+
+@node Distances and measurements
+@subsection Distances and measurements
+
+DISCUSS after working on other sections.
+
+TODO: staff spaces. Maybe move into tweaks?
+
+
+@node Spanners
+@subsection Spanners
+
+Many objects of musical notation extend over several notes or even
+several bars. Examples are crescendi, trills, tuplet brackets, and
+volta repeat brackets. Such objects are called @qq{spanners}, and
+have special properties to control their appearance and behaviour.
+Some of these properties are common to all spanners; others are
+restricted to a sub-set of the spanners.
+
+
+@node Common properties
+@section Common properties
+
+@menu
+* Controlling visibility of objects::
+* Line styles::
+* Rotating objects::
+* Aligning objects::
+@end menu
+
+@node Controlling visibility of objects
+@subsection Controlling visibility of objects
+
+
+@node Line styles
+@subsection Line styles
+
+@c TODO: split the following explanations between expressive marks and
+@c text-related stuff. Perhaps create a new subsection named
+@c "Spanner limits", "Spanner boundaries"? -vv
+
+Some performance indications, e.g., @i{rallentando} and
+@i{accelerando} and @i{trills} are written as text and are
+extended over many measures with lines, sometimes dotted or wavy.
+
+These all use the same routines as the glissando for drawing the
+texts and the lines, and tuning their behavior is therefore also
+done in the same way. It is done with a spanner, and the routine
+responsible for drawing the spanners is
+@code{ly:line-interface::print}. This routine determines the
+exact location of the two @i{span points} and draws a line in
+between, in the style requested.
+
+Here is an example of the different line styles available, and how
+to tune them.
+
+@lilypond[relative=2,ragged-right,verbatim,fragment]
+d2 \glissando d'2
+\once \override Glissando #'style = #'dashed-line
+d,2 \glissando d'2
+\override Glissando #'style = #'dotted-line
+d,2 \glissando d'2
+\override Glissando #'style = #'zigzag
+d,2 \glissando d'2
+\override Glissando #'style = #'trill
+d,2 \glissando d'2
+@end lilypond
+
+The information that determines the end-points is computed
+on-the-fly for every graphic object, but it is possible to
+override these.
+
+@lilypond[relative=2,ragged-right,verbatim,fragment]
+e2 \glissando f
+\once \override Glissando #'bound-details #'right #'Y = #-2
+e2 \glissando f
+@end lilypond
+
+The @code{Glissando} object, like any other using the
+@code{ly:line-interface::print} routine, carries a nested
+association list. In the above statement, the value for @code{Y}
+is set to @code{-2} for the association list corresponding to the
+right end point. Of course, it is also possible to adjust the
+left side with @code{left} instead of @code{right}.
+
+If @code{Y} is not set, the value is computed from the vertical
+position of right attachment point of the spanner.
+
+In case of a line break, the values for the span-points are
+extended with contents of the @code{left-broken} and
+@code{right-broken} sublists, for example
+
+@lilypond[relative=2,ragged-right,verbatim,fragment]
+\override Glissando #'breakable = ##T
+\override Glissando #'bound-details #'right-broken #'Y = #-3
+c1 \glissando \break
+f1
+@end lilypond
+
+The following properties can be used for the
+
+@table @code
+@item Y
+This sets the Y-coordinate of the end point, in staff space. By
+default, it is the center of the bound object, so for a glissando
+it points to the vertical center of the note head.
+
+For horizontal spanners, such as text spanner and trill spanners,
+it is hardcoded to 0.
+
+@item attach-dir
+This determines where the line starts and ends in X-direction,
+relative to the bound object. So, a value of @code{-1} (or
+@code{LEFT}) makes the line start/end at the left side of the note
+head it is attached to.
+
+@item X
+This is the absolute coordinate of the end point. It is usually
+computed on the fly, and there is little use in overriding it.
+
+@item stencil
+Line spanners may have symbols at the beginning or end, which is
+contained in this sub-property. This is for internal use, it is
+recommended to use @code{text}.
+
+@item text
+This is a markup that is evaluated to yield stencil. It is used
+to put @i{cresc.} and @i{tr} on horizontal spanners.
+
+@lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,relative=2,verbatim]
+\override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left #'text
+ = \markup { \small \bold Slower }
+c2\startTextSpan b c a\stopTextSpan
+@end lilypond
+
+@item stencil-align-dir-y
+@item stencil-offset
+Without setting this, the stencil is simply put there at the
+end-point, as defined by the @code{X} and @code{Y} sub properties.
+Setting either @code{stencil-align-dir-y} or @code{stencil-offset}
+will move the symbol at the edge relative to the end point of the
+line
+
+@lilypond[relative=1,fragment,verbatim]
+\override TextSpanner #'bound-details
+ #'left #'stencil-align-dir-y = #DOWN
+\override TextSpanner #'bound-details
+ #'right #'stencil-align-dir-y = #UP
+
+\override TextSpanner #'bound-details
+ #'left #'text = #"gggg"
+\override TextSpanner #'bound-details
+ #'right #'text = #"hhhh"
+c4^\startTextSpan c c c \stopTextSpan
+@end lilypond
+
+@item arrow
+Setting this sub property to @code{#t} produce an arrowhead at the
+end of the line.
+
+@item padding
+This sub property controls the space between the specified
+end-point of the line and the actual end. Without padding, a
+glissando would start and end in the center of each note head.
+
+@end table
+
+FIXME: should this be in NR 3?
+
+The music function \endSpanners terminates spanners and hairpins
+after exactly one note.
+
+@lilypond[verbatim,quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment]
+\endSpanners
+c2 \startTextSpan c2
+c2 \< c2
+@end lilypond
+
+When using \endSpanners it is not necessary to close
+\startTextSpan with \stopTextSpan, nor is it necessary to close
+hairpins with \!.
+
+
+
+@seealso
+
+Internals Reference: @rinternals{TextSpanner},
+@rinternals{Glissando}, @rinternals{VoiceFollower},
+@rinternals{TrillSpanner},
+@rinternals{line-spanner-interface}.
+
+
+@node Rotating objects
+@subsection Rotating objects
+
+@node Aligning objects
+@subsection Aligning objects
+
+
+@node Advanced tweaks
+@section Advanced tweaks
+
+@menu
+* Vertical grouping of grobs::
+* Modifying ends of spanners::
+* Modifying stencils::
+@end menu
+
+
+
+
+@node Vertical grouping of grobs
+@subsection Vertical grouping of grobs
+
+The VerticalAlignment and VerticalAxisGroup grobs work together.
+VerticalAxisGroup groups together different grobs like Staff, Lyrics,
+etc. VerticalAlignment then vertically aligns the different grobs
+grouped together by VerticalAxisGroup. There is usually only one
+VerticalAlignment per score but every Staff, Lyrics, etc. has its own
+VerticalAxisGroup.
+
+
+@node Modifying ends of spanners
+@subsection Modifying ends of spanners
+
+
+@node Modifying stencils
+@subsection Modifying stencils
+
+
+
+@node old The \override command
+@section old The @code{\override} command
+
+In the previous section, we have already touched on a command that
+changes layout details: the @code{\override} command. In this section,
+we will look in more detail at how to use the command in practice. The
+general syntax of this command is: