Re: new and context

[Noeck]

Am 07.12.2012 07:43, schrieb David Kastrup:
> Noeck <address@hidden> writes:
> 
>> Staff "var" { a4 }
>> Staff "var" …    or even (?)   \var …
> 
> Staff and "var" are valid lyrics.  Most complex syntactic constructs
> start with a keyword starting with backslash for that reason, or with
> special characters.
I rather meant the necessity of \new and \context, so
\Staff = "var" { a4 }
\Staff = "var" …    or even (?)   \var …

>> I think it is always better to make the usage of the software easy,
>> than having to explain a lot in the documentation why this has to be
>> done in a complex way (even if it is easy compared to the knowledge of
>> the developers).
> 
> "Easy" is not the same as "arbitrary".  Your proposal is not anything
> like any other LilyPond construct, so how would a user be able to guess
> and/or remember it?
In my opinion, less words for a correct syntax can be easier learnt by
heart. And in case it is possible to let LilyPond/the parser take
obvious decisions, it would be good to let him do. Then the user would
not have to deal with it. (If there is a valid use case, where one would
like to write \new Staff = "var" having already declared a staff named
"var" then the parser couldn't do that).

>> But probably, I do not know enough about LilyPond to see the reason
>> for this and the drawbacks my suggestion would have (I wrote it,
>> because I see a small chance that it is not totally rubbish ;) ).
> 
> Well, it is a bit like closing your eyes and running in order to find a
> better way through the woods than the existing one which one considers
> too winded.  Yes, a small chance, but it is somewhat optimistic to
> assume that one will get through and that the original pathmakers were
> just too stupid to see the simpler way.
> 

:) That was a good description – I will be a bit more quiet with such
“ideas”.

Cheers,
Joram