Re: \shape question

[David Kastrup]

Urs Liska <address@hidden> writes:

> Am Mittwoch, den 24.04.2013, 11:05 +0200 schrieb David Kastrup:
>> Urs Liska <address@hidden> writes:
>> 
>> > Hi all,
>> >
>> > just a quick (and urgent) question:
>> >
>> > \shape Slur #'((0 . 0)(0 . 0)(0 . 0)(0 . 0))
>> >
>> > should be correct syntax? Or am I blind?
>> > At least LilyPond 2.17.16 hits me
>> >
>> > "
>> > error: wrong type for argument 2.  Expecting symbol list or music, found
>> > ((0 . 0) (0 . 0) (0 . 0) (0 . 0))
>> >   \shape Slur 
>> >               #'((0 . 0)(0 . 0)(0 . 0)(0 . 0))
>> > "
>> > in the face.
>> >
>> > What am I doing wrong? Or has there been further syntax changes since
>> > 2.16 that affect this?
>> 
>> convert-ly -ed exists.
>> 
> Hm.
> Sorry, didn't think about that because I didn't try to use an old file
> but write a new one ...

The \version header at the top of the file does not declare which
LilyPond version you have installed but rather the syntax the file is
written in.  If all you know is LilyPond 2.16, that's what should be
written at the top.  When it turns out that LilyPond balks at what you
write, you can then ask convert-ly for a second opinion.

Also, the documentation
<URL:http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.17/Documentation/notation/modifying-shapes>
clearly states the syntax relevant to version 2.17.  In addition, the
function documentation
<URL:http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.17/Documentation/notation/available-music-functions#index-shape>
clearly states the order of arguments.

convert-ly and the updated documentation exist in order to avoid having
to guide every user (we are banking on there ultimately being more than
a dozen of them) through every change in syntax.

There is actually a lot of effort spent on keeping all of those as well
as their translations (well, the German one _is_ lagging behind here) in
good shape, so it makes good sense to actually make use of that effort.
In contrast to information on the mailing list, the official tools and
documentation go through peer review and discussions.

-- 
David Kastrup