Re: Gets rid of length in the docs. (issue 4965053)

[Mike Solomon]

On Aug 30, 2011, at 3:04 PM, Trevor Daniels wrote:

> 
> Mike Solomon wrote Tuesday, August 30, 2011 12:45 PM
> 
>> I believe that Trevor is claiming that #(stem::length 5) is worse from a 
>> UI-perspective than #5.
> 
> Yes.   
>> I think he is right insofar as stem::length means there are more things to 
>> type, 
> 
> No.  That's not the point.  A user wanting to
> change the length of a stem has to work out how
> to do it.  Looking up 'length in the IR was
> do-able, as the LM explains in some detail how to do that.  Relating "length" 
> to Y-extent is not an obvious step, more so for a user unfamiliar with
> extents.  Then having to use an unusual construct
> makes it even worse.  Users have a hard enough
> time with {}, #s, ' and `.  Now we have ::.
> 

I'll certainly take your word for it - UI is not my specialty by a long shot.

>> but I think that if the person has gotten to the point where they are doing 
>> tweaks, they can write #(stem::length 5) instead of #5 with little to no 
>> extra mental overhead 
> 
> Wrong.  It is not capable of being determined a
> priori.  Much less remembered by anyone unversed
> in scheme.
> 
>> (especially if it is explained in the docs).  
> 
> I guess I may have to do this :(  It's quite an
> extension to the LM though, and one we decided
> against when laying out the schema for the
> documentation.  All the scheme stuff goes in
> the Extending manual under Interfaces for
> programmers.  Not a comfortable place for the
> typical user. 
> Trevor
> 
> 

As I stated in a previous mail, it is easy to re-instate a length property in 
the stem-interface and then build it into either Stem::internal_height or 
Stem::print.  I have no problem with this.

What do you mean when you say that all the Scheme stuff goes in the Extending 
manual?  #5 is Scheme, as is #(stem::length 5), as is ly:note-head::print.  All 
I think should be explained in the docs is Y-extent: I'm certainly not 
suggesting that advanced Scheme concepts be explained here.  But, again, this 
is outside my realm of expertise - whatever you feel is best for UI is what you 
should go with.  If you ask me "please write length back into the source so 
that it does what it did in 2.15.8," I'll do it tomorrow afternoon and have it 
on Rietveld before I leave so that someone can push it in my absence if they so 
choose.

Cheers,
MS