Re: constructive criticism

[John Williams]

On Wed, 7 Jan 2004, Han-Wen Nienhuys wrote:
> >In other words, if you don't like the default, the only way to change it
> >is with a complicated hack which requires an expert in scheme, tex,
> >postscript, and lilypond internals to figure out. If you cannot find a
> >preexisting recipe or someone to write one for you, you are screwed.
> >(Relevant example in this context: how do I create a staff group with a
> >brace on the left, but without connecting the barlines?)
>
> Your "relevant" example actually has nothing to do with the manual
> snippet you quote, and the hack doesn't involve postscript or tex. It
> is also not something that is very complicated. The information you
> need is in the program reference manual, and appropriate sections are
> directly linked from the refman section on bar lines.

I respectfully submit that you are missing the point(s).

(point 1) You wrote the thing, so of course it is not complicated for you.
For us who are trying to learn this thing, it is quite a different story.

I have been wondering about how to do that for a long time.  It _seems_
like a simple thing, so if I'm going to continue to use lilypond, I should
be able to sometimes figure out a simple thing without resorting to the
mailing list.  Well, after occasionally searching the manual and pondering
its contents over a period of months, I finally have it, but...

(point 2) the above paragraph is extremely relevant, since it is the only
clue (that I can find) in the manual to suggest that setting the
systemStartDelimiter only works if you do it in the \translator section.

(point 3) Sure, some of the appropriate sections are linked to, but unless
I am an expert in scheme and lilypond internals, putting it all together
is a very daunting task, full of frustration and tweaks which do nothing.
The example paragraph says you can use a \translator or \applyoutput, but
it neither links to sections describing those, nor does it give an example
how to use either one of them.


About the new \with syntax:

Will this work?
  \new ChoirStaff \with { systemStartDelimiter = #'SystemStartBrace }

How about this?
  \new GrandStaff \with { \remove Span_bar_engraver }

(Sorry, I didn't have time to download the latest CVS right now, but
feel free to add these as regression tests.)

If the answers are yes, then I think it is a very good idea.  I like the
idea of being able to attach things to Contexts similar to how we attach
articulations to notes.

~ John Williams