RE: RE:Markup query

[Peter Gentry]

>From: Phil Holmes [mailto:address@hidden 
>Sent: Friday, September 07, 2012 10:44 AM
>> I seem to have touched a nerve somewhere.
>
>Not at all.  I'm simply offering alternative ways to look for what you're 
>trying to do.  If you are      >trying to do anything
more complex than very simple stuff, the notation manual is where you should 
look.

>> I only observe that they seem to be largely aimed at 
>>those familiar with the syntax allready.

>That's certainly not the intention of the learning manual.
>
>> As a small example setting various swiches true/false in the 
>paper block often seems to have no effect - I guess the reason is that
>> those switches are irrelevant in the context.
>
>This should never be the case.  Please give examples.
>
This is the top level paper block I often use

 \paper {
                two-sided = ##t
            top-margin = 10\mm
            bottom-margin = 10\mm        
            inner-margin = 20 \mm
              outer-margin = 20 \mm
              binding-offset = 5 \mm
              first-page-number = #1
            blank-after-score-page-force = #10
            page-breaking = #ly:page-turn-breaking   
            ragged-bottom = ##t 
            indent = 0\mm
            print-page-number = ##t
            print-first-page-number = ##f
            oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \null
            evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \null
            oddFooterMarkup = \markup {
                                       \fill-line {
                                       \on-the-fly 
#print-page-number-check-first
                                       \null \fontsize #2  \fromproperty 
#'header:mycustomtext 
                                       \fontsize #2  \fromproperty 
#'page:page-number-string
                                                  } % end of fill line          
                                                   
                                      } % end of markup block
            evenFooterMarkup = \oddFooterMarkup
         } % end of paper block

1. the first page footer always has the page number - I didn't want it.
2. changing the values for print-page-number and or print-first-page-number 
"appear" to have no effect

The manuals make only brief reference to "user defined variables" there is some 
doubt as to how this works and is probably the cause
of my markup troubles.

%--------------------------------------------------------------------
% variables for later use to avoid repititions
%---------------------------------------------------------------------
date = #(strftime "%d-%m-%Y" (localtime (current-time)))
xtitle = "Second Clarinet Trio"
xsubtitle = "Opus 7 No. 2 "
xChristian = "Jacques-Jules"
xSurname = "Boufil"
xdates = "(1783-1868)"
xpart = "Clarinet 1"
xinstrument = "Clt1"
xmidiInstrument = "clarinet"
 
These appear to behave as strings - but I could well be wrong as they only work 
as say \xpart in some markup contexts. Maybe I am
misquided in thinking of them as "strings". In particular a definition using a 
large amount of text does not get spread over
multiple lines. You seem to need to put that text inside the markup with a # 
prefix.

>
>Do you use my Noteworthy->Lilypond converter?
>
I certainly do and very useful it is too - minor issues it does output  
#(set-accidental-style 'piano-cautionary) which leads to an
extra blank stave but a judicious use of UltraEdit allows quick change to sets 
of files :- #(set-accidental-style
'modern-cautionary) , insert of \version, tidy up of repeats using \repeat 
volta  and some required markups that don't translate
such as trills and flow directions.