No midi?

[charles]

Is there an absolute need for the midi interface in Lilypond?
Is the spacing of its output totally dependant on being midi functional?

Could Lilypond be ported without the midi function or are there historic
versions without midi?

What I would really like to see is a true music notation program
that could easily notate polyphony, and have flexibility in note and
raster spacing.
It seems to me that the biggest hurdle in the implimentation of a
versitile
computer notation device has always been the need to make it make noise!

I have recently started to code in Linux and would like to try working
with some existing music notation source to make it graphically fast and
publication friendly.
What I would like to try is to impliment a real time out for the
graphics functions of a notation system in Linux.
Its really hard to write input to a program if you must wait to see its
compilation.

I agree that a button based gui system is far fetched in music notation.

A more realistic method would be a command line in conjuntion with a
reasonable, simple X gui.
Noteedit is a good start but is again too dependent upon midi, and will
no dought fall flat with effective notation,
like all but the most expensive commercial software.

I have no burning need to hear a midi rendition of that which I write.
I am also sure that composers and music teachers that have tonal vision
are insulted by the  sounds produced
by a so called sound card. Thats why they are so dedicated to Mac.
Its notation software and devices have always lead the way,
and real musicians use more than just midi to interface with it.

Any suggestions on how to impliment a real time command line interface
that could work with a notation display would be appreciated.

Malloc might be a problem as it will undoughtedly require some heavy
forwhiles.
I am debating using only c++  for this reason.
No dought a separate instant  enter command after each notation element
will be necessary.
The input command launguage will need revision as Lilyponds source seems
heavily coded in C,
so it might be too long a project.
There is a source available in c++  for an old Win 3.1 hack called
Muzika.
It looks interesting as it always had trouble implimenting midi, but no
trouble diplaying notation.
Guess I'll take a whack at both.
Slash and burn or gentle modification, perhaps a little of both and a
lot of new thinking might work.

Thanks Eric Reesor