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:
68 * You _must_ include a @seealso. The order of items inside the
71 Music glossary: @rglos{foo}, @rglos{bar}.
73 Learning Manual: @rlearning{baz}, @rlearning{foozle}
75 Notation Reference: @ruser{faazle}, @ruser{boo}.
77 Application Usage: @rprogram{blah}.
79 Installed files: @file{blahz}.
81 Snippets: @lsrdir{section}, @lsr{specific/example-name.ly}
83 Internals Reference: @internalsref{fazzle}, @internalsref{booar}.
85 ("Snippets" is REQUIRED; the others are optional)
87 * To create links, use @ref{} if the link is within the same
90 * @commonprop and @refbugs are optional.
92 * Do not include any real info in second-level sections (ie 1.1
93 Pitches). A first-level section may have introductory material,
94 but other than that all material goes into third-level sections
95 (ie 1.1.1 Writing Pitches).
98 %%%%% LILYPOND FORMATTING
100 * Use two spaces for indentation in lilypond examples. (no tabs)
102 * If possible, only write one bar per line. The notes on each
103 line should be an independent line.
105 \override textscript #'padding = #3 c1^"hi"
107 \override textscript #'padding = #3
110 * LilyPond input should be produce via
111 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,ragged-right]
112 with `fragment' and `relative=2' optional.
114 Examples about page layout may alter the quote/ragged-right
115 options. Omitting `verbatim' is not allowed.
117 * Inspirational headwords are produced with
118 @lilypondfile[ragged-right,line-width=16\cm,staffsize=16,quote]
119 {pitches-headword.ly}
121 * Avoid long stretches of input code. Noone is going to read them
122 in print. Instead refer to an example input file with @lsr{}.
124 * If you want to work on an example outside of the manual (for
125 easier/faster processing), use this header:
128 #(define dump-extents #t)
130 line-width = 160\mm - 2.0 * 0.4\in
132 force-assignment = #""
133 line-width = #(- line-width (* mm 3.000000))
139 You may not change any of these values. If you are making an
140 example demonstrating special \paper{} values, contact the
141 Documentation Editor.
144 %%%%% TEXT FORMATTING
146 * Lines should be less than 72 characters long. (I personally
147 recommend writing with 66-char lines, but don't bother modifying
150 * Do not use tabs. They expand to nothing in DVI output.
152 * Do not use spaces at the beginning of a line (except in @example
153 or @verbatim environments), and do not use more than a single
154 space between words. `makeinfo' copies the input lines verbatim
155 without removing those spaces.
157 * Use two spaces after a period.
159 * Variables or numbers which consist of a single character
160 (probably followed by a punctuation mark) should be tied
161 properly, either to the previous or the next word. Example:
163 The variable@tie{}@var{a} ...
165 * To get consistent indentation in the DVI output it is better to
166 avoid the @verbatim environment. Use the @example environment
167 instead if possible, but without extraneous indentation. For
176 should be replaced with
184 where `@example' starts the line (without leading spaces).
186 * Do not compress the input vertically; this is, do not use
188 Beginning of logical unit
192 continuation of logical unit
196 Beginning of logical unit
203 continuation of logical unit
205 This makes it easier to avoid forgetting the `@noindent'. Only
206 use @noindent if the material is discussing the same material;
207 new material should simply begin without anything special on the
210 * in @itemize use @item on a separate line like this:
218 Do not use @itemize @bullet.
220 * Specially-marked text:
222 @code{}: actual lilypond code or property/context names.
223 @samp{}: ditto, for single-letter code.
226 ** Any `\' used inside the commands below must be **
227 ** written as `\\'. Even if they are inside a @code{}. **
228 ( this should only affect @warning{} )
230 @notation{}: refers to pieces of notation, such as
231 "@notation{crescendo} is often abbreviated as
232 @notation{cresc.}" This should also be used to refer to
233 specific lyrics ("the @notation{A - men} is centered...")
234 @q{}: used for `vague' terms in English (and other natural
236 @qq{}: only for actual quotes -- i.e. "he said" or "she
238 @warning{}: produces a "Note: " box. Use for important
241 * References must occur at the end of a sentence, for more
242 information see @ref{the texinfo manual}. Ideally this should
243 also be the final sentence of a paragraph, but this is not
244 required. Any link in a doc section must be duplicated in the
245 @seealso section at the bottom.
247 * Introducing examples may be done with
248 . (ie finish the previous sentence/paragaph)
249 : (ie `in this example:')
250 , (ie `may add foo with the blah construct,')
255 * Non-ASCII characters which are in utf-8 should be directly used;
256 this is, don't say `Ba@ss{}tuba' but `Baßtuba'. This ensures that
257 all such characters appear in all output formats.
259 * Don't use a @ref{link to another section} in the middle of a
260 sentence. It looks ok in HTML, moderately bad in PDF, and
261 utterly horrible in INFO. Instead, reword the sentence so that
262 users are encouraged to see @ref{link to another section}.
263 (at the end of the sentence)
265 * Do not forget to create @cindex entries for new sections of text.
266 Enter commands with @funindex, i.e.
267 @cindex pitches, writing in different octaves
269 do not bother with the @code{} (they are added automatically). These
270 items are added to both the command index and the unified index.
272 Both index commands should go in front of the actual material.
274 * Abbrevs in caps, e.g., HTML, DVI, MIDI, etc.
278 1. To introduce lists
279 2. When beginning a quote: "So, he said,..."
280 This usage is rarer. Americans often just use a comma.
281 3. When adding a defining example at the end of a sentence.
284 %%%%% TECHNICAL WRITING STYLE
286 * Do not refer to LilyPond in the text. The reader knows what the
287 manual is about. If you do, capitalization is LilyPond.
289 * If you explicitly refer to `lilypond' the program (or any other
290 command to be executed), say `@command{lilypond}'.
292 * Do not explicitly refer to the reader/user. There is no one
293 else besides the reader and the writer.
295 * Do not use abbreviations (don't, won't, etc.). If you do, use a
298 blabla blabla, i.e., blabla blabla
300 * Avoid fluff (``Notice that,'' ``as you can see,''
303 * The use of the word `illegal' is inappropriate in most cases.
304 Say `invalid' instead.
309 * sectioning commands (@node and @section) must not appear inside
310 an @ignore. Separate those commands with a space, ie @n ode.