7 There are four parts to the documentation: the Learning Manual,
8 the Notation Reference, the Program Reference, and the Music
11 * Learning Manual: long, chatty, friendly explanations go here.
12 This is aimed at users learning something for the first time --
13 not necessarily just learning lilypond notation, but also things
14 like learning how to deal with projects, tweaking, preparing parts
15 for orchestras, etc. Less formal language may be used here.
17 Users are encouraged to read the complete Learning Manual from
21 * Notation Reference: a (hopefully complete) description of
22 LilyPond input notation. Some material from here may be
23 duplicated in the Learning Manual (for teaching). The material is
24 presented in an approximate order of increasing difficulty, but
25 the goal is _not_ to provide a step-by-step learning environment.
26 For example, all material under "Pitches" should remain in that
27 section, even though microtonal accidentals may seem more advanced
28 than info about clefs or time signatures -- "Pitches" should be a
29 one-stop reference about the pitch portion of notes. This section
30 is written in formal technical writing style.
32 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
33 However, they should be familiar with the material in the Learning
34 Manual (particularly ``Fundamental Concepts''), so do not repeat
35 that material in this book. Also, you should assume that users
36 know what the notation means; explaining musical concepts happens
37 in the Music Glossary.
40 * Application Usage: information about using the program lilypond
41 with other programs (lilypond-book, operating systems, GUIs,
42 convert-ly, etc). This section is written in formal technical
45 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
48 * Music Glossary: information about the music notation itself.
49 Explainations and translations about notation terms go here.
51 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
53 * Internals Reference: not really a documentation book, since it
54 is automagically generated from the source, but this is its
58 %%%%% SECTION ORGANIZATION
60 The order of headings inside documentation sections should be:
67 * You _must_ include a @seealso. The order of items inside the
70 Music glossary: @rglos{foo}, @rglos{bar}.
72 Learning Manual: @rlearning{baz}, @rlearning{foozle}
74 Notation Reference: @ruser{faazle}, @ruser{boo}.
76 Application Usage: @rprogram{blah}.
78 Installed files: @file{blahz}.
80 Snippets: @lsrdir{section}, @lsr{specific/example-name.ly}
82 Internals Reference: @internalsref{fazzle}, @internalsref{booar}.
84 ("Snippets" is REQUIRED; the others are optional)
86 * To create links, use @ref{} if the link is within the same
89 * @commonprop and @refbugs are optional.
91 * Do not include any real info in second-level sections (ie 1.1
92 Pitches). A first-level section may have introductory material,
93 but other than that all material goes into third-level sections
94 (ie 1.1.1 Writing Pitches).
97 %%%%% LILYPOND FORMATTING
99 * Use two spaces for indentation in lilypond examples. (no tabs)
101 * If possible, only write one bar per line. The notes on each
102 line should be an independent line.
104 \override textscript #'padding = #3 c1^"hi"
106 \override textscript #'padding = #3
109 * LilyPond input should be produce via
110 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,ragged-right]
111 with `fragment' and `relative=2' optional.
113 Examples about page layout may alter the quote/ragged-right
114 options. Omitting `verbatim' is not allowed.
116 * Inspirational headwords are produced with
117 @lilypondfile[ragged-right,line-width=16\cm,staffsize=16,quote]
118 {pitches-headword.ly}
120 * Avoid long stretches of input code. Noone is going to read them
121 in print. Instead refer to an example input file with @lsr{}.
123 * If you want to work on an example outside of the manual (for
124 easier/faster processing), use this header:
127 #(define dump-extents #t)
129 line-width = 160\mm - 2.0 * 0.4\in
131 force-assignment = #""
132 line-width = #(- line-width (* mm 3.000000))
138 You may not change any of these values. If you are making an
139 example demonstrating special \paper{} values, contact the
140 Documentation Editor.
143 %%%%% TEXT FORMATTING
145 * Lines should be less than 72 characters long. (I personally
146 recommend writing with 66-char lines, but don't bother modifying
149 * Do not use tabs. They expand to nothing in DVI output.
151 * Do not use spaces at the beginning of a line (except in @example
152 or @verbatim environments), and do not use more than a single
153 space between words. `makeinfo' copies the input lines verbatim
154 without removing those spaces.
156 * Use two spaces after a period.
158 * Variables or numbers which consist of a single character
159 (probably followed by a punctuation mark) should be tied
160 properly, either to the previous or the next word. Example:
162 The variable@tie{}@var{a} ...
164 * To get consistent indentation in the DVI output it is better to
165 avoid the @verbatim environment. Use the @example environment
166 instead if possible, but without extraneous indentation. For
175 should be replaced with
183 where `@example' starts the line (without leading spaces).
185 * Do not compress the input vertically; this is, do not use
187 Beginning of logical unit
191 continuation of logical unit
195 Beginning of logical unit
202 continuation of logical unit
204 This makes it easier to avoid forgetting the `@noindent'. Only
205 use @noindent if the material is discussing the same material;
206 new material should simply begin without anything special on the
209 * in @itemize use @item on a separate line like this:
217 Do not use @itemize @bullet.
219 * Specially-marked text:
221 @code{}: actual lilypond code or property/context names.
222 @samp{}: ditto, for single-letter code.
225 ** Any `\' used inside the commands below must be **
226 ** written as `\\'. Even if they are inside a @code{}. **
227 ( this should only affect @warning{} )
229 @notation{}: refers to pieces of notation, such as
230 "@notation{crescendo} is often abbreviated as
231 @notation{cresc.}" This should also be used to refer to
232 specific lyrics ("the @notation{A - men} is centered...")
233 @q{}: used for `vague' terms in English (and other natural
235 @qq{}: only for actual quotes -- i.e. "he said" or "she
237 @warning{}: produces a "Note: " box. Use for important
240 * References must occur at the end of a sentence, for more
241 information see @ref{the texinfo manual}. Ideally this should
242 also be the final sentence of a paragraph, but this is not
243 required. Any link in a doc section must be duplicated in the
244 @seealso section at the bottom.
246 * Introducing examples may be done with
247 . (ie finish the previous sentence/paragaph)
248 : (ie `in this example:')
249 , (ie `may add foo with the blah construct,')
254 * Non-ASCII characters which are in utf-8 should be directly used;
255 this is, don't say `Ba@ss{}tuba' but `Baßtuba'. This ensures that
256 all such characters appear in all output formats.
258 * Don't use a @ref{link to another section} in the middle of a
259 sentence. It looks ok in HTML, moderately bad in PDF, and
260 utterly horrible in INFO. Instead, reword the sentence so that
261 users are encouraged to see @ref{link to another section}.
262 (at the end of the sentence)
264 * Do not forget to create @cindex entries for new sections of text.
265 Enter commands with @funindex, i.e.
266 @cindex pitches, writing in different octaves
268 do not bother with the @code{} (they are added automatically). These
269 items are added to both the command index and the unified index.
271 Both index commands should go in front of the actual material.
273 * Abbrevs in caps, e.g., HTML, DVI, MIDI, etc.
277 1. To introduce lists
278 2. When beginning a quote: "So, he said,..."
279 This usage is rarer. Americans often just use a comma.
280 3. When adding a defining example at the end of a sentence.
283 %%%%% TECHNICAL WRITING STYLE
285 * Do not refer to LilyPond in the text. The reader knows what the
286 manual is about. If you do, capitalization is LilyPond.
288 * If you explicitly refer to `lilypond' the program (or any other
289 command to be executed), say `@command{lilypond}'.
291 * Do not explicitly refer to the reader/user. There is no one
292 else besides the reader and the writer.
294 * Do not use abbreviations (don't, won't, etc.). If you do, use a
297 blabla blabla, i.e., blabla blabla
299 * Avoid fluff (``Notice that,'' ``as you can see,''
302 * The use of the word `illegal' is inappropriate in most cases.
303 Say `invalid' instead.
308 * sectioning commands (@node and @section) must not appear inside
309 an @ignore. Separate those commands with a space, ie @n ode.