Re: [GLISS] turn xxx.yyy into ("xxx" "yyy")

[David Kastrup]

David Nalesnik <address@hidden> writes:

> On Wed, Sep 12, 2012 at 3:38 AM, David Kastrup <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> [...]
>
>>
>> Basically, if a music function wants to provide a shorthand for an
>> override, not being able to specify an optional context is a nuisance.
>> I currently have just the same problem writing a \hide function that is
>> supposed to be a shortcut for \override ??? #'stencil = ##f .
>>
>> Using periods to build a string list seems reasonably straightforward to
>> me.  It would happen in the parser rather than the lexer, so spaces are
>> allowed and it should not cause conflicts with chord modifiers and other
>> awkward stuff.
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
>
> This would be a welcome change.  Besides eliminating the need for
> string manipulation to get at the name of the context, this would
> bring the syntax of \alterBroken and \overrideProperty more in line
> with \override (though of course there's still the matter of the =
> sign).

The = sign will come into range when I haul in issue 2072.  I am not
sure we actually _want_ that, though (basically, you'd make
\override-like a procedure-with-setter where only the setter actually
does something and the procedure itself complains about bad syntax).
What will _not_ come into range ever is

\override-like context.grob #'property #'subproperty #'subsubproperty = ...

That one's just sick and should be #'(property subproperty
subsubproperty) instead like it is with \revert.  You can't actually
compute the property path for use with the current override syntax but
have to spell it out (well yes, I know about #@ but it is not intended
as emergency duct tape for misdesigned syntax).

-- 
David Kastrup