Re: 'avoid-slur proposals

[Mark Polesky]

Neil Puttock wrote:
> >   Why does Slur have an 'avoid-slur property?
> So they avoid phrasing slurs.
> 
> \relative c' {
>   \override Slur #'avoid-slur = #'outside
>   c\( d( e) f\)
> }

Okay, but the semantics are contradictory. One could think
of the command in your example in two different ways:
Adjust the slur to keep the slur outside the phrasing-slur.
-or-
Adjust the slur to keep the phrasing-slur inside the slur.

Neither is reflected with the current syntax. Either of
these (non-functioning) commands would be clearer:
\override Slur #'avoid-phrasing-slur = #'outside
-or-
\override PhrasingSlur #'avoid-slur = #'inside

Incidentally, the second command does nothing, which is
unfortunate since it's more intuitive WRT the docstring.

As a kludge, we could add an exception clause to the
docstring, but ideally that's the wrong solution IMO.

Lastly, this construct is also semantically lacking:
  \override Staff.Clef #'avoid-slurs = ##f
It's really the slur that's avoiding the clef. This
would be more intuitive:
\override Slur #'ignore-clefs = ##t(default would be #f)
...but that would be a terrible idea, because you'd want
'ignore-time-signatures, 'ignore-key-signatures, etc...

Maybe something like this would be ideal:
\override Slur #'avoid-list =
  #'(clef key-signature time-signature ...)
Maybe not exactly that, but something like it? And then 
you could do the same thing for Tie andPhrasingSlur.

Anyway, don't forget that my category is Bug Hunter/
Suggestions. I understand if some of my proposals are
just too impractical to consider. I usually don't know
what it involves, so pardon my occasional ambitiousness!


> > 2. add a choice: 'ignore
> Sounds like a good idea, and only requires one extra
> line of code...

Don't let me stop you! (:


> > 4. implement 'avoid-ties and 'avoid-phrasing-slurs?
> Judging by the number of `ugh' comments related to 
> avoid-slur in the source, extending the same behaviour
< to ties is probably undesirable (though it would be 
> good if they avoided clefs and time signatures).

Only if the user could choose. Would my earlier idea:
\override Tie #'avoid-list =
  #'(clef key-signature time-signature ...)
be workable? Practical?

> Regards,
> Neil

Thanks for such a thorough response.
- Mark