RE: Predefined command maintainer

[Carl D. Sorensen]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Graham Percival [mailto:address@hidden
> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 7:11 PM
> To: Carl D. Sorensen
> Cc: lily-devel
> Subject: Predefined command maintainer
>
>
> I'd like to get a volunteer for Predefined Commands
> Maintainer.  I estimate it'll take 5 hours to set up the
> initial system, another
> 5 hours to deal with issues arising from -user when we
> advertize it, followed by about 30 minutes each month to maintain it.

I could probably spend the time to set up the system over the next month.


>
> This person needs moderate lilypond knowledge (ie "understands LM
> 5 Tweaks"), enough English to understand emails on
> lilypond-user, and git access (this could be granted for this
> task, though).  I can think of half a dozen people who
> qualify; it just depends on their interest and availability.
>

I could probably qualify for these things, except for git.  I tried to use git 
to update FretDiagrams stuff, and I ended up in a dead-end loop where I had 
great functional solutions in my local git directory and couldn't get them onto 
the server.  My ssh keys seemed to not be working right, and I was too busy to 
investigate it at the time.  Now it's been so long I don't even know how to 
recover it.  As you can see from all this, my experience with git has *not* 
been positive, even though I'd like to be good at it.



> Oh, I almost forgot: availability.  Since this *is* a support
> position for GDP, you need to respond within a week.  Ideally
> within two days.  So if you're planning on going canoing
> around Australia during the month of July, please don't volunteer.
>

I will be doing vacations a week at a time over the summer, but I don't have 
any months that I'm gone.

>
> Here's what you do:
> - assuming that the "relative include mode" feature gets
>   implemented, split ly/property-init.ly  into sensible other
> files.  Maybe stuff like ly/pitches-init.ly
> ly/rhythms-init.ly ly/other-init.ly
>
> except don't call it "other".  We'll need to figure out what
> makes sense.  Modify ly/declarations-init.ly accordingly.

Any thoughts on whether the relative include mode is getting implemented?  I 
thought I saw requests, but no takers on implementation.

>
> - In these files, add whatever predefined commands make sense.
> We'll need to figure out what makes sense.  Currently the
> criteria is a vague "whatever commands are necessary to
> produce standard musical notation", where "necessary" and
> "standard" are extremely vaugely-defined.
>
> - Modify the NR @predefined sections to match what you've done in
>   ly/whatever-you-called-them.ly files.
>
>
> The trade-offs are these:
> - we can't add a macro for everything because lilypond too
>   tweakable.  Curse Han-Wen and Jan for making such great
>   software.
> - somebody (ie *you*) needs to fix the
>   ly/whatever-you-called-them.ly files whenever the syntax
> changes.  The more commands you create, the more updating you
> need to do.

I'd expect that most of the updates could be handled by convert-ly, couldn't 
they?


> - if you disappear for two months while you hike across the Sahara
>   desert on foot, we'll be stuck maintaining whatever mess
> you leave behind.  And by "we" I mean "other people", since
> I'll be gone as well.  Don't leave a mess.  And the fewer
> commands we have, the easier it'll be to maintain.

I'm not sure I'm the best one for the job, given my git messups, but if it 
seems that nobody else who is better suited for it signs up, I could be 
convinced to volunteer.

Carl