1 \input texinfo @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @setfilename lilypond-changes.info
3 @settitle LilyPond Changes
8 @macro inputfileref{DIR,NAME}
9 @uref{../../\DIR\/collated-files.html#\NAME\,@file{\DIR\/\NAME\}}@c
11 @macro usermanref{NAME}
12 @inforef{\NAME\,,../user/lilypond/lilypond}@c
17 @macro inputfileref{DIR,NAME}
20 @macro usermanref{NAME}
21 See user manual, \NAME\
25 @macro textanchor{NAME}
32 @documentencoding utf-8
39 @top New features in 2.18 since 2.16
41 @allowcodebreaks false
49 * add new items at the top
51 * only show verbatim input for syntax/input changes
53 * try to be as brief possible in those cases
55 * don't try to provide real-world examples, they often get too big,
56 which scares away people.
58 * Write complete sentences.
60 * only show user-visible changes.
65 Horizontal space is allowed for tempo and rehearsal marks,
66 so that these marks do not overlap each other.
67 A new command @code{\markLengthOff} turns this feature off.
68 @lilypond[quote,relative=0]
70 \tempo "Molto vivace" c''2 c'
72 \tempo "Meno mosso" R1*16
76 When @code{\relative} is used without an explicit reference pitch,
77 the reference pitch now is the middle of the first octave, making
78 the first entered pitch indistinguishable from absolute pitch.
79 Previously, omitting the reference pitch would have lead to a
80 default of @code{c'}. Since that choice was somewhat arbitrary,
81 recommended usage was to always specify the reference pitch.
84 A new command @code{\single} can be used for converting a property
85 override into a tweak to be applied on a single music expression:
87 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
88 <a \single\voiceTwoStyle e' a>1
92 Two ways of letting graphical objects not appear in the output are
93 overriding its @code{transparent} property with @code{#t}
94 (retaining the original spacing) or overriding its @code{stencil}
95 property with @code{#f} (not using any space at all). Those two
96 operations now have the shorthands @code{\hide} and @code{\omit},
97 respectively. They can either be given a music expression to
98 tweak, or the name of a graphical object for which an override
99 should be created (for specifying both, use @code{\single} on the
102 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
103 \new Staff \with { \omit Clef }
104 \relative c'' <a e' \hide a>1
108 A new command @code{\temporary} can be applied to overrides in
109 order to not have them replace previous property settings. If a
110 @code{\revert} is applied to the same property subsequently, the
111 previous setting reappears:
113 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
114 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
115 \override NoteHead.color = #green d
116 \revert NoteHead.color e2
117 \override NoteHead.color = #red c4
118 \temporary\override NoteHead.color = #green d
119 \revert NoteHead.color e
120 \revert NoteHead.color c
123 This is mainly useful for writing music functions that need to
124 have some property changed just for the duration of the function.
127 @code{\tag}, @code{\removeWithTag}, and @code{\keepWithTag} can
128 now accept a list of symbols rather than just a single symbol for
129 marking, removing, and keeping music with any of multiple tags.
130 This is particularly important for @code{\keepWithTag} since one
131 cannot achieve the same effect by using multiple consecutive
132 @code{\keepWithTag} commands.
135 The @samp{-d old-relative} option has been removed. Not actually
136 accessible from the command line any more, its remaining use was
137 for interpretating @code{\relative} in LilyPond files converted
138 automatically from version@tie{}1.8 or older. It is unclear how
139 much of this was actually still operative.
142 The meaning of @code{instrumentTransposition} has been reversed.
145 \set instrumentTransposition = #@{ b #@}
147 a written @code{c'} now sounds like @code{b}. Previously, this
148 would have been the other way round. This and the following change
149 should make dealing with transposing instruments more
153 The music generated by @code{\set} and @code{\override} commands
154 is no longer affected by @code{\transpose}. The main consequence
155 is that @code{\transpose} will transpose audible/@/concert pitch and
156 printed pitch by the same amount even when the transposed music
157 contains @code{\transposition}. Previously,
159 \transpose c' f' \transposition bes'
161 was equivalent to @code{\transposition f'}. Now it stays
162 equivalent to @code{\transposition bes'}.
165 Tuplets are now created with the @code{\tuplet} command, which
166 takes a fraction @code{@var{t}/@var{n}} to specify that @var{t}
167 notes are played in the time usually allowed for @var{n}. One
168 @code{\tuplet} command can create several tuplet groups if their
169 duration is typed after the fraction.
170 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
171 \tuplet 3/2 { c8 d e } \tuplet 3/2 { f e d } c2
172 \tuplet 3/2 4 { c8 d e f e d } c2
174 The @code{\times} command with its inverted fraction order
175 @code{@var{n}/@var{t}} is still available.
178 Introducing two new markup-commands; @code{\draw-dashed-line} and
179 @code{\draw-dotted-line}.
182 The dashed-line extends to the whole length given by @var{dest}, if
183 @code{full-length} is set to @code{#t} (this is the default) without any
184 space at the beginning or end. @code{off} will then be altered to fit.
185 To insist on the given (or default) values of @code{on}, @code{off} use
186 @code{\override #'(full-length . #f)}. Manual settings for @code{on},
187 @code{off} and @code{phase} are possible.
190 The dotted-line always extends to the whole length given by @var{dest},
191 without any space at the beginning or end. Manual settings for
192 @code{off} are possible to get larger or smaller space between the dots.
193 The given (or default) value of @code{off} will be altered to fit the
196 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
198 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
199 \override #'(on . 0.3)
200 \override #'(off . 0.5)
201 \draw-dashed-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
202 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
203 \override #'(thickness . 2)
204 \override #'(off . 0.2)
205 \draw-dotted-line #'(5.1 . 2.3)
210 Starting with version@tie{}2.17.10, error messages or the
211 @code{textedit} @acronym{URI} used for point-and-click
212 functionality specify column numbers starting with@tie{}1 rather
213 than@tie{}0. The byte offset (also part of @code{textedit}
214 @acronym{URI}s) still starts at@tie{}0.
217 The @code{\clef} command supports optional octavation:
218 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
226 The LilyPond syntax of dot-separated words @code{Voice.Accidental}
227 has been made interchangeable with @code{#'(Voice Accidental)}, a
228 Scheme list of symbols. As one result, code like
230 \override Voice.TextSpanner #'(bound-details left text) = "rit."
234 \override Voice.TextSpanner bound-details.left.text = "rit."
238 \override #'(Voice TextSpanner) bound-details.left.text = "rit."
242 Grob and grob property path no longer need to be specified as two
243 separate arguments to commands like @samp{\override} and
244 @code{\revert}, allowing for the syntax
246 \override Voice.TextSpanner.bound-details.left.text = "rit."
248 Since complementary music functions like @samp{\overrideProperty}
249 cannot support forms with and without separating space at the same
250 time, using a single dotted path is now the preferred form.
251 Specifying grob path and grob property path separately, currently
252 still supported with @samp{\override} and @samp{\revert} for
253 compatibility reasons, is deprecated.
256 Due to words now being accepted as symbol function arguments, the
257 interfaces of @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
258 @samp{\footnote} and @samp{\tweak} had to be redesigned where
259 optional symbol arguments were involved. Please check the
260 respective music function documentation for details.
263 Several commands now accept symbol lists (conveniently entered as
264 dot-separated words) for various kinds of arguments. These
265 include @samp{\accidentalStyle}, @samp{\alterBroken},
266 @samp{\footnote}, @samp{\hide}, @samp{\omit},
267 @samp{\overrideProperty}, @samp{\shape}, and @samp{\tweak}.
270 The bar line user interface has changed. Bar glyphs now resemble the
271 appearance of the bar line, so a left repeat sign has to be coded
272 as @code{.|:}. The command @code{\defineBarLine} provides an easy way
273 to define additional bar line styles.
276 Accidentals in the key signature may be printed in octaves other
277 than their traditional positions, or in multiple octaves.
278 @lilypond[quote,relative=0]
279 \override Staff.KeySignature #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
280 \override Staff.KeyCancellation #'flat-positions = #'((-5 . 5))
281 \clef bass \key es\major es g bes d
282 \clef treble \bar "||" \key es\major es g bes d
283 \override Staff.KeySignature #'sharp-positions = #'(2)
284 \bar "||" \key d\major b fis b2
290 For older news, go to
291 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.16/Documentation/changes/},
292 @uref{http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.14/Documentation/changes/},
293 or @uref{../,go back} to the Documentation index.