Re: Using Unicode symbols for accidentals

[Hans Aberg]

On 11 Nov 2011, at 23:04, Pavel Roskin wrote:

> It's not exactly a bug, more like a feature request :)
> 
> I have noticed that convert-ly removes the \encoding and converts
> everything to UTF-8.  So I hoped I could use some Unicode symbols to
> make the sources more compact and readable:
> 
> \version "2.14.2"
> \score {
>  \new Staff { d♭8 f♯ }
>  \layout { }
> }
> 
> Unfortunately, it doesn't work:

Just edit scm/define-note-names.scm. Add a language by copying another, call it 
say unicode, and write
  (unicode . (
    ...
    (f . ,(ly:make-pitch -1 3 NATURAL))
    (f♯ . ,(ly:make-pitch -1 3 SHARP))
    ...
  ))

Then write in the .ly file:
  \language "unicode"
  ...
  f♯

It works in lilypond 2.15.17. I think there was a discussion about it before, 
in the user list perhaps.

Also note that LilyPond does not accept ♯ as an operator, which has has an 
advantage over just giving a list of commonly used names, especially when 
extending to microtonality.

Hans