This example for UNIX
180 will upgrade all @file{.ly} files in the current directory
183 for f in *.ly; do convert-ly -e $f; done;
186 In the Windows Command Prompt window the corresponding command is
189 for %x in (*.ly) do convert-ly -e """%x"""
192 Not all language changes are handled. Only one output option can be
193 specified. Automatically updating scheme and LilyPond scheme
194 interfaces is quite unlikely; be prepared to tweak scheme code
198 @node Manual conversions
199 @section Manual conversions
201 In theory, a program like @command{convert-ly} could handle any
202 syntax change. After all, a computer program interprets the old
203 version and the new version, so another computer program can
204 translate one file into another@footnote{At least, this is
205 possible in any LilyPond file which does not contain scheme. If
206 there is scheme in the file, then the LilyPond file contains a
207 Turing-complete language, and we run into problems with the famous
208 @qq{Halting Problem} in computer science.}.
210 However, the LilyPond project has limited resources: not all
211 conversions are performed automatically. Below is a list of known
217 Doesn't always convert figured bass correctly, specifically things like {<
218 >}. Mats' comment on working around this:
219 To be able to run convert-ly
220 on it, I first replaced all occurrences of '{<' to some dummy like '{#'
221 and similarly I replaced '>}' with '&}'. After the conversion, I could
222 then change back from '{ #' to '{ <' and from '& }' to '> }'.
223 Doesn't convert all text markup correctly. In the old markup syntax,
224 it was possible to group a number of markup commands together within
226 -#'((bold italic) "string")
227 This will incorrectly be converted into
228 -\markup{{\bold italic} "string"}
229 instead of the correct
230 -\markup{\bold \italic "string"}
232 Doesn't handle \partcombine
233 Doesn't do \addlyrics => \lyricsto, this breaks some scores with multiple
236 \magnify isn't changed to \fontsize.
237 - \magnify #m => \fontsize #f, where f = 6ln(m)/ln(2)
238 remove-tag isn't changed.
239 - \applyMusic #(remove-tag '. . .) => \keepWithTag #'. . .
240 first-page-number isn't changed.
241 - first-page-number no => print-first-page-number = ##f
242 Line breaks in header strings aren't converted.
243 - \\\\ as line break in \header strings => \markup \center-align <
244 "First Line" "Second Line" >
245 Crescendo and decrescendo terminators aren't converted.
249 \turnOff (used in \set Staff.VoltaBracket = \turnOff) is not properly
252 \markup{ \center-align <{ ... }> } should be converted to:
253 \markup{ \center-align {\line { ... }} }
254 but now, \line is missing.
256 Special LaTeX characters such as $~$ in text are not converted to UTF8.
258 \score{} must now begin with a music expression. Anything else
259 (particularly \header{}) must come after the music.