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 increase the @code{\version} string only if the file has actually
129 been changed. Without this option (or when any conversion has
130 changed the file), the version header reflects the last considered
134 Apply the conversions direct to the input file, modifying it
137 @item -f,--from=@var{from-patchlevel}
138 Set the version to convert from. If this is not set, @command{convert-ly}
139 will guess this, on the basis of @code{\version} strings in the file.
140 E.g. @option{--from=2.10.25}
145 @item -l @var{loglevel}, --loglevel=@var{loglevel}
146 Set the output verbosity to @var{loglevel}. Possible values, in upper
147 case, are @code{PROGRESS} (the default), @code{NONE}, @code{WARNING},
148 @code{ERROR} and @code{DEBUG}.
150 @item -n,--no-version
151 Normally, @command{convert-ly} adds a @code{\version} indicator
152 to the output. Specifying this option suppresses this.
154 @item -s, --show-rules
155 Show all known conversions and exit.
157 @item -t, --to=@var{to-patchlevel}
158 Explicitly set which @code{\version} to convert to, otherwise the
159 default is the most current value.
162 convert-ly --to=2.14.1 myfile.ly
167 To upgrade LilyPond fragments in texinfo files, use
170 convert-ly --from=@dots{} --to=@dots{} --no-version *.itely
173 To see the changes in the LilyPond syntax between two versions, use
176 convert-ly --from=@dots{} --to=@dots{} -s
180 @node Problems running convert-ly
181 @section Problems running @code{convert-ly}
183 When running convert-ly in a Command Prompt window under Windows
184 on a file which has spaces in the filename or in the path to it,
185 it is necessary to surround the entire input file name with three
186 (!) sets of double quotes:
189 convert-ly """D:/My Scores/Ode.ly""" > "D:/My Scores/new Ode.ly"
192 If the simple @command{convert-ly -e *.ly} command fails because the
193 expanded command line becomes too long, the @command{convert-ly}
194 command may be placed in a loop instead. This example for UNIX
195 will upgrade all @file{.ly} files in the current directory
198 for f in *.ly; do convert-ly -e $f; done;
201 In the Windows Command Prompt window the corresponding command is
204 for %x in (*.ly) do convert-ly -e """%x"""
207 Not all language changes are handled. Only one output option can be
208 specified. Automatically updating scheme and LilyPond scheme
209 interfaces is quite unlikely; be prepared to tweak scheme code
213 @node Manual conversions
214 @section Manual conversions
216 In theory, a program like @command{convert-ly} could handle any
217 syntax change. After all, a computer program interprets the old
218 version and the new version, so another computer program can
219 translate one file into another@footnote{At least, this is
220 possible in any LilyPond file which does not contain scheme. If
221 there is scheme in the file, then the LilyPond file contains a
222 Turing-complete language, and we run into problems with the famous
223 @qq{Halting Problem} in computer science.}.
225 However, the LilyPond project has limited resources: not all
226 conversions are performed automatically. Below is a list of known
232 Doesn't always convert figured bass correctly, specifically things like {<
233 >}. Mats' comment on working around this:
234 To be able to run convert-ly
235 on it, I first replaced all occurrences of '{<' to some dummy like '{#'
236 and similarly I replaced '>}' with '&}'. After the conversion, I could
237 then change back from '{ #' to '{ <' and from '& }' to '> }'.
238 Doesn't convert all text markup correctly. In the old markup syntax,
239 it was possible to group a number of markup commands together within
241 -#'((bold italic) "string")
242 This will incorrectly be converted into
243 -\markup{{\bold italic} "string"}
244 instead of the correct
245 -\markup{\bold \italic "string"}
247 Doesn't handle \partcombine
248 Doesn't do \addlyrics => \lyricsto, this breaks some scores with multiple
251 \magnify isn't changed to \fontsize.
252 - \magnify #m => \fontsize #f, where f = 6ln(m)/ln(2)
253 remove-tag isn't changed.
254 - \applyMusic #(remove-tag '. . .) => \keepWithTag #'. . .
255 first-page-number isn't changed.
256 - first-page-number no => print-first-page-number = ##f
257 Line breaks in header strings aren't converted.
258 - \\\\ as line break in \header strings => \markup \center-align <
259 "First Line" "Second Line" >
260 Crescendo and decrescendo terminators aren't converted.
264 \turnOff (used in \set Staff.VoltaBracket = \turnOff) is not properly
267 \markup{ \center-align <{ ... }> } should be converted to:
268 \markup{ \center-align {\line { ... }} }
269 but now, \line is missing.
271 Special LaTeX characters such as $~$ in text are not converted to UTF8.
273 \score{} must now begin with a music expression. Anything else
274 (particularly \header{}) must come after the music.