Re: Instrumental Group Names in Score

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi Jeremiah,

> Once again (and again), thank you for your advice.

=)

> In the particular instance above, however, I am not sure how I  
> would *know*
> to replace \GrandStaff with \InnerStaffGroup. See next paragrraph  
> below.

Okay... I think I'm beginning to understand your issue(s).

> (1) Last year I had to learn LaTeX and a corollary TeX based  
> technical drawing package
> called mfpic in order to typeset mathematical expressions and  
> illustrations.

I *love* LaTeX: I use it almost daily, to typeset my mathematical  
papers (number theory, mostly).
[Not coincidentally, I discovered LaTeX through Lilypond, since  
Lilypond was originally based heavily in LaTeX...]

> In three weeks I was up and running in LaTeX and mfpic and could  
> produce *professional* quality work.

But could you create your own .sty file, with environment  
definitions? [see below]

> I have easily spent 10 times the amount of time studying Lilypond
> and understand only 1/10th of what I can do in LaTeX.

This may be because LaTeX includes *significantly* more (and more  
complex) macros which sit on top of (Plain) TeX -- i.e., you don't  
have to "hand-code" as much in LaTeX as you do in Lilypond.

> I *understand* LaTeX; I am *baffled* by Lilypond.

Yes, but you're comparing apples to oranges in a way...
You should compare a Lilypond file to a (Plain) TeX file where you  
need to define your own stylesheet -- I think you'd find that  
Lilypond compares (more) favourably there.

This is not to say that Lilypond shouldn't be easier (the way LaTeX  
is *MUCH* easier than Plain TeX).
I'm just pointing out that LaTeX is much more "mature" that way.

> (2) A recent thread raised the issue of engraving title pages in  
> Lilypond books
>  oddFooterMarkup = \markup \column {
>     \fill-line {
>       %% put copyright only on pagenr. 1
>       \on-the-fly #(lambda (layout props arg)
>                      (if (and (= 1 (chain-assoc-get 'page:page-number props -1))
>                               (not (chain-assoc-get 'page:last?   
> props #f)))
>                          (interpret-markup layout props arg)
>                          empty-stencil))
>       \fromproperty #'header:longcopyright
>     }
>
> I am *completely* lost. I have no idea of the what this code is for.

I imagine you might be in the same situation if you needed to edit a  
real (low-level) TeX stylesheet file, e.g.

   \def\plaincases#1{\left\{\,\vcenter{\normalbaselines
     \mathsurround=0pt\relax
     \ialign{$##\hfil$&\quad##\hfil\crcr#1\crcr}}\right.}
   \def\plainmatrix#1{\null\,\vcenter{\normalbaselines 
\mathsurround=0pt\relax
     \ialign{\hfil$##$\hfil&&\quad\hfil$##$\hfil\crcr
      \mathstrut\crcr\noalign{\kern-\baselineskip}
      #1\crcr\mathstrut\crcr\noalign{\kern-\baselineskip}}}\,}
   \def\pplainmatrix#1{\left(\plainmatrix{#1}\right)}
   \let\plainpmatrix\pplainmatrix

The benefit of LaTeX, coupled with whatever documentclass and  
packages you use, is that you don't NEED to access the code at that  
level.
Lilypond just doesn't have those abstracted stylesheets.

> If you don't do something, Lilypond creates it for you (Book,  
> Score, Staff).

I, too, have mixed feelings about this "generosity". Then again, I  
think HTML should never have been so generous -- but we probably  
wouldn't have a WWW if I had been in charge to begin with!  ;-)

> In LaTeX, if you don't code the input right, LaTeX doesn't work.  
> Period.

Not true -- I can show you a math file which is "improperly coded"  
and LaTeX will put it out -- it just looks like crap.

Hope this helps!
Kieren.