Re: What is the problem with "\relative"? (Was: Do we really offer the future?)

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi Federico,

> I see the first as less cluttered than the second (and another example of 
> music can appear much more cluttered than above example).

I see the second as containing more information encoded directly in the input, 
and requiring less to be added by the user.

> I don't like trying to "see" the music in the lilypond input. I prefer using 
> point-and-click.

As far as I know, we are still trying to position Lilypond as useable without a 
GUI, and hence without “point-and-click”.
Hence we shouldn’t make decisions on fundamental structure, syntax, and so on 
based on hypothetical (or sometimes-real) GUI conveniences.

> Maybe, you, as a composer, want to see the input in a different way from me.

I, as an engraver, want to know immediately what note I’m working with, without 
having to spend the time (in a non-GUI editor) backtracking and calculating the 
aggregate octave displacement.

Luckily, I guess, there are both options.
You are free to use the one you find superior (i.e., relative), and I will 
continue to use the one I find superior (i.e., absolute).
=)

Regards,
Kieren.
________________________________

Kieren MacMillan, composer
‣ website: www.kierenmacmillan.info
‣ email: address@hidden