-@c -*-texinfo-*-
+@c -*- coding: latin-1; mode: texinfo; -*-
@node Converting from other formats
@chapter Converting from other formats
* Invoking midi2ly:: Importing MIDI.
* Invoking etf2ly:: Importing Finale.
* Invoking abc2ly:: Importing ABC.
-* Invoking musedata2ly:: Importing Musedata.
* Invoking mup2ly:: Importing MUP.
+* Other formats::
@end menu
@node Invoking convert-ly
@section Invoking convert-ly
-Convert-ly sequentially applies different conversions to upgrade a
-LilyPond input file. It uses @code{\version} statements in the file to
-detect the old version number. For example, to upgrade all LilyPond
-files in the current directory and its subdirectories, use
+The syntax is regularly changed to simplify it or improve it in
+different ways. A side effect of this, is that LilyPond often is not
+compatible with older files. To remedy this, the program convert-ly
+can be used to deal with most of the syntax changes.
+
+It uses @code{\version} statements in the file to detect the old
+version number. For example, to upgrade all LilyPond files in the
+current directory and its subdirectories, enter the following on the
+command line.
+
@example
convert-ly -e --to=1.3.150 `find . -name '*.ly' -print`
@end example
Print usage help.
@end table
-
+convert-ly always converts up to the last syntax change handled by
+it. This means that the @code{\version} number left in the file is
+usually lower than the version of convert-ly itself.
@refbugs
instruments: it specifies cabling, a serial protocol and a file
format. The MIDI file format is a de facto standard format for
exporting music from other programs, so this capability may come in
-useful when you want to import files from a program that has no
-converter for its native format.
+useful when importing files from a program that has convertor for a
+direct format.
Midi2ly will convert tracks into @internalsref{Staff} and
channels into @internalsref{Voice} contexts. Relative mode is used
It is possible to record a MIDI file using a digital keyboard, and
then convert it to @file{.ly}. However, human players are not
rhythmically exact enough to make a MIDI to LY conversion trivial.
-midi2ly tries to compensate for these timing errors, but is not very
-good at this. It is therefore not recommended to use midi2ly for
+When invoked with quantizing (@code{-s} and @code{-d} options) midi2ly
+tries to compensate for these timing errors, but is not very good at
+this. It is therefore not recommended to use midi2ly for
human-generated midi files.
-Hackers who know about signal processing are invited to write a more
-robust midi2ly. midi2ly is written in Python, using a module written in
-C to parse the MIDI files.
-It is invoked as follows:
+It is invoked from the command-line as follows,
@example
- midi2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{midi-file}
+midi2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{midi-file}
@end example
-The following options are supported by midi2ly:
+
+The following options are supported by midi2ly.
@table @code
@item -a, --absolute-pitches
@refbugs
-
-Quantizing start-times and durations should be recommended.
-This relates to the notes regarding the transcription of a MIDI
-recording of a performance. I realize it can be done via the utility,
-but a sequencer gives better visual feedback.
-
-Overlapping notes in an arpeggio will not be correctly
-rendered. The first note will be read and the others will be ignored.
-Set them all to a single duration and add phrase markings or pedal
-indicators.
+Overlapping notes in an arpeggio will not be correctly rendered. The
+first note will be read and the others will be ignored. Set them all
+to a single duration and add phrase markings or pedal indicators.
@node Invoking etf2ly
Technology's Finale product. etf2ly will convert part of an ETF
file to a ready-to-use LilyPond file.
-It is invoked as follows:
+It is invoked from the command-line as follows.
@example
etf2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{etf-file}
@end example
@refbugs
-The list of articulation scripts is incomplete. Empty measures confuse
-etf2ly. Sequences of grace notes are ended improperly sometimes.
+The list of articulation scripts is incomplete. Empty measures
+confuse etf2ly. Sequences of grace notes are ended improperly.
@node Invoking abc2ly
abc2ly ignores the ABC beaming.
-@node Invoking musedata2ly
-@section Invoking musedata2ly
-
-@cindex MuseData
-@cindex CCARH
-
-@uref{http://www.musedata.org/,MuseData} is an electronic library of
-classical music scores, comprising at the time of writing about 800
-composition dating from 1700 to 1825. The music is encoded in
-so-called MuseData format. musedata2ly converts a set of MuseData
-files to one .ly file, and will include a @code{\header} field if a
-@file{.ref} file is supplied. It is invoked as follows:
-
-@example
- musedata2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{musedata-files}
-@end example
-
-The following options are supported by musedata2ly:
-
-@table @code
-@item -h,--help
-print help
-@item -o,--output=@var{file}
-set output filename to @var{file}
-@item -v,--version
-version information
-@item -r,--ref=@var{reffile}
- read background information from ref-file
-@var{reffile}
-@end table
-
-@refbugs
-
-@file{musedata2ly} converts only a small subset of MuseData.
@node Invoking mup2ly
@section Invoking mup2ly
@cindex Mup
@cindex Arkkra
+It is invoked from the command-line as follows.
@example
mup2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{mup-file}
@end example
converted.
+@node Other formats
+@section Other formats
+
+LilyPond itself does not come with support for other formats, but
+there are also external tools that generate LilyPond files.
+
+These tools include
+http://denemo.sourceforge.net/
+@itemize @bullet
+@item @uref{http://www.nongnu.org/xml2ly/, xml2ly}, that imports
+@uref{http://www.musicxml.com/,MusicXML}
+@item
+@uref{http://rnvs.informatik.tu-chemnitz.de/~jan/noteedit/noteedit.html,NoteEdit}
+which imports MusicXML
+@item @uref{http://www.all-day-breakfast.com/rosegarden/,Rosegarden},
+which imports MIDI
+@end itemize
projects / lilypond.git / blobdiff