partial: 1.0.1.jcn

[lilypond.git] / Documentation / MANIFESTO.pod

diff --git a/Documentation/MANIFESTO.pod b/Documentation/MANIFESTO.pod
index 2ceaf525c1be5cdc2e216dc34927c4b3c883c241..58847a4d842c659ab75d8ca4997a2ac75c2a1572 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/MANIFESTO.pod
+++ b/Documentation/MANIFESTO.pod
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ GNU LilyPond was written with some considerations in mind:
 
 =over 4
 
+=item *
+
 Describing a well-defined language for defining music. We call
 this language (rather arrogantly) The Musical Definition Language
 (mudela for short). GNU LilyPond reads a mudela sourcefile and outputs a
@@ -17,7 +19,7 @@ TeX file.
 
 =item *
 
-We want to provide an easy-to-use interface for typesetting music in
+Providing an easy-to-use interface for typesetting music in
 its broadest sense. This interface should be intuitive from a musical
 point of view. By broadest sense we mean: it is designed for music
 printed left to right in staffs, using notes to designate rythm and
@@ -25,14 +27,14 @@ pitch.
 
 =item  *
 
-Generate high-quality output. Ideally it should be of a professional
+Generating high-quality output. Ideally it should be of a professional
 quality. We'd like to render Herbert Chlapiks words, "Fine music
 setting is not possible without a knowledgeable printer,"  untrue.
 
 =item *
 
-Make a  which system which fully tweakable. It should be possible to
-typeset a book on how not to typeset music. 
+Making a system which is fully tweakable. It should be possible to
+typeset a book on how not to typeset music.
 
 =back 
 
@@ -45,16 +47,18 @@ Further considerations while doing the programming
 
 =item *
 
-GNU LilyPond uses MusiXTeX fonts and TeX for its output. This is not a key
-issue: in a future version, GNU LilyPond might bypass TeX, but at the moment
-TeX is very convenient for producing output.
-
+GNU LilyPond uses TeX for its output. This is not a key issue: in a
+future version, GNU LilyPond might bypass TeX, but at the moment TeX
+is convenient for producing output.
 
 =item *
 
-GNU LilyPond does not display notes directly, nor will it be rehacked to be
-used interactively. GNU LilyPond writes output to a file.  It will not be
-extended to play music, or to recognize music.
+GNU LilyPond does not display notes directly, nor will it be rehacked
+to be used interactively. GNU LilyPond writes output to a file.  It
+will not be extended to play music, or to recognize music.
+
+[As an aside, I am contemplating to create a library for rendering
+music, which is "X-capable", so that others can create interactive tools]
 
 =item *
 
@@ -64,7 +68,8 @@ be portable to any platform which can run TeX and the GNU tools
 =item *
 
 GNU LilyPond is free. Commercial windows packages for setting music are
-abundant. Free musicprinting software is scarce.
+abundant. Free musicprinting software is scarce. For more thoughts on
+this, please consult the F<gnu-music> documentation.
 
 =item *
 
@@ -82,16 +87,22 @@ ongoing process, the most important criteria being:
 
 =item *
 
-define the (musical) message of the composer as unambiguously as possible,
+define the (musical) message of the composer as unambiguously as possible.
+
+This means that, given a piece Mudela, it should be possible for a
+program to play a reasonable interpretation of the piece.
+
+It also means that, given a piece of Mudela, it should be possible for a
+program to print a score of the piece.
 
 =item *
 
-be intuitive, and easily readable 
-(compared to, say, Musi*TeX input, or MIDI :-),
+be intuitive, and easily readable (compared to, say, Musi*TeX input,
+or MIDI :-),
 
 =item *
 
-be writable in ASCII with a simple texteditor, yfte(TM).
+be easily writable in ASCII with a simple texteditor
 
 =back
 
@@ -116,10 +127,9 @@ as well as the scores for all individual instruments,
 
 =item *
 
-provide simple musical manipulations, such as 
-S<(i) extracting> a slice of music from a previously defined piece, 
-S<(ii) extracting> only the rhythm from a piece of music, 
-S<(iii) transposing>, etc.,
+provide simple musical manipulations, such as S<(i) extracting> a
+slice of music from a previously defined piece, S<(ii) extracting>
+only the rhythm from a piece of music, S<(iii) transposing>, etc.,
 
 =item *
 
@@ -137,11 +147,11 @@ Musical pieces could be
 
 =item *
 
-Mahlerian orchestral scores,
+Orchestral scores, (eg Mahler)
 
 =item *
 
-piano pieces (Schubertian, Rachmaninovian),
+piano pieces (eg. Schubert, Rachmaninov),
 
 =item *
 
@@ -149,7 +159,7 @@ pop songs (lyrics and chords),
 
 =item *
 
-gregorian chants,
+Gregorian chants,
 
 =item *
 
@@ -157,6 +167,6 @@ Bach multivoice organ pieces,
 
 =item *
 
-short excerpts to be used in musicological publications.
+Short excerpts to be used in musicological publications.
 
 =back