1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @node Documentation work
3 @chapter Documentation work
5 There are currently 11 manuals for LilyPond, not including the
6 translations. Each book is available in HTML, PDF, and info. The
7 documentation is written in a language called @code{texinfo} --
8 this allows us to generate different output formats from a single
11 To organize multiple authors working on the documentation, we use a
12 Version Control System (VCS) called git, previously discussed in
13 @ref{Starting with Git}.
16 * Introduction to documentation work::
17 * version in documentation files::
18 * Documentation suggestions::
19 * Texinfo introduction and usage policy::
20 * Documentation policy::
21 * Tips for writing docs::
22 * Scripts to ease doc work::
23 * Docstrings in scheme::
24 * Translating the documentation::
28 @node Introduction to documentation work
29 @section Introduction to documentation work
31 Our documentation tries to adhere to our @ref{Documentation
32 policy}. This policy contains a few items which may seem odd.
33 One policy in particular is often questioned by potential
34 contributors: we do not repeat material in the Notation Reference,
35 and instead provide links to the @qq{definitive} presentation of
36 that information. Some people point out, with good reason, that
37 this makes the documentation harder to read. If we repeated
38 certain information in relevant places, readers would be less
39 likely to miss that information.
41 That reasoning is sound, but we have two counter-arguments.
42 First, the Notation Reference -- one of @emph{five} manuals for
43 users to read -- is already over 500 pages long. If we repeated
44 material, we could easily exceed 1000 pages! Second, and much
45 more importantly, LilyPond is an evolving project. New features
46 are added, bugs are fixed, and bugs are discovered and documented.
47 If features are discussed in multiple places, the documentation
48 team must find every instance. Since the manual is so large, it
49 is impossible for one person to have the location of every piece
50 of information memorized, so any attempt to update the
51 documentation will invariably omit a few places. This second
52 concern is not at all theoretical; the documentation used to be
53 plagued with inconsistent information.
55 If the documentation were targeted for a specific version -- say,
56 LilyPond 2.10.5 -- and we had unlimited resources to spend on
57 documentation, then we could avoid this second problem. But since
58 LilyPond evolves (and that is a very good thing!), and since we
59 have quite limited resources, this policy remains in place.
61 A few other policies (such as not permitting the use of tweaks in
62 the main portion of NR 1+2) may also seem counter-intuitive, but
63 they also stem from attempting to find the most effective use of
64 limited documentation help.
66 Before undertaking any large documentation work, contributors are
67 encouraged to contact the @ref{Meisters, Documentation Meister}.
70 @node version in documentation files
71 @section @code{\version} in documentation files
73 Every documentation file which includes LilyPond code must begin
74 with a @code{\version} statement, since the build procedure
75 explicitly tests for its presence and will not continue otherwise.
76 The @code{\version} statement should reference a version of LilyPond
77 consistent with the syntax of the contained code.
79 Since the @code{\version} statement is not valid Texinfo input it
80 must be commented out like this:
86 So, if you are adding LilyPond code which is not consistent with the
87 current version header, you should
92 run convert-ly on the file using the latest version of LilyPond
93 (which should, if everybody has done proper maintenance, not change
100 modify the version number to match the new code.
105 @node Documentation suggestions
106 @section Documentation suggestions
108 @subheading Small additions
110 For additions to the documentation,
115 Tell us where the addition should be placed. Please include both
116 the section number and title (i.e. "LM 2.13 Printing lyrics").
119 Please write exact changes to the text.
122 A formal patch to the source code is @emph{not} required; we can
123 take care of the technical details.
126 Send the suggestions to the @code{bug-lilypond} mailing list as
127 discussed in @rweb{Contact}.
130 Here is an example of a perfect documentation report:
133 To: bug-lilypond@gnu.org
134 From: helpful-user@example.net
135 Subject: doc addition
137 In LM 2.13 (printing lyrics), above the last line ("More options,
138 like..."), please add:
141 To add lyrics to a divided part, use blah blah blah. For example,
144 \notes {blah <<blah>> }
145 \lyrics {blah <<blah>> }
150 In addition, the second sentence of the first paragraph is
151 confusing. Please delete that sentence (it begins "Users
152 often...") and replace it with this:
154 To align lyrics with something, do this thing.
164 @subheading Larger contributions
166 To replace large sections of the documentation, the guidelines are
167 stricter. We cannot remove parts of the current documentation
168 unless we are certain that the new version is an improvement.
173 Ask on the lilypond-devel mailing list if such a rewrite is necessary;
174 somebody else might already be working on this issue!
177 Split your work into small sections; this makes it much easier to
178 compare the new and old documentation.
181 Please prepare a formal git patch.
185 @subheading Contributions that contain examples using overrides
187 Examples that use overrides, tweaks, customer Scheme functions etc. are
188 (with very few exceptions) not included in the main text of the manuals;
189 as there would be far too many, equally useful, candidates.
191 The correct way is to submit your example, with appropriate explanatory
192 text and tags, to the LilyPond Snippet Repository (LSR). Snippets that
193 have the @qq{docs} tag can then be easily added as a
194 @emph{selected snippet} in the documentation. It will also appear
195 automatically in the Snippets lists. See @ref{Introduction to LSR}.
197 Snippets that @emph{don't} have the @qq{docs} tag will still be
198 searchable and viewable within the LSR, but will be not be included in
199 the Snippets list or be able to be included as part of the main
202 Generally, any new snippets that have the @qq{docs} tag are more
203 carefully checked for syntax and formatting.
205 @subheading Announcing your snippet
207 Once you have followed these guidelines, please send a message to
208 lilypond-devel with your documentation submissions. Unfortunately
209 there is a strict @q{no top-posting} check on the mailing list; to avoid
212 @code{> I'm not top posting}
214 (you must include the > ) to the top of your documentation addition.
216 We may edit your suggestion for spelling, grammar, or style, and we may
217 not place the material exactly where you suggested, but if you give us
218 some material to work with, we can improve the manual much faster.
220 Thanks for your interest!
223 @node Texinfo introduction and usage policy
224 @section Texinfo introduction and usage policy
227 * Texinfo introduction::
228 * Documentation files::
229 * Sectioning commands::
230 * LilyPond formatting::
233 * Other text concerns::
237 @node Texinfo introduction
238 @subsection Texinfo introduction
240 The language is called Texinfo; you can see its manual here:
242 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/}
244 However, you don't need to read those docs. The most important
245 thing to notice is that text is text. If you see a mistake in the
246 text, you can fix it. If you want to change the order of
247 something, you can cut-and-paste that stuff into a new location.
249 @warning{Rule of thumb: follow the examples in the existing docs.
250 You can learn most of what you need to know from this; if you want
251 to do anything fancy, discuss it on @code{lilypond-devel} first.}
254 @node Documentation files
255 @subsection Documentation files
257 All manuals live in @file{Documentation/}.
259 In particular, there are four user manuals, their respective master
260 source files are @file{learning.tely} (LM, Learning Manual),
261 @file{notation.tely} (NR, Notation Reference),
262 @file{music-glossary.tely} (MG, Music Glossary), and
263 @file{lilypond-program} (AU). Each chapter is written in a separate
264 file, ending in @file{.itely} for files containing lilypond code, and
265 @file{.itexi} for files without lilypond code, located in a subdirectory
266 associated to the manual (@file{learning/} for @file{learning.tely}, and
267 so on); list the subdirectory of each manual to determine the filename
268 of the specific chapter you wish to modify.
270 Developer manuals live in @file{Documentation/} too. Currently there is
271 only one: the Contributor's Guide @file{contrib-guide.texi} you are
274 Snippet files are part of documentation, and the Snippet List (SL) lives
275 in @file{Documentation/} just like the manuals. For information about
276 how to modify the snippet files and SL, see @ref{LSR work}.
279 @node Sectioning commands
280 @subsection Sectioning commands
282 The Notation Reference uses section headings at four, occasionally
287 @item Level 1: @@chapter
288 @item Level 2: @@section
289 @item Level 3: @@subsection
290 @item Level 4: @@unnumberedsubsubsec
291 @item Level 5: @@subsubsubheading
294 The first three levels are numbered in html, the last two are not.
295 Numbered sections correspond to a single html page in the split html
298 The first four levels always have accompanying nodes so they can be
299 referenced and are also included in the ToC in html.
301 Most of the manual is written at level 4 under headings created with
305 @@unnumberedsubsubsec Foo
308 Level 3 subsections are created with
315 Level 4 headings and menus must be preceded by level 3 headings and
316 menus, and so on for level 3 and level 2. If this is not what is
320 @@subsubsubheading Foo
323 Please leave two blank lines above a @code{@@node}; this makes it
324 easier to find sections in texinfo.
326 Do not use any @code{@@} commands for a @code{@@node}. They may be
327 used for any @code{@@sub...} sections or headings however.
331 @@node @@code@{Foo@} Bar
332 @@subsection @@code@{Foo@} Bar
336 @@subsection @@code@{Foo@} Bar
339 No punctuation may be used in the node names. If the heading text
340 uses punctuation (in particular, colons and commas) simply leave
341 this out of the node name and menu.
349 @@subsection Foo: Bar
352 Backslashes must not be used in node names or section headings.
353 If the heading text should include a backslash simply leave this
354 out of the node name and menu and replace it with @code{@@bs@{@}}
362 @@node The set command
363 @@subsection The @@code@{@@bs@{@}set@} command
366 References to such a node may use the third argument of the
367 @code{@@ref} command to display the texually correct heading.
370 @@ref@{The set command,,The @@code@{@@bs@{@}set command@}
373 With the exception of @code{@@} commands, @code{\} commands and
374 punctuation, the section name should match the node name exactly.
376 Sectioning commands (@code{@@node} and @code{@@section}) must not appear
377 inside an @code{@@ignore}. Separate those commands with a space, ie
378 @code{@@n}@tie{}@code{ode}.
380 Nodes must be included inside a
390 construct. These can be constructed with scripts:
391 see @ref{Stripping whitespace and generating menus}.
394 @node LilyPond formatting
395 @subsection LilyPond formatting
400 Most LilyPond examples throughout the documentation can be produced
404 @@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
407 If using @code{\book@{@}} in your example then you must also
408 include the @code{papersize=X} variable, where @code{X} is a defined
409 paper size from within @file{scm/paper.scm}. This is to avoid the
410 default @code{a4} paper size being used and leaving too much unnecessary
411 whitespace and potentially awkward page breaks in the PDFs.
413 The preferred @code{papersize}s are @code{a5}, @code{a6} or
416 @code{a8landscape} works best for a single measure with a single title
417 and/or single @code{tagline}:
420 @@lilypond[papersize=a8landscape,verbatim]
423 title = "A scale in LilyPond"
432 and can also be used to easily show features that require page breaks
433 (i.e. page numbers) without taking large amounts of space within the
434 documentation. Do not use the @code{quote} option with this paper size.
436 @code{a5} or @code{a6} paper sizes are best used for examples that have
437 more than two measures of music or require multiple staves (i.e. to
438 illustrate cross-staff features, RH and LH parts etc.) and where
439 @code{\book@{@}} constructions are required or where @code{a8landscape}
440 produces an example that is too cramped. Depending on the example the
441 @code{quote} option may need to be omitted.
443 In rare cases, other options may be used (or omitted), but ask first.
446 Please avoid using extra spacing either after or within the
447 @code{@@lilypond} parameters.
450 not: @@lilypond [verbatim, quote, fragment]
451 but instead: @@lilypond[verbatim,quote,fragment]
455 Inspirational headwords are produced with:
458 @@lilypondfile[quote,ragged-right,line-width=16\cm,staffsize=16]
459 @{pitches-headword.ly@}
463 LSR snippets are linked with:
466 @@lilypondfile[verbatim,quote,ragged-right,texidoc,doctitle]
471 Use two spaces for indentation in lilypond examples (no tabs).
474 All engravers should have double-quotes around them:
477 \consists "Spans_arpeggio_engraver"
480 LilyPond does not strictly require this, but it is a useful
481 convention to follow.
484 All context or layout object strings should be prefaced with @code{#}.
485 Again, LilyPond does not strictly require this, but it is helpful
486 to get users accustomed to this scheme construct, i.e. @code{\set
487 Staff.instrumentName = #"cello"}
490 Try to avoid using @code{#'} or @code{#`} when describing
491 context or layout properties outside of an @code{@@example} or @code{@@lilypond}, unless
492 the description explicitly requires it.
494 i.e. @qq{...setting the @code{transparent} property leaves the object where it
495 is, but makes it invisible.}
498 If possible, only write one bar per line.
501 If you only have one bar per line, omit bar checks. If you
502 must put more than one bar per line (not recommended), then include bar
506 Tweaks should, if possible, also occur on their own line.
508 not: \override TextScript.padding = #3 c1^"hi"
509 but instead: \override TextScript.padding = #3
514 excepted in Templates, where `doctitle' may be omitted.
517 Avoid long stretches of input code. Nobody is going to read
518 them in print. Create small examples. However, this does not mean
522 Specify durations for at least the first note of every bar.
525 If possible, end with a complete bar.
528 Comments should go on their own line, and be placed before
529 the line(s) to which they refer.
532 For clarity, always use @{ @} marks even if they are not technically
538 \context Voice \repeat unfold 2 \relative c' @{
554 Add a space around @{ @} marks; i.e.
557 not: \chordmode@{c e g@}
558 but instead: \chordmode @{ c e g @}
562 Use @{ @} marks for additional @code{\markup} format commands; i.e.
565 not: c^\markup \tiny\sharp
566 but instead: c^\markup @{ \tiny \sharp @}
570 Remove any space around @code{<} @code{>} marks; i.e.
574 but instead: <c e g>4
578 Beam, slur and tie marks should begin immediately after the first
579 note with beam and phrase marks ending immediately after the last.
582 a8\( ais16[ b cis( d] b) cis4~ b' cis,\)
586 If you want to work on an example outside of the manual (for
587 easier/faster processing), use this header:
592 line-width = 160\mm - 2.0 * 0.4\in
593 line-width = #(- line-width (* mm 3.000000))
600 You may not change any of these values. If you are making an
601 example demonstrating special @code{\paper@{@}} values, contact the
602 Documentation Editor.
607 @node Text formatting
608 @subsection Text formatting
612 Lines should be less than 72 characters long. (We personally
613 recommend writing with 66-char lines, but do not bother modifying
614 existing material). Also see the recommendations for fixed-width
615 fonts in the @ref{Syntax survey}.
621 Do not use spaces at the beginning of a line (except in
622 @code{@@example} or @code{@@verbatim} environments), and do not
623 use more than a single space between words. @q{makeinfo} copies
624 the input lines verbatim without removing those spaces.
627 Use two spaces after a period.
630 In examples of syntax, use @code{@@var@{@var{musicexpr}@}} for a
634 Don't use @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in the main text. If you're
635 tempted to do so, you're probably getting too close to @qq{talking
636 through the code}. If you really want to refer to a context, use
637 @code{@@code@{@}} in the main text and @code{@@rinternals@{@}} in
638 the @code{@@seealso}.
643 @subsection Syntax survey
653 * Special characters::
659 @unnumberedsubsubsec Comments
663 @code{@@c @dots{}} --- single line comment. @samp{@@c NOTE:} is a
664 comment which should remain in the final version. (gp only
668 @code{@@ignore} --- multi-line comment:
678 @node Cross references
679 @unnumberedsubsubsec Cross references
681 Enter the exact @code{@@node} name of the target reference between
682 the brackets (eg.@tie{}@w{@samp{@@ref@{Syntax survey@}}}). Do not
683 split a cross-reference across two lines -- this causes the
684 cross-reference to be rendered incorrectly in html documents.
688 @code{@@ref@{@dots{}@}} --- link within current manual.
691 @code{@@rchanges@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Changes.
694 @code{@@rcontrib@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Contributor's Guide.
697 @code{@@ressay@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Engraving Essay.
700 @code{@@rextend@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Extending LilyPond.
703 @code{@@rglos@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Music Glossary.
706 @code{@@rinternals@{@dots{}@}} --- link to the Internals Reference.
709 @code{@@rlearning@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Learning Manual.
712 @code{@@rlsr@{@dots{}@}} --- link to a Snippet section.
715 @code{@@rprogram@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Application Usage.
718 @code{@@ruser@{@dots{}@}} --- link to Notation Reference.
721 @code{@@rweb@{@dots{}@}} --- link to General Information.
726 @unnumberedsubsubsec External links
730 @code{@@email@{@dots{}@}} --- create a @code{mailto:} E-mail link.
733 @code{@@uref@{@var{URL}[, @var{link text}]@}} --- link to an
734 external url. Use within an @code{@@example ... @@end example}.
738 @@uref@{URL [, link text ]@}
744 @node Fixed-width font
745 @unnumberedsubsubsec Fixed-width font
749 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} ---
751 Use the @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} command when referring to
752 individual language-specific tokens (keywords, commands,
753 engravers, scheme symbols, etc.) in the text. Ideally, a single
754 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} block should fit within one line in the
757 Use the @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} command when you have a short
758 example of user input, unless it constitutes an entire
759 @code{@@item} by itself, in which case @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} is
760 preferable. Otherwise, both should only be used when part of a
761 larger sentence within a paragraph or @code{@@item}. Do not use
762 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} inside an
763 @code{@@example} block, and do not use either as a free-standing
764 paragraph; use @code{@@example} instead.
766 A single unindented line in the PDF has space for about 79
767 fixed-width characters (76 if indented). Within an @code{@@item}
768 there is space for about 75 fixed-width characters. Each
769 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
770 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
772 However, even short blocks of @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} and
773 @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} can run into the margin if the Texinfo
774 line-breaking algorithm gets confused. Additionally, blocks that
775 are longer than this may in fact print nicely; it all depends
776 where the line breaks end up. If you compile the docs yourself,
777 check the PDF output to make sure the line breaks are
780 The Texinfo setting @code{@@allowcodebreaks} is set to
781 @code{false} in the manuals, so lines within
782 @code{@@code@{@dots{}@}} or @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} blocks will
783 only break at spaces, not at hyphens or underscores. If the block
784 contains spaces, use @code{@@w@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}} or
785 @code{@@w@{@@samp@{@dots{}@}@}} to prevent unexpected line breaks.
787 The Texinfo settings @code{txicodequoteundirected} and
788 @code{txicodequotebacktick} are both set in the manuals, so
789 backticks (@code{`}) and apostrophes (@code{'}) placed within
790 blocks of @code{@@code}, @code{@@example}, or @code{@@verbatim}
791 are not converted to left- and right-angled quotes
792 (@code{@quoteleft{} @quoteright{}}) as they normally are within
793 the text, so the apostrophes in
794 @q{@w{@code{@@w@{@@code@{@bs{}relative c''@}@}}}} will display
795 correctly. However, these settings do not affect the PDF output
796 for anything within a @code{@@samp} block (even if it includes a
797 nested @code{@@code} block), so entering
798 @q{@code{@@w@{@@samp@{@bs{}relative c''@}@}}} wrongly produces
799 @q{@w{@code{@bs{}relative c@quoteright{}@quoteright{}}}} in PDF.
800 Consequently, if you want to use a @code{@@samp@{@dots{}@}} block
801 which contains backticks or apostrophes, you should instead use
802 @q{@code{@@q@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}}} (or
803 @q{@code{@@q@{@@w@{@@code@{@dots{}@}@}@}}} if the block also
804 contains spaces). Note that backslashes within
805 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}} blocks must be entered as @samp{@@bs@{@}},
806 so the example above would be coded as
807 @q{@code{@@q@{@@w@{@@code@{@@bs@{@}relative c''@}@}@}}}.
810 @code{@@command@{@dots{}@}} --- Use when referring to command-line
811 commands within the text (eg. @samp{@@command@{convert-ly@}}). Do
812 not use inside an @code{@@example} block.
815 @code{@@example} --- Use for examples of program code. Do not add
816 extraneous indentation (i.e. don't start every line with
817 whitespace). Use the following layout (notice the use of blank
818 lines). Omit the @code{@@noindent} if the text following the
819 example starts a new paragraph:
822 @var{@dots{}text leading into the example@dots{}}
829 @var{continuation of the text@dots{}}
832 Individual lines within an @code{@@example} block should not
833 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
834 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@example} block
835 is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
836 @code{@@example} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
837 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
838 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
840 For long command line examples, if possible, use a trailing
841 backslash to break up a single line, indenting the next line with
842 2 spaces. If this isn't feasible, use @samp{@@smallexample
843 @dots{} @@end@tie{}smallexample} instead, which uses a smaller
844 fontsize. Use @code{@@example} whenever possible, but if needed,
845 @code{@@smallexample} can fit up to 90 characters per line before
846 running into the PDF margin. Each additional level of
847 @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate} shortens a
848 @code{@@smallexample} line by about 5 columns.
851 @code{@@file@{@dots{}@}} --- Use when referring to filenames and
852 directories in the text. Do not use inside an @code{@@example}
856 @code{@@option@{@dots{}@}} --- Use when referring to command-line
857 options in the text (eg. @samp{@@option@{--format@}}). Do not use
858 inside an @code{@@example} block.
861 @code{@@verbatim} --- Prints the block exactly as it appears in
862 the source file (including whitespace, etc.). For program code
863 examples, use @code{@@example} instead. @code{@@verbatim} uses
864 the same format as @code{@@example}.
866 Individual lines within an @code{@@verbatim} block should not
867 exceed 74 characters; otherwise they will run into the margin in
868 the PDF output, and may get clipped. If an @code{@@verbatim}
869 block is part of an @code{@@item}, individual lines in the
870 @code{@@verbatim} block should not exceed 70 columns. Each
871 additional level of @code{@@itemize} or @code{@@enumerate}
872 shortens the line by about 4 columns.
877 @unnumberedsubsubsec Indexing
881 @code{@@cindex @dots{}} --- General index. Please add as many as you can.
882 Don't capitalize the first word.
885 @code{@@funindex @dots{}} --- is for a \lilycommand.
890 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lists
894 @code{@@enumerate} --- Create an ordered list (with numbers).
895 Always put @samp{@@item} on its own line. As an exception, if all
896 the items in the list are short enough to fit on single lines, placing
897 them on the @samp{@@item} lines is also permissible. @samp{@@item}
898 and @samp{@@end@tie{}enumerate} should always be preceded by a blank
905 A long multi-line item like this one must begin
906 on a line of its own and all the other items in
907 the list must do so too.
926 @code{@@itemize} --- Create an unordered list (with bullets). Use
927 the same format as @code{@@enumerate}. Do not use
928 @samp{@@itemize@tie{}@@bullet}.
932 @node Special characters
933 @unnumberedsubsubsec Special characters
935 @warning{In Texinfo, the backslash is an ordinary character, and
936 is entered without escaping (e.g.
937 @samp{The@tie{}@@code@{@bs{}foo@}@tie{}command}). However, within
938 double-quoted Scheme and/or LilyPond strings, backslashes
939 (including those ending up in Texinfo markup) need to be escaped
943 "The @@code@{@bs{}@bs{}foo@} command..."
949 @code{--}, @code{---} --- Create an en dash (--) or an em dash
950 (---) in the text. To print two or three literal hyphens in a
951 row, wrap one of them in a @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} (eg.
955 @code{@@@@}, @code{@@@{}, @code{@@@}} --- Create an at-sign (@@),
956 a left curly bracket (@{), or a right curly bracket (@}).
959 @code{@@bs@{@}} --- Create a backslash within a
960 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}}, @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}}, or
961 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} block. This is a custom LilyPond
962 macro, not a builtin @@-command in Texinfo. Texinfo would also
963 allow @samp{\\}, but this breaks the PDF output.
966 @code{@@tie@{@}} --- Create a @emph{variable-width} non-breaking
967 space in the text (use @w{@samp{@@w@{ @}}} for a single
968 @emph{fixed-width} non-breaking space). Variables or numbers
969 which consist of a single character (probably followed by a
970 punctuation mark) should be tied properly, either to the previous
971 or the next word. Example: @samp{The letter@@tie@{@}@@q@{I@} is
977 @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellany
981 @code{@@notation@{@dots{}@}} --- refers to pieces of notation, e.g.
982 @samp{@@notation@{clef@}}. Also use for specific lyrics
983 (@samp{the @@notation@{A@tie{}-@tie{}men@} is centered}).
984 Only use once per subsection per term.
987 @code{@@q@{@dots{}@}} --- Single quotes. Used for
988 @quoteleft{}vague@quoteright{} terms. To get a backslash
989 (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
992 @code{@@qq@{@dots{}@}} --- Double quotes. Used for actual quotes
993 (@qq{he said}) or for introducing special input modes. To get a
994 backslash (\), you must use @samp{@@bs@{@}}.
997 @code{@@var@{@dots{}@}} --- Use for metasyntactic variables (such
998 as @code{@var{foo}}, @code{@var{bar}}, @code{@var{arg1}}, etc.).
999 In most cases, when the @code{@@var@{@dots{}@}} command appears in
1000 the text (and not in an @code{@@example} block) it should be
1001 wrapped with an appropriate texinfo code-highlighting command
1002 (such as @code{@@code}, @code{@@samp}, @code{@@file},
1003 @code{@@command}, etc.). For example:
1004 @samp{@@code@{@@var@{foo@}@}},
1005 @samp{@@file@{@@var@{myfile.ly@}@}},
1006 @w{@samp{@@samp@{git checkout @@var@{branch@}@}}}, etc. This
1007 improves readability in the PDF and HTML output.
1010 @code{@@version@{@}} --- Return the current LilyPond version
1011 string. Use @samp{@@w@{@@version@{@}@}} if it's at the end of a
1012 line (to prevent an ugly line break in PDF); use
1013 @samp{@@w@{"@@version@{@}"@}} if you need it in quotes.
1016 @code{@@w@{@dots{}@}} --- Do not allow any line breaks.
1019 @code{@@warning@{@dots{}@}} --- produces a @qq{Note:@tie{}} box.
1020 Use for important messages. To get a backslash (\), you must use
1025 @node Other text concerns
1026 @subsection Other text concerns
1030 References must occur at the end of a sentence, for more
1032 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/manual/texinfo/,texinfo
1033 manual}. Ideally this should also be the final sentence of a
1034 paragraph, but this is not required. Any link in a doc section
1035 must be duplicated in the @code{@@seealso} section at the bottom.
1038 Introducing examples must be done with
1041 . (i.e. finish the previous sentence/paragraph)
1042 : (i.e. `in this example:')
1043 , (i.e. `may add foo with the blah construct,')
1046 The old @qq{sentence runs directly into the example} method is not
1050 Abbrevs in caps, e.g., HTML, DVI, MIDI, etc.
1060 When beginning a quote: @qq{So, he said,...}.
1062 This usage is rarer. Americans often just use a comma.
1065 When adding a defining example at the end of a sentence.
1069 Non-ASCII characters which are in utf-8 should be directly used;
1070 this is, don't say @samp{Ba@@ss@{@}tuba} but @samp{Baßtuba}. This
1071 ensures that all such characters appear in all output formats.
1075 @node Documentation policy
1076 @section Documentation policy
1080 * Section organization::
1081 * Checking cross-references::
1083 * Technical writing style::
1089 There are four parts to the documentation: the Learning Manual,
1090 the Notation Reference, the Program Reference, and the Music
1098 The LM is written in a tutorial style which introduces the most
1099 important concepts, structure and syntax of the elements of a
1100 LilyPond score in a carefully graded sequence of steps.
1101 Explanations of all musical concepts used in the Manual can be
1102 found in the Music Glossary, and readers are assumed to have no
1103 prior knowledge of LilyPond. The objective is to take readers to
1104 a level where the Notation Reference can be understood and
1105 employed to both adapt the templates in the Appendix to their
1106 needs and to begin to construct their own scores. Commonly used
1107 tweaks are introduced and explained. Examples are provided
1108 throughout which, while being focussed on the topic being
1109 introduced, are long enough to seem real in order to retain the
1110 readers' interest. Each example builds on the previous material,
1111 and comments are used liberally. Every new aspect is thoroughly
1112 explained before it is used.
1114 Users are encouraged to read the complete Learning Manual from
1119 Notation Reference: a (hopefully complete) description of LilyPond
1120 input notation. Some material from here may be duplicated in the
1121 Learning Manual (for teaching), but consider the NR to be the
1122 "definitive" description of each notation element, with the LM
1123 being an "extra". The goal is _not_ to provide a step-by-step
1124 learning environment -- do not avoid using notation that has not
1125 be introduced previously in the NR (for example, use \break if
1126 appropriate). This section is written in formal technical writing
1129 Avoid duplication. Although users are not expected to read this
1130 manual from start to finish, they should be familiar with the
1131 material in the Learning Manual (particularly ``Fundamental
1132 Concepts''), so do not repeat that material in each section of
1133 this book. Also watch out for common constructs, like ^ - _ for
1134 directions -- those are explained in NR 3. In NR 1, you can
1135 write: DYNAMICS may be manually placed above or below the staff,
1136 see @@ref@{Controlling direction and placement@}.
1138 Most tweaks should be added to LSR and not placed directly in the
1139 @file{.itely} file. In some cases, tweaks may be placed in the main
1140 text, but ask about this first.
1142 Finally, you should assume that users know what the notation
1143 means; explaining musical concepts happens in the Music Glossary.
1147 Application Usage: information about using the program lilypond
1148 with other programs (lilypond-book, operating systems, GUIs,
1149 convert-ly, etc). This section is written in formal technical
1152 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
1156 Music Glossary: information about the music notation itself.
1157 Explanations and translations about notation terms go here.
1159 Users are not expected to read this manual from start to finish.
1162 Internals Reference: not really a documentation book, since it is
1163 automagically generated from the source, but this is its name.
1168 @node Section organization
1169 @subsection Section organization
1174 The order of headings inside documentation sections should
1187 You @emph{must} include a @@seealso.
1191 The order of items inside the @@seealso section is
1200 @@rlearning@{foozle@}.
1209 Essay on automated music engraving:
1216 @@file@{path/to/dir/blahz@}.
1218 Snippets: @@rlsr@{section@}.
1220 Internals Reference:
1221 @@rinternals@{fazzle@},
1222 @@rinternals@{booar@}.
1226 If there are multiple entries, separate them by commas but do not
1230 Always end with a period.
1233 Place each link on a new line as above; this makes it much easier
1234 to add or remove links. In the output, they appear on a single
1237 ("Snippets" is REQUIRED; the others are optional)
1240 Any new concepts or links which require an explanation should go
1241 as a full sentence(s) in the main text.
1244 Don't insert an empty line between @@seealso and the first entry!
1245 Otherwise there is excessive vertical space in the PDF output.
1250 To create links, use @@ref@{@} if the link is within the same
1254 @@predefined ... @@endpredefined is for commands in
1258 Do not include any real info in second-level sections (i.e. 1.1
1259 Pitches). A first-level section may have introductory material,
1260 but other than that all material goes into third-level sections
1261 (i.e. 1.1.1 Writing Pitches).
1264 The @@knownissues should not discuss any issues that are in the
1265 tracker, unless the issue is Priority-Postponed. The goal is to
1266 discuss any overall architecture or syntax decisions which may be
1267 interpreted as bugs. Normal bugs should not be discussed here,
1268 because we have so many bugs that it would be a huge task to keep
1269 the @@knownissues current and accurate all the time.
1274 @node Checking cross-references
1275 @subsection Checking cross-references
1277 Cross-references between different manuals are heavily used in the
1278 documentation, but they are not checked during compilation.
1279 However, if you compile the documentation, a script called
1280 check_texi_refs can help you with checking and fixing these
1281 cross-references; for information on usage, cd into a source tree
1282 where documentation has been built, cd into Documentation and run:
1289 Note that you have to find yourself the source files to fix
1290 cross-references in the generated documentation such as the
1291 Internals Reference; e.g. you can grep scm/ and lily/.
1294 @node General writing
1295 @subsection General writing
1300 Do not forget to create @@cindex entries for new sections of text.
1301 Enter commands with @@funindex, i.e.
1304 @@cindex pitches, writing in different octaves
1305 @@funindex \relative
1309 Do not bother with the @@code@{@} (they are added automatically).
1310 These items are added to both the command index and the unified
1311 index. Both index commands should go in front of the actual material.
1314 @@cindex entries should not be capitalized, i.e.
1317 @@cindex time signature
1321 is preferred instead of @qq{Time signature}. Only use capital
1322 letters for musical terms which demand them, e.g.
1326 For scheme function index entries, only include the final part, i.e.
1329 @@funindex modern-voice-cautionary
1331 @@funindex #(set-accidental-style modern-voice-cautionary)
1335 Use American spelling. LilyPond's internal property
1336 names use this convention.
1339 Here is a list of preferred terms to be used:
1343 @emph{Simultaneous} NOT concurrent.
1346 @emph{Measure}: the unit of music.
1349 @emph{Bar line}: the symbol delimiting a measure NOT barline.
1352 @emph{Note head} NOT notehead.
1355 @emph{Chord construct} NOT just chord (when referring to < ... >)
1358 @emph{Staff} NOT stave.
1361 @emph{Staves} NOT Staffs:
1363 @q{multiple @@internalsref@{Staff@}s}
1364 should be rephrased to
1365 @q{multiple @@internalsref@{Staff@} contexts}.
1373 @node Technical writing style
1374 @subsection Technical writing style
1376 These refer to the NR. The LM uses a more gentle, colloquial
1382 Do not refer to LilyPond in the text. The reader knows what the
1383 manual is about. If you do, capitalization is LilyPond.
1386 If you explicitly refer to @q{lilypond} the program (or any other
1387 command to be executed), write @code{@@command@{lilypond@}}.
1390 Do not explicitly refer to the reader/user. There is no one else
1391 besides the reader and the writer.
1394 Avoid contractions (don't, won't, etc.). Spell the words out completely.
1397 Avoid abbreviations, except for commonly used abbreviations of foreign
1398 language terms such as etc. and i.e.
1401 Avoid fluff (@qq{Notice that,} @qq{as you can see,}
1405 The use of the word @q{illegal} is inappropriate in most cases.
1406 Say @q{invalid} instead.
1411 @node Tips for writing docs
1412 @section Tips for writing docs
1414 In the NR, I highly recommend focusing on one subsection at a
1415 time. For each subsection,
1420 check the mundane formatting. Are the headings (@@predefined,
1421 @@seealso, etc.) in the right order?
1424 add any appropriate index entries.
1427 check the links in the @@seealso section -- links to music
1428 glossary, internal references, and other NR sections are the main
1429 concern. Check for potential additions.
1432 move LSR-worthy material into LSR. Add the snippet, delete the
1433 material from the @file{.itely} file, and add a @@lilypondfile command.
1436 check the examples and descriptions. Do they still work?
1437 @strong{Do not} assume that the existing text is
1438 accurate/complete; some of the manual is highly out of date.
1441 is the material in the @@knownissues still accurate?
1444 can the examples be improved (made more explanatory), or is there
1445 any missing info? (feel free to ask specific questions on -user;
1446 a couple of people claimed to be interesting in being
1447 @qq{consultants} who would help with such questions)
1451 In general, I favor short text explanations with good examples --
1452 @qq{an example is worth a thousand words}. When I worked on the
1453 docs, I spent about half my time just working on those tiny
1454 lilypond examples. Making easily-understandable examples is much
1455 harder than it looks.
1458 @subsubheading Tweaks
1460 In general, any \set or \override commands should go in the
1461 @qq{select snippets} section, which means that they should go in
1462 LSR and not the @file{.itely} file. For some cases, the command
1463 obviously belongs in the @qq{main text} (i.e. not inside
1464 @@predefined or @@seealso or whatever) -- instrument names are a
1465 good example of this.
1468 \set Staff.instrumentName = #"foo"
1471 On the other side of this,
1474 \override Score.Hairpin.after-line-breaking = ##t
1477 clearly belongs in LSR.
1479 I'm quite willing to discuss specific cases if you think that a
1480 tweaks needs to be in the main text. But items that can go into
1481 LSR are easier to maintain, so I'd like to move as much as
1482 possible into there.
1485 It would be @qq{nice} if you spent a lot of time crafting nice
1486 tweaks for users@dots{} but my recommendation is @strong{not} to do
1487 this. There's a lot of doc work to do without adding examples of
1488 tweaks. Tweak examples can easily be added by normal users by adding
1491 One place where a documentation writer can profitably spend time writing
1492 or upgrading tweaks is creating tweaks to deal with known issues. It
1493 would be ideal if every significant known issue had a workaround to avoid
1497 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
1500 @node Scripts to ease doc work
1501 @section Scripts to ease doc work
1504 * Scripts to test the documentation::
1505 * Scripts to create documentation::
1508 @node Scripts to test the documentation
1509 @subsection Scripts to test the documentation
1512 * Building only one section of the documentation::
1515 @node Building only one section of the documentation
1516 @unnumberedsubsubsec Building only one section of the documentation
1518 In order to save build time, a script is available to build only
1519 one section of the documentation in English with a default html
1522 You can build a section of the documentation with:
1525 scripts/auxiliar/doc-section.sh MANUAL SECTION
1529 where @code{SECTION} is the name of the file containing the section
1530 to be built, and @code{MANUAL} is replaced by the name of the directory
1531 containing the section. So, for example, to build section 1.1 of the
1532 Notation Reference, use the command:
1535 scripts/auxiliar/doc-section.sh notation pitches
1538 You can then see the generated document for the section at
1541 tempdocs/pitches/out/pitches.html
1545 @uref{http://code.google.com/p/lilypond/issues/detail?id=1236,Lilypond issue 1236},
1546 the location of the lilypond git tree is taken from @code{$LILYPOND_GIT}
1547 if specified, otherwise it is auto-detected.
1549 It is assumed that compilation takes place in the @file{build/}
1550 subdirectory, but this can be overridden by setting the environment
1551 variable @code{LILYPOND_BUILD_DIR}.
1553 Similarly, output defaults to @file{build/tempdocs/} but this can be
1554 overridden by setting the environment variable
1555 @code{LILYPOND_TEMPDOCS}.
1557 This script will not work for building sections of the
1558 Contributors' guide. For building sections of the Contributors'
1562 scripts/auxiliar/cg-section.sh SECTION
1566 where @code{SECTION} is the name of the file containing the sections
1567 to be built. For example, to build section 4 of the Contributors' guide,
1571 scripts/auxiliar/cg-section.sh doc-work
1574 @code{cg-section.sh} uses the same environment variables and
1575 corresponding default values as @code{doc-section.sh}.
1577 @node Scripts to create documentation
1578 @subsection Scripts to create documentation
1581 * Stripping whitespace and generating menus::
1582 * Stripping whitespace only::
1583 * Updating doc with convert-ly::
1586 @node Stripping whitespace and generating menus
1587 @unnumberedsubsubsec Stripping whitespace and generating menus
1589 @warning{This script assumes that the file conforms to our doc
1590 policy, in particular with regard to @ref{Sectioning commands};
1591 a few files still need work in this regard.}
1593 To automatically regenerate @code{@@menu} portions and strip
1597 scripts/auxiliar/node-menuify.py @var{FILENAME}
1600 If you are adding documentation that requires new menus,
1601 you will need to add a blank @code{@@menu} section:
1608 @node Stripping whitespace only
1609 @unnumberedsubsubsec Stripping whitespace only
1611 @c TODO: should this be documented elsewhere? It's useful for
1612 @c more than just docs.
1613 To remove extra whitespace from the ends of lines, run
1616 scripts/auxiliar/strip-whitespace.py @var{FILENAME}
1620 @node Updating doc with convert-ly
1621 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating doc with @command{convert-ly}
1623 Don't. This should be done by programmers when they add new
1624 features. If you notice that it hasn't been done, complain to
1625 @code{lilypond-devel}.
1628 @node Docstrings in scheme
1629 @section Docstrings in scheme
1631 Material in the Internals reference is generated automatically
1632 from our source code. Any doc work on Internals therefore
1633 requires modifying files in @file{scm/*.scm}. Texinfo is allowed
1634 in these docstrings.
1636 Most documentation writers never touch these, though. If you want
1637 to work on them, please ask for help.
1640 @node Translating the documentation
1641 @section Translating the documentation
1643 The mailing list @code{translations@@lilynet.net} is dedicated to
1644 LilyPond web site and documentation translation; on this list, you will
1645 get support from the Translations Meister and experienced translators,
1646 and we regularly discuss translation issues common to all languages.
1647 All people interested in LilyPond translations are invited to subscribe
1648 to this list regardless of the amount of their contribution, by sending
1649 an email to @code{translations-request@@lilynet.net} with subject
1650 @code{subscribe} and an empty message body. Unless mentioned explicitly,
1651 or except if a translations coordinator contacts you privately, you
1652 should send questions, remarks and patches to the list
1653 @code{translations@@lilynet.net}. Please note that traffic is high
1654 on the English-speaking list @code{lilypond-user@@gnu.org}, so it may
1655 take some time before your request or contribution is handled.
1658 * Getting started with documentation translation::
1659 * Documentation translation details::
1660 * Documentation translation maintenance::
1661 * Translations management policies::
1662 * Technical background::
1665 @node Getting started with documentation translation
1666 @subsection Getting started with documentation translation
1668 First, get the sources of branch @code{translation} from the
1669 Git repository, see @ref{Starting with Git}.
1672 * Translation requirements::
1673 * Which documentation can be translated::
1674 * Starting translation in a new language::
1677 @node Translation requirements
1678 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translation requirements
1680 Working on LilyPond documentation translations requires the following
1681 pieces of software, in order to make use of dedicated helper tools:
1684 @item Python 2.4 or higher,
1690 It is not required to build LilyPond and the documentation to
1691 translate the documentation. However, if you have enough time and
1692 motivation and a suitable system, it can be very useful to build at
1693 least the documentation so that you can check the output yourself and
1694 more quickly; if you are interested, see @ref{Compiling}.
1696 Before undertaking any large translation work, contributors are
1697 encouraged to contact the @ref{Meisters, Translation Meister}.
1700 @node Which documentation can be translated
1701 @unnumberedsubsubsec Which documentation can be translated
1703 The makefiles and scripts infrastructure currently supports translation
1704 of the following documentation:
1707 @item the web site, the Learning Manual, the Notation Reference and
1708 Application Usage -- Texinfo source, PDF and HTML output; Info output
1709 might be added if there is enough demand for it;
1710 @item the Changes document.
1713 Support for translating the following pieces of documentation should be
1714 added soon, by decreasing order of priority:
1717 @item automatically generated documentation: markup commands,
1718 predefined music functions;
1719 @item the Snippets List;
1720 @item the Internals Reference.
1724 @node Starting translation in a new language
1725 @unnumberedsubsubsec Starting translation in a new language
1727 At top of the source directory, do
1734 or (if you want to install your self-compiled LilyPond locally)
1737 ./autogen.sh --prefix=$HOME
1741 If you want to compile LilyPond -- which is almost required to build
1742 the documentation, but is not required to do translation only -- fix
1743 all dependencies and rerun @command{./configure} (with the same
1744 options as for @command{autogen.sh}).
1746 Then @command{cd} into @file{Documentation/} and run
1749 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} new-lang
1753 where @var{MY-LANGUAGE} is the ISO 639 language code.
1755 Finally, add a language definition for your language in
1756 @file{python/langdefs.py}.
1759 @node Documentation translation details
1760 @subsection Documentation translation details
1762 Please follow all the instructions with care to ensure quality work.
1764 All files should be encoded in UTF-8.
1767 * Files to be translated::
1768 * Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation::
1769 * Adding a Texinfo manual::
1772 @node Files to be translated
1773 @unnumberedsubsubsec Files to be translated
1775 @include contributor/doc-translation-list.itexi
1777 In addition, not listed above, Snippets' titles and descriptions
1778 should be translated; they are a part of the Notation Reference and
1779 therefore their priority is 5.
1781 @node Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1782 @unnumberedsubsubsec Translating the Web site and other Texinfo documentation
1784 Every piece of text should be translated in the source file, except
1785 Texinfo comments, text in @code{@@lilypond} blocks and a few cases
1788 Node names are translated, but the original node name in English should
1789 be kept as the argument of @code{@@translationof} put after the section
1790 title; that is, every piece in the original file like
1794 @@@var{section_command} Bar baz
1798 should be translated as
1801 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1802 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1803 @@translationof Foo bar
1806 The argument of @code{@@rglos} commands and the first argument of
1807 @code{@@rglosnamed} commands must not be translated, as it is the node
1808 name of an entry in Music Glossary.
1810 Every time you translate a node name in a cross-reference, i.e. the
1811 argument of commands @code{@@ref, @@rprogram, @@rlearning, @@rlsr,
1812 @@ruser} or the first argument of their @code{@var{*}named} variants,
1813 you should make sure the target node is defined in the correct source
1814 file; if you do not intend to translate the target node right now, you
1815 should at least write the node definition (that is, the @code{@@node
1816 @@@var{section_commmand} @@translationof} trio mentioned above) in the
1817 expected source file and define all its parent nodes; for each node you
1818 have defined this way but have not translated, insert a line that
1819 contains @code{@@untranslated}. That is, you should end up
1820 for each untranslated node with something like
1823 @@node @var{translation of Foo bar}
1824 @@@var{section_command} @var{translation of Bar baz}
1825 @@translationof Foo bar
1830 @warning{you do not have to translate the node name of a cross-reference
1831 to a node that you do not have translated. If you do, you must define
1832 an @qq{empty} node like explained just above; this will produce a
1833 cross-reference with the translated node name in output, although the
1834 target node will still be in English. On the opposite, if all
1835 cross-references that refer to an untranslated node use the node name in
1836 English, then you do not have to define such an @qq{empty} node, and the
1837 cross-reference text will appear in English in the output. The choice
1838 between these two strategies implies its particular maintenance
1839 requirements and is left to the translators, although the opinion of the
1840 Translation meister leans towards not translating these
1843 Please think of the fact that it may not make sense translating
1844 everything in some Texinfo files, and you may take distance from the
1845 original text; for instance, in the translation of the web site section
1846 Community, you may take this into account depending on what you know the
1847 community in your language is willing to support, which is possible only
1848 if you personally assume this support, or there exists a public forum
1849 or mailing list listed in Community for LilyPond in your language:
1852 @item @rweb{Bug reports}: this page should be translated only if you
1853 know that every bug report sent on your language's mailing list or forum
1854 will be handled by someone who will translate it to English and send it
1855 on bug-lilypond or add an issue in the tracker, then translate back the
1856 reply from developers.
1858 @item @rcontrib{Help us}: this page should be translated very freely,
1859 and possibly not at all: ask help for contributing to LilyPond for tasks
1860 that LilyPond community in your language is able and going to handle.
1864 In any case, please mark in your work the sections which do not result
1865 from the direct translation of a piece of English translation, using
1866 comments i.e. lines starting with @q{@code{@@c}}.
1868 Finally, press in Emacs @key{C-c C-u C-a} to update or generate
1869 menus. This process should be made easier in the future, when the helper
1870 script @command{texi-langutils.py} and the makefile target are updated.
1872 Some pieces of text manipulated by build scripts that appear in the
1873 output are translated in a @file{.po} file -- just like LilyPond output
1874 messages -- in @file{Documentation/po}. The Gettext domain is named
1875 @code{lilypond-doc}, and unlike @code{lilypond} domain it is not managed
1876 through the Free Translation Project.
1879 Take care of using typographic rules for your language, especially in
1880 @file{macros.itexi}.
1882 If you wonder whether a word, phrase or larger piece of text should be
1883 translated, whether it is an argument of a Texinfo command or a small
1884 piece sandwiched between two Texinfo commands, try to track whether and
1885 where it appears in PDF and/or HTML output as visible text. This piece
1886 of advice is especially useful for translating @file{macros.itexi}.
1888 Please keep verbatim copies of music snippets (in @code{@@lilypond}
1889 blocs). However, some music snippets containing text that shows in
1890 the rendered music, and sometimes translating this text really helps
1891 the user to understand the documentation; in this case, and only in
1892 this case, you may as an exception translate text in the music
1893 snippet, and then you must add a line immediately before the
1894 @code{@@lilypond} block, starting with
1901 Otherwise the music snippet would be reset to the same content as the
1902 English version at next @command{make snippet-update} run -- see
1903 @ref{Updating documentation translation}.
1908 @@lilypondfile[<number of fragment options>,texidoc]@{@var{filename.ly}@}
1912 in the source, open @file{Documentation/snippets/@var{filename}.ly},
1913 translate the @code{texidoc} header field it contains, enclose it with
1914 @code{texidoc@var{MY-LANGUAGE} = "} and @code{"}, and write it into
1915 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@/@var{filename}.texidoc}.
1916 Additionally, you may translate the snippet's title in @code{doctitle}
1917 header field, in case @code{doctitle} is a fragment option used in
1918 @code{@@lilypondfile}; you can do this exactly the same way as
1919 @code{texidoc}. For instance,
1920 @file{Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/texidocs/@/@var{filename}.texidoc}
1924 doctitlees = "Spanish title baz"
1926 Spanish translation blah
1930 @code{@@example} blocks need not be verbatim copies, e.g. variable
1931 names, file names and comments should be translated.
1933 Finally, please carefully apply every rule exposed in @ref{Texinfo
1934 introduction and usage policy}, and @ref{Documentation policy}. If one
1935 of these rules conflicts with a rule specific to your language, please
1936 ask the Translation meister on @email{translations@@lilynet.net} list
1937 and/or the Documentation Editors on @email{lilypond-devel@@gnu.org}
1941 @node Adding a Texinfo manual
1942 @unnumberedsubsubsec Adding a Texinfo manual
1944 In order to start translating a new manual whose basename is @var{FOO},
1948 cd Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}
1949 cp ../@var{FOO}.tely .
1951 cp web/GNUmakefile @var{FOO}
1955 then append @var{FOO} to variable @code{SUBDIRS} in
1956 Documentation/@var{MY-LANGUAGE}/GNUmakefile, then translate file
1957 @var{MY-LANGUAGE}/@var{FOO}.tely and run @code{skeleton-update}:
1961 make ISOLANG=@var{MY-LANGUAGE} TEXI_LANGUTIL_FLAGS=--head-only skeleton-update
1965 Your are now ready to translate the new manual exactly like the web site
1966 or the Learning Manual.
1969 @node Documentation translation maintenance
1970 @subsection Documentation translation maintenance
1972 Several tools have been developed to make translations maintenance
1973 easier. These helper scripts make use of the power of Git, the
1974 version control system used for LilyPond development.
1976 You should use them whenever you would like to update the translation in
1977 your language, which you may do at the frequency that fits your and your
1978 cotranslators' respective available times. In the case your translation
1979 is up-do-date (which you can discover in the first subsection below), it
1980 is enough to check its state every one or two weeks. If you feel
1981 overwhelmed by the quantity of documentation to be updated, see
1982 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
1985 * Check state of translation::
1986 * Updating documentation translation::
1987 * Updating translation committishes::
1990 @macro seeCommittishesUpdate{}
1991 @warning{do not forget to update the committish in each file you have
1992 completely updated, see @ref{Updating translation committishes}.}
1995 @node Check state of translation
1996 @unnumberedsubsubsec Check state of translation
1998 First pull from Git -- see @ref{Pulling and rebasing}, but DO NOT rebase
1999 unless you are sure to master the translation state checking and
2000 updating system -- then cd into @file{Documentation/} (or at top of the
2001 source tree, replace @command{make} with @command{make -C
2002 Documentation}) and run
2005 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation
2009 This presents a diff of the original files since the most recent
2010 revision of the translation. To check a single file, cd into
2011 @file{Documentation/} and run
2014 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@var{manual}/@var{foo}.itely check-translation
2018 In case this file has been renamed since you last updated the
2019 translation, you should specify both old and new file names, e.g.
2020 @code{CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE}/@{@var{manual},user@}/@var{foo}.itely}.
2022 To see only which files need to be updated, do
2025 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} check-translation | grep 'diff --git'
2028 To avoid printing terminal colors control characters, which is often
2029 desirable when you redirect output to a file, run
2032 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} NO_COLOR=1 check-translation
2035 You can see the diffs generated by the commands above as changes that
2036 you should make in your language to the existing translation, in order
2037 to make your translation up to date.
2039 @seeCommittishesUpdate
2041 Global state of the translation is recorded in
2042 @file{Documentation/translations.itexi}, which is used to generate
2043 Translations status page. To update that page, do from
2044 @file{Documentation/}
2047 make translation-status
2050 This will also leave @file{out/translations-status.txt}, which contains
2051 up-to-dateness percentages for each translated file, and update word
2052 counts of documentation files in this Guide.
2055 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
2057 @node Updating documentation translation
2058 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating documentation translation
2060 Instead of running @code{check-translation}, you may want to run
2061 @code{update-translation}, which will run your favorite text editor to
2062 update files. First, make sure environment variable @code{EDITOR} is
2063 set to a text editor command, then run from @file{Documentation/}
2066 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} update-translation
2070 or to update a single file
2073 make CHECKED_FILES=@var{MY_LANGUAGE/@var{manual}/foo.itely} update-translation
2076 For each file to be updated, @code{update-translation} will open your
2077 text editor with this file and a diff of the file in English; if the
2078 diff cannot be generated or is bigger than the file in English itself,
2079 the full file in English will be opened instead.
2081 @seeCommittishesUpdate
2083 Texinfo skeleton files, i.e. @file{.itely} files not yet translated,
2084 containing only the first node of the original file in English can be
2085 updated automatically: whenever @command{make check-translation} shows
2086 that such files should be updated, run from @file{Documentation/}
2089 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} skeleton-update
2092 @file{.po} message catalogs in @file{Documentation/po/} may be updated
2093 by issuing from @file{Documentation/} or @file{Documentation/po/}
2099 @warning{if you run po-update and somebody else does the same and
2100 pushes before you push or send a patch to be applied, there will be a
2101 conflict when you pull. Therefore, it is better that only the
2102 Translation meister runs this command.}
2104 Updating music snippets can quickly become cumbersome, as most
2105 snippets should be identical in all languages. Fortunately, there is
2106 a script that can do this odd job for you (run from
2107 @file{Documentation/}):
2110 make ISOLANG=@var{MY_LANGUAGE} snippet-update
2113 This script overwrites music snippets in
2114 @file{@var{MY_LANGUAGE/foo/every.itely}} with music snippets from
2115 @file{@var{foo/every.itely}}. It ignores skeleton files, and keeps
2116 intact music snippets preceded with a line starting with @code{@@c
2117 KEEP LY}; it reports an error for each @file{.itely} that has not the
2118 same music snippet count in both languages. Always use this script
2119 with a lot of care, i.e. run it on a clean Git working tree, and check
2120 the changes it made with @command{git diff} before committing; if you
2121 don't do so, some @code{@@lilypond} snippets might be broken or make
2122 no sense in their context.
2124 Finally, a command runs the three update processes above for all
2125 enabled languages (from @file{Documentation/}):
2128 make all-translations-update
2131 Use this command with caution, and keep in mind it will not be really
2132 useful until translations are stabilized after the end of GDP and GOP.
2135 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations},
2136 @ref{Adding and editing snippets}.
2139 @node Updating translation committishes
2140 @unnumberedsubsubsec Updating translation committishes
2142 At the beginning of each translated file except PO files, there is a
2143 committish which represents the revision of the sources which you have
2144 used to translate this file from the file in English.
2146 When you have pulled and updated a translation, it is very important to
2147 update this committish in the files you have completely updated (and
2148 only these); to do this, first commit possible changes to any
2149 documentation in English which you are sure to have done in your
2150 translation as well, then replace in the up-to-date translated files the
2151 old committish by the committish of latest commit, which can be obtained
2155 git rev-list HEAD |head -1
2158 @c http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2009-01/msg00245.html
2159 @c contains a helper script which could be used to perform massive
2160 @c committish updates.
2162 Most of the changes in the LSR snippets included in the documentation concern
2163 the syntax, not the description inside @code{texidoc=""}. This implies that
2164 quite often you will have to update only the committish of the matching
2165 .texidoc file. This can be a tedious work if there are many snippets to be
2166 marked as up do date. You can use the following command to update the
2167 committishes at once:
2170 cd Documentation/LANG/texidocs
2171 sed -i -r 's/[0-9a-z]@{40@}/NEW-COMMITTISH/' *.texidoc
2177 @node Translations management policies
2178 @subsection Translations management policies
2180 These policies show the general intent of how the translations should
2181 be managed, they aim at helping translators, developers and
2182 coordinators work efficiently.
2185 * Maintaining without updating translations::
2186 * Managing documentation translation with Git::
2189 @node Maintaining without updating translations
2190 @unnumberedsubsubsec Maintaining without updating translations
2192 Keeping translations up to date under heavy changes in the documentation
2193 in English may be almost impossible, especially as during the former
2194 Grand Documentation Project (GDP) or the Grand Organization Project
2195 (GOP) when a lot of contributors brings changes. In addition,
2196 translators may be --- and that is a very good thing --- involved in
2199 it is possible --- and even recommended --- to perform some maintenance
2200 that keeps translated documentation usable and eases future translation
2201 updating. The rationale below the tasks list motivates this plan.
2203 The following tasks are listed in decreasing priority order.
2206 @item Update macros.itexi.
2207 For each obsolete macro definition, if it is possible to update macro
2208 usage in documentation with an automatic text or regexp substitution,
2209 do it and delete the macro definition from @file{macros.itexi}; otherwise,
2210 mark this macro definition as obsolete with a comment, and keep it in
2211 @file{macros.itexi} until the documentation translation has been updated and
2212 no longer uses this macro.
2214 @item Update @file{*.tely} files completely with
2215 @command{make check-translation} -- you may want to redirect output
2216 to a file because of overwhelming output, or call check-translation.py
2217 on individual files, see @ref{Check state of translation}.
2219 @item In @file{.itelys}, match sections and .itely file names with those from
2220 English docs, which possibly involves moving nodes contents in block
2221 between files, without updating contents itself. In other words, the
2222 game is catching where has gone each section. In Learning manual, and
2223 in Notation Reference sections which have been revised in GDP, there may
2224 be completely new sections: in this case, copy @code{@@node} and
2225 @code{@@section}-command from English docs, and add the marker for
2226 untranslated status @code{@@untranslated} on a single line. Note that
2227 it is not possible to exactly match subsections or subsubsections of
2228 documentation in English, when contents has been deeply revised; in this
2229 case, keep obsolete (sub)subsections in the translation, marking them
2230 with a line @code{@@c obsolete} just before the node.
2232 Emacs with Texinfo mode makes this step easier:
2235 @item without Emacs AucTeX installed, @key{C-c C-s} shows structure of current
2236 Texinfo file in a new buffer @code{*Occur*}; to show structure of two files
2237 simultaneously, first split Emacs window in 4 tiles (with @key{C-x 1}
2238 and @key{C-x 2}), press @key{C-c C-s} to show structure of one file
2239 (e.g. the translated file), copy @code{*Occur*} contents into
2240 @code{*Scratch*}, then press @key{C-c C-s} for the other file.
2242 If you happen to have installed AucTeX, you can either call the macro
2243 by doing @key{M-x texinfo-show-structure} or create a key binding in your
2244 @file{~/.emacs}, by adding the four following lines:
2247 (add-hook 'Texinfo-mode-hook
2249 (define-key Texinfo-mode-map "\C-cs"
2250 'texinfo-show-structure)))
2254 and then obtain the structure in the @code{*Occur*} buffer with @key{C-c
2257 @item Do not bother updating @code{@@menu}s when all menu entries are in the same
2258 file, just do @key{C-c C-u C-a} (@qq{update all menus}) when you have
2259 updated all the rest of the file.
2261 @item Moving to next or previous node using incremental search: press
2262 @key{C-s} and type @code{node} (or @key{C-s @@node} if the text
2263 contains the word @q{node}) then press @key{C-s} to move to next node
2264 or @key{C-r} to move to previous node. Similar operation can be used
2265 to move to the next/previous section. Note that every cursor move
2266 exits incremental search, and hitting @key{C-s} twice starts
2267 incremental search with the text entered in previous incremental
2270 @item Moving a whole node (or even a sequence of nodes): jump to beginning
2271 of the node (quit incremental search by pressing an arrow), press
2272 @key{C-SPACE}, press @key{C-s node} and repeat @key{C-s} until you
2273 have selected enough text, cut it with @key{C-w} or @key{C-x}, jump to
2274 the right place (moving between nodes with the previous hint is often
2275 useful) and paste with @key{C-y} or @key{C-v}.
2278 @item Update sections finished in the English documentation; check
2281 @uref{http://lilypondwiki.tuxfamily.org/index.php?title=Documentation_coordination}.
2284 @item Update documentation PO. It is recommended not to update
2285 strings which come from documentation that is currently deeply revised
2286 in English, to avoid doing the work more than once.
2288 @item Fix broken cross-references by running (from @file{Documentation/})
2291 make ISOLANG=@var{YOUR-LANGUAGE} fix-xrefs
2295 This step requires a successful documentation build (with @command{make
2296 doc}). Some cross-references are broken because they point to a node
2297 that exists in the documentation in English, which has not been added
2298 to the translation; in this case, do not fix the cross-reference but
2299 keep it "broken", so that the resulting HTML link will point to an
2300 existing page of documentation in English.
2303 @subsubheading Rationale
2305 You may wonder if it would not be better to leave translations as-is
2306 until you can really start updating translations. There are several
2307 reasons to do these maintenance tasks right now.
2310 @item This will have to be done sooner or later anyway, before updating
2311 translation of documentation contents, and this can already be done
2312 without needing to be redone later, as sections of documentation in
2313 English are mostly revised once. However, note that not all
2314 documentation sectioning has been revised in one go, so all this
2315 maintenance plan has to be repeated whenever a big reorganization is
2318 @item This just makes translated documentation take advantage of the new
2319 organization, which is better than the old one.
2321 @item Moving and renaming sections to match sectioning of documentation in
2322 English simplify future updating work: it allows updating the
2323 translation by side-by-side comparison, without bothering whether
2324 cross-reference names already exist in the translation.
2326 @item Each maintenance task except @q{Updating PO files} can be done by
2327 the same person for all languages, which saves overall time spent by
2328 translators to achieve this task: the node names and section titles
2329 are in English, so you can do. It is important to take advantage of
2330 this now, as it will be more complicated (but still possible) to do
2331 step 3 in all languages when documentation is compiled with
2332 @command{texi2html} and node names are directly translated in source
2337 @node Managing documentation translation with Git
2338 @unnumberedsubsubsec Managing documentation translation with Git
2340 This policy explains how to manage Git branches and commit
2341 translations to Git.
2344 @item Translation work is made on
2345 @code{translation} branch. This branch is merged on
2346 @code{staging} once a week, approximately. Then,
2347 @code{master} branch is merged on
2348 @code{translation}, where the check-translation script (see
2349 @ref{Check state of translation}) shows changes in English docs which
2350 should be translated, and the cycle starts again.
2352 @item Translations may be pushed directly to
2353 @code{staging} only if they do not break compilation of LilyPond and
2354 its documentation. Those changes could be pushed to
2355 @code{translation} too, or alternatively translators could wait until
2357 @code{master} the next time it is merged on
2358 @code{translation}. Similarly, changes matching
2359 @code{stable/X.Y} are preferably made on
2360 @code{X.Ytranslation}.
2362 @item @code{translation} Git branch may be merged into
2363 @code{staging} branch only if LilyPond (@command{make all}) and
2364 documentation (@command{make doc}) compile successfully.
2366 @item @command{make} and @command{make doc} are usually successful in
2367 @code{master} Git branch because those tests should have already
2369 @code{staging} branch before merging.
2370 @code{master} branch may be merged into
2371 @code{translation} when significant changes had been made in
2372 documentation in English in
2373 @code{master} branch.
2375 @item General maintenance may be done by anybody who knows what he does
2376 in documentation in all languages, without informing translators
2377 first. General maintenance include simple text substitutions
2378 (e.g. automated by sed), compilation fixes, updating Texinfo or
2379 lilypond-book commands, updating macros, updating ly code, fixing
2380 cross-references, and operations described in
2381 @ref{Maintaining without updating translations}.
2385 @node Technical background
2386 @subsection Technical background
2388 A number of Python scripts handle a part of the documentation
2389 translation process. All scripts used to maintain the translations
2390 are located in @file{scripts/auxiliar/}.
2393 @item @file{check_translation.py} -- show diff to update a translation,
2394 @item @file{texi-langutils.py} -- quickly and dirtily parse Texinfo files to
2395 make message catalogs and Texinfo skeleton files,
2396 @item @file{texi-skeleton-update.py} -- update Texinfo skeleton files,
2397 @item @file{update-snippets.py} -- synchronize ly snippets with those
2399 @item @file{translations-status.py} -- update translations status pages and word
2400 counts in the file you are reading,
2401 @item @file{tely-gettext.py} -- gettext node names, section titles and references
2402 in the sources; WARNING only use this script once for each file, when support for
2403 "makeinfo --html" has been dropped.
2406 Other scripts are used in the build process, in @file{scripts/build/}:
2409 @item @file{mass-link.py} -- link or symlink files between English documentation
2410 and documentation in other languages.
2413 Python modules used by scripts in @file{scripts/auxiliar/} or @file{scripts/build/} (but
2414 not by installed Python scripts) are located in @file{python/auxiliar/}:
2416 @item @file{manuals_definitions.py} -- define manual names and name of
2417 cross-reference Texinfo macros,
2418 @item @file{buildlib.py} -- common functions (read piped output
2419 of a shell command, use Git),
2420 @item @file{postprocess_html.py} (module imported by @file{www_post.py}) -- add footer and
2421 tweak links in HTML pages.
2426 @item @file{python/langdefs.py} -- language definitions module