[lilypond.git] / Documentation / usage / external.itely

@c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-

@ignore
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@c \version "2.19.21"

@node External programs
@chapter External programs

LilyPond can interact with other programs in various ways.

@menu
* Point and click::
* Text editor support::
* Converting from other formats::
* LilyPond output in other programs::
* Independent includes::
@end menu


@node Point and click
@section Point and click
@cindex point and click

Point and click lets you find notes in the input by clicking on them
in the PDF viewer.  This makes it easier to find input that causes some
error in the sheet music.

@menu
* Configuring the system for point and click::
* Enabling point and click::
* Selective point-and-click::
@end menu

@node Configuring the system for point and click
@subsection Configuring the system

When this functionality is active, LilyPond adds hyperlinks to PDF and
SVG files.  These hyperlinks are sent to a @q{URI helper} or a
web-browser, which opens a text-editor with the cursor in the right
place.

To make this chain work, you should configure your PDF viewer to
follow hyperlinks using the @file{lilypond-invoke-editor} script
supplied with LilyPond.

The program @file{lilypond-invoke-editor} is a small helper
program.  It will invoke an editor for the special @code{textedit}
URIs, and run a web browser for others.  It tests the environment
variable @code{EDITOR} for the following patterns,

@table @code
@item emacs
  this will invoke
@example
emacsclient --no-wait +@var{line}:@var{column} @var{file}
@end example
@item gvim
  this will invoke
@example
gvim --remote +:@var{line}:norm@var{column} @var{file}
@end example

@item nedit
this will invoke
@example
  nc -noask +@var{line} @var{file}'
@end example
@end table

The environment variable @code{LYEDITOR} is used to override this.  It
contains the command line to start the editor, where @code{%(file)s},
@code{%(column)s}, @code{%(line)s} is replaced with the file, column
and line respectively.  The  setting

@example
emacsclient --no-wait +%(line)s:%(column)s %(file)s
@end example

@noindent
for @code{LYEDITOR} is equivalent to the standard emacsclient
invocation.


@menu
* Using Xpdf for point and click::
* Using GNOME 2 for point and click::
* Using GNOME 3 for point and click::
* Extra configuration for Evince::
@end menu

@node Using Xpdf for point and click
@unnumberedsubsubsec Using Xpdf
@cindex Xpdf

For Xpdf on UNIX, the following should be present in
@file{xpdfrc}.  On UNIX, this file is found either in
@file{/etc/xpdfrc} or as @file{$HOME/.xpdfrc}.

@example
urlCommand     "lilypond-invoke-editor %s"
@end example

If you are using Ubuntu, it is likely that the version of Xpdf
installed with your system crashes on every PDF file: this state
has been persisting for several years and is due to library
mismatches.  Your best bet is to install a current @samp{xpdf}
package and the corresponding @samp{libpoppler} package from
Debian instead.  Once you have tested that this works, you might
want to use
@example
sudo apt-mark hold xpdf
@end example
@noindent
in order to keep Ubuntu from overwriting it with the next
@q{update} of its crashing package.

@node Using GNOME 2 for point and click
@unnumberedsubsubsec Using GNOME 2

For using GNOME 2 (and PDF viewers integrated with it), the magic
invocation for telling the system about the @samp{textedit:} URI
is
@example
gconftool-2 -t string -s /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/textedit/command "lilypond-invoke-editor %s"
gconftool-2 -s /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/textedit/needs_terminal false -t bool
gconftool-2 -t bool -s /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/textedit/enabled true
@end example

After that invocation,
@example
gnome-open textedit:///etc/issue:1:0:0
@end example
@noindent
should call @file{lilypond-invoke-editor} for opening files.

@node Using GNOME 3 for point and click
@unnumberedsubsubsec Using GNOME 3

In GNOME 3, URIs are handled by the @q{gvfs} layer rather than by
@q{gconf}.  Create a file in a local directory such as @file{/tmp}
that is called @file{lilypond-invoke-editor.desktop} and has the contents
@example
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Name=lilypond-invoke-editor
GenericName=Textedit URI handler
Comment=URI handler for textedit:
Exec=lilypond-invoke-editor %u
Terminal=false
Type=Application
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/textedit;
Categories=Editor
NoDisplay=true
@end example
and then execute the commands
@example
xdg-desktop-menu install ./lilypond-invoke-editor.desktop
xdg-mime default lilypond-invoke-editor.desktop x-scheme-handler/textedit
@end example

After that invocation,
@example
gnome-open textedit:///etc/issue:1:0:0
@end example
@noindent
should call @file{lilypond-invoke-editor} for opening files.

@node Extra configuration for Evince
@unnumberedsubsubsec Extra configuration for Evince
@cindex Evince

If @code{gnome-open} works, but Evince still refuses to open point
and click links due to denied permissions, you might need to
change the Apparmor profile of Evince which controls the kind of
actions Evince is allowed to perform.

For Ubuntu, the process is to edit the file
@file{/etc/apparmor.d/local/usr.bin.evince} and append the
following lines:
@example
# For Textedit links
/usr/local/bin/lilypond-invoke-editor Cx -> sanitized_helper,
@end example
@noindent

After adding these lines, call

@example
sudo apparmor_parser -r -T -W /etc/apparmor.d/usr.bin.evince
@end example

@noindent
Now Evince should be able to open point and click links.  It is
likely that similar configurations will work for other viewers.

@node Enabling point and click
@unnumberedsubsec Enabling point and click
@cindex file size, output

Point and click functionality is enabled by default when creating
PDF or SVG files.

The point and click links enlarge the output files significantly.  For
reducing the size of these (and PS) files, point and click may
be switched off by issuing

@example
\pointAndClickOff
@end example

@noindent
in a @file{.ly} file.  Point and click may be explicitly enabled with

@example
\pointAndClickOn
@end example

Alternately, you may disable point and click with a command-line
option:

@example
lilypond -dno-point-and-click file.ly
@end example

@warning{You should always turn off point and click in any LilyPond
files to be distributed to avoid including path information about
your computer in the PDF file, which can pose a security risk.}

@node Selective point-and-click
@unnumberedsubsec Selective point-and-click

For some interactive applications, it may be desirable to only
include certain point-and-click items.  For example, if somebody
wanted to create an application which played audio or video
starting from a particular note, it would be awkward if clicking
on the note produced the point-and-click location for an
accidental or slur which occurred over that note.

This may be controlled by indicating which events to include:

@itemize
@item
Hard-coded in the @file{.ly} file:

@example
\pointAndClickTypes #'note-event
\relative @{
  c'2\f( f)
@}
@end example

or

@example
#(ly:set-option 'point-and-click 'note-event)
\relative @{
  c'2\f( f)
@}
@end example

@item
Command-line:

@example
lilypond -dpoint-and-click=note-event   example.ly
@end example

@end itemize

Multiple events can be included:

@itemize
@item
Hard-coded in the @file{.ly} file:

@example
\pointAndClickTypes #'(note-event dynamic-event)
\relative @{
  c'2\f( f)
@}
@end example

or

@example
#(ly:set-option 'point-and-click '(note-event dynamic-event))
\relative @{
  c'2\f( f)
@}
@end example

@item
Command-line:

@smallexample
lilypond \
  -e"(ly:set-option 'point-and-click '(note-event dynamic-event))" \
  example.ly
@end smallexample


@end itemize


@node Text editor support
@section Text editor support

@cindex editors
@cindex vim
@cindex emacs
@cindex modes, editor
@cindex syntax coloring
@cindex coloring, syntax

There is support for different text editors for LilyPond.

@menu
* Emacs mode::
* Vim mode::
* Other editors::
@end menu

@node Emacs mode
@unnumberedsubsec Emacs mode

Emacs has a @file{lilypond-mode}, which provides keyword
autocompletion, indentation, LilyPond specific parenthesis matching
and syntax coloring, handy compile short-cuts and reading LilyPond
manuals using Info.  If @file{lilypond-mode} is not installed on your
platform, see below.

An Emacs mode for entering music and running LilyPond is contained in
the source archive in the @file{elisp} directory.  Do @command{make
install} to install it to @var{elispdir}.  The file @file{lilypond-init.el}
should be placed to @var{load-path}@file{/site-start.d/} or appended
to your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.emacs.el}.

As a user, you may want add your source path (e.g. @file{~/site-lisp/}) to
your @var{load-path} by appending the following line (as modified) to your
@file{~/.emacs}

@c any reason we do not advise:  (push "~/site-lisp" load-path)
@example
(setq load-path (append (list (expand-file-name "~/site-lisp")) load-path))
@end example


@node Vim mode
@unnumberedsubsec Vim mode

For @uref{http://@/www@/.vim@/.org,Vim}, a filetype plugin, indent
mode, and syntax-highlighting mode are available to use with
LilyPond.  To enable all of these features, create (or modify)
your @file{$HOME/.vimrc} to contain these three lines, in order:

@example
filetype off
set runtimepath+=/usr/local/share/lilypond/current/vim/
filetype on
syntax on
@end example

@noindent
If LilyPond is not installed in the @file{/usr/local/} directory,
change the path appropriately.  This topic is discussed in
@rlearning{Other sources of information}.


@node Other editors
@unnumberedsubsec Other editors

Other editors (both text and graphical) support LilyPond, but
their special configuration files are not distributed with
LilyPond.  Consult their documentation for more information.  Such
editors are listed in @rweb{Easier editing}.


@node Converting from other formats
@section Converting from other formats

Music can be entered also by importing it from other formats.  This
chapter documents the tools included in the distribution to do so.
There are other tools that produce LilyPond input, for example GUI
sequencers and XML converters.  Refer to the
@uref{http://@/lilypond@/.org,website} for more details.

These are separate programs from @command{lilypond} itself, and are
run on the command line; see @ref{Command-line usage} for more
information.  If you have MacOS 10.3 or 10.4 and you have trouble
running some of these scripts, e.g. @code{convert-ly}, see
@rweb{MacOS X}.


@knownissues
We unfortunately do not have the resources to maintain these
programs; please consider them @qq{as-is}.  Patches are appreciated, but
bug reports will almost certainly not be resolved.

@menu
* Invoking midi2ly::            Importing MIDI.
* Invoking musicxml2ly::        Importing MusicXML.
* Invoking abc2ly::             Importing ABC.
* Invoking etf2ly::             Importing Finale.
* Other formats::
@end menu



@node Invoking midi2ly
@subsection Invoking @command{midi2ly}

@cindex MIDI

@command{midi2ly} translates a Type@tie{}1 MIDI file to a LilyPond source
file.

MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) is a standard for digital
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 importing files from a program that has a converter for a
direct format.

@command{midi2ly} converts tracks into @rinternals{Staff} and
channels into @rinternals{Voice} contexts.  Relative mode is used
for pitches, durations are only written when necessary.

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.
When invoked with quantizing (@option{-s} and @option{-d} options)
@command{midi2ly} tries to compensate for these timing errors, but is not
very good at this.  It is therefore not recommended to use @command{midi2ly}
for human-generated midi files.


It is invoked from the command-line as follows,
@example
midi2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{midi-file}
@end example

Note that by @q{command-line}, we mean the command line of the
operating system.  See @ref{Converting from other formats}, for
more information about this.

The following options are supported by @command{midi2ly}.

@table @code
@item -a, --absolute-pitches
Print absolute pitches.

@item -d, --duration-quant=@var{DUR}
Quantize note durations on @var{DUR}.

@item -e, --explicit-durations
Print explicit durations.

@item -h, --help
Show summary of usage.

@item -k, --key=@var{acc}[:@var{minor}]
Set default key.  @math{@var{acc} > 0} sets number of sharps;
@math{@var{acc} < 0} sets number of flats.  A minor key is indicated by
@code{:1}.

@item -o, --output=@var{file}
Write output to @var{file}.

@item -s, --start-quant=@var{DUR}
Quantize note starts on @var{DUR}.

@item -t, --allow-tuplet=@var{DUR}*@var{NUM}/@var{DEN}
Allow tuplet durations @var{DUR}*@var{NUM}/@var{DEN}.

@item -v, --verbose
Be verbose.

@item -V, --version
Print version number.

@item -w, --warranty
Show warranty and copyright.

@item -x, --text-lyrics
Treat every text as a lyric.
@end table


@knownissues

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 musicxml2ly
@subsection Invoking @code{musicxml2ly}

@cindex MusicXML

@uref{http://@/www.@/musicxml@/.org/,MusicXML} is an XML dialect
for representing music notation.

@command{musicxml2ly} extracts the notes, articulations, score structure,
lyrics, etc. from part-wise MusicXML files, and writes them to a @file{.ly}
file.  It is invoked from the command-line.


It is invoked from the command-line as follows,
@example
musicxml2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{xml-file}
@end example

Note that by @q{command-line}, we mean the command line of the
operating system.  See @ref{Converting from other formats}, for
more information about this.

If the given filename is @file{-}, @command{musicxml2ly} reads input
from the command line.

The following options are supported by @command{musicxml2ly}:

@table @code
@item -a, --absolute
convert pitches in absolute mode.

@item -h, --help
print usage and option summary.

@item -l, --language=LANG
use LANG for pitch names, e.g. 'deutsch' for note names in German.

@item --loglevel=@var{loglevel}
Set the output verbosity to @var{loglevel}. Possible values are @code{NONE},
@code{ERROR}, @code{WARNING}, @code{PROGRESS} (default) and @code{DEBUG}.

@item --lxml
use the lxml.etree Python package for XML-parsing; uses less memory and cpu time.

@item -m, --midi
activate midi-block.

@item -nd, --no-articulation-directions
do not convert directions (@code{^}, @code{_} or @code{-}) for
articulations, dynamics, etc.

@item --no-beaming
do not convert beaming information, use LilyPond's automatic
beaming instead.

@item -o, --output=@var{file}
set output filename to @var{file}.  If @var{file} is @file{-}, the output
will be printed on stdout.  If not given, @var{xml-file}@file{.ly} will
be used.

@item -r, --relative
convert pitches in relative mode (default).

@item -v, --verbose
be verbose.

@item --version
print version information.

@item -z, --compressed
input file is a zip-compressed MusicXML file.
@end table


@node Invoking abc2ly
@subsection Invoking @code{abc2ly}

@warning{This program is not supported, and may be remove from
future versions of LilyPond.}

@cindex ABC

ABC is a fairly simple ASCII based format.  It is described at the ABC site:

@quotation
@uref{http://@/www@/.walshaw@/.plus@/.com/@/abc/@/learn@/.html}.
@end quotation

@command{abc2ly} translates from ABC to LilyPond.  It is invoked as follows:

@example
abc2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{abc-file}
@end example

The following options are supported by @command{abc2ly}:

@table @code
@item -b, --beams=None
preserve ABC's notion of beams
@item -h, --help
this help
@item -o, --output=@var{file}
set output filename to @var{file}.
@item -s, --strict
be strict about success
@item --version
print version information.
@end table

There is a rudimentary facility for adding LilyPond code to the ABC
source file.  If you say:

@example
%%LY voices \set autoBeaming = ##f
@end example

This will cause the text following the keyword @q{voices} to be inserted
into the current voice of the LilyPond output file.

Similarly,

@example
%%LY slyrics more words
@end example

will cause the text following the @q{slyrics} keyword to be inserted
into the current line of lyrics.


@knownissues

The ABC standard is not very @q{standard}.  For extended features
(e.g., polyphonic music) different conventions exist.

Multiple tunes in one file cannot be converted.

ABC synchronizes words and notes at the beginning of a line;
@command{abc2ly} does not.

@command{abc2ly} ignores the ABC beaming.


@node Invoking etf2ly
@subsection Invoking @command{etf2ly}

@warning{This program is not supported, and may be remove from
future versions of LilyPond.}

@cindex ETF
@cindex enigma
@cindex Finale
@cindex Coda Technology

ETF (Enigma Transport Format) is a format used by Coda Music
Technology's Finale product.  @command{etf2ly} will convert part of an ETF
file to a ready-to-use LilyPond file.

It is invoked from the command-line as follows.

@example
etf2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{etf-file}
@end example

Note that by @q{command-line}, we mean the command line of the
operating system.  See @ref{Converting from other formats}, for
more information about this.

The following options are supported by @command{etf2ly}:

@table @code
@item -h, --help
this help
@item -o, --output=@var{FILE}
set output filename to @var{FILE}
@item --version
version information
@end table


@knownissues

The list of articulation scripts is incomplete.  Empty measures
confuse @command{etf2ly}.  Sequences of grace notes are ended improperly.


@node Other formats
@subsection Other formats

@cindex External programs, generating LilyPond files

LilyPond itself does not come with support for any other formats,
but some external tools can also generate LilyPond files.  These
are listed in @rweb{Easier editing}.



@node LilyPond output in other programs
@section LilyPond output in other programs

This section shows methods to integrate text and music, different than
the automated method with @command{lilypond-book}.

@menu
* Many quotes from a large score::
* Inserting LilyPond output into OpenOffice and LibreOffice::
* Inserting LilyPond output into other programs::
@end menu

@node Many quotes from a large score
@unnumberedsubsec Many quotes from a large score

If you need to quote many fragments from a large score, you can also use
the clip systems feature, see @ruser{Extracting fragments of music}.


@node Inserting LilyPond output into OpenOffice and LibreOffice
@unnumberedsubsec Inserting LilyPond output into OpenOffice and LibreOffice

@cindex OpenOffice.org
@cindex LibreOffice.org

LilyPond notation can be added to OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice with
@uref{http://@/ooolilypond@/.sourceforge@/.net@/,OOoLilyPond}.


@node Inserting LilyPond output into other programs
@unnumberedsubsec Inserting LilyPond output into other programs

To insert LilyPond output in other programs, use @code{lilypond}
instead of @code{lilypond-book}.  Each example must be created
individually and added to the document; consult the documentation for
that program.  Most programs will be able to insert LilyPond output in
@file{PNG}, @file{EPS}, or @file{PDF} formats.

To reduce the white space around your LilyPond score, use
the following options

@example
\paper@{
  indent=0\mm
  line-width=120\mm
  oddFooterMarkup=##f
  oddHeaderMarkup=##f
  bookTitleMarkup = ##f
  scoreTitleMarkup = ##f
@}

@{ c1 @}
@end example

To produce useful image files:

@example
EPS

lilypond -dbackend=eps -dno-gs-load-fonts -dinclude-eps-fonts myfile.ly

PNG

lilypond -dbackend=eps -dno-gs-load-fonts -dinclude-eps-fonts --png myfile.ly

A transparent PNG

lilypond -dbackend=eps -dno-gs-load-fonts -dinclude-eps-fonts \
  -dpixmap-format=pngalpha --png myfile.ly
@end example


@node Independent includes
@section Independent @code{include}s

Some people have written large (and useful!) code that can be
shared between projects.  This code might eventually make its way
into LilyPond itself, but until that happens, you must download
and @code{\include} them manually.


@menu
* MIDI articulation::
@end menu


@node MIDI articulation
@subsection MIDI articulation

LilyPond can be used to produce MIDI output, for
@qq{proof-hearing} what has been written.  However, only dynamics,
explicit tempo markings, and the notes and durations themselves
are produced in the output.

The @emph{articulate} project is one attempt to get more of the
information in the score into MIDI.  It works by shortening
notes not under slurs, to @q{articulate} the notes.  The amount of
shortening depends on any articulation markings attached to a
note: staccato halves the note value, tenuto gives a note its full
duration, and so on.  The script also realises trills and turns,
and could be extended to expand other ornaments such as mordents.

@example
@uref{http://@/www@/.nicta@/.com@/.au/@/people/@/chubbp/@/articulate}
@end example

@knownissues

Its main limitation is that it can only affect things it knows
about: anything that is merely textual markup (instead of a note
property) is still ignored.