music typesetting for ConTeXt

music typesetting for ConTeXt

[Henning Hraban Ramm]

Hi there!

Here is another suggestion for something that I'd like to do with  
ConTeXt but can't hack myself:

There's a nice music typesetting program called GNU LilyPond  
(www.lilypond.org); in opposite to some years before it now engraves  
really beautiful music sheets. (MusiXTeX seems to be no alternative,  
it seems to be stuck with bitmap fonts and other uglities.)

LilyPond has also a nice integration with LaTeX to typeset songbooks,  
educational material etc.
Have a look at http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.6/Documentation/user/out- 
www/lilypond/LilyPond_002dbook.html

I'd like to see (and use) a similar integration with ConTeXt - I  
guess it's similar to MetaPost integration:
- support for inline code, i.e. \startLilyPond (LilyPond code)  
\stopLilyPond or \LilyPond{short code sample}
- support for complete files (there's \lilypondfile in the LaTeX  
variant, like \import)

For LaTeX the integration runs via a preprocessor (lilypond-book)  
that typesets the LilyPond parts and replaces them with graphics (as  
fas as I understand). I guess if one could use similar techniques  
like for the MetaPost integration, the LP integration in ConTeXt  
could be even tighter (and more comfortable) than for LaTeX.

As far as I understand, LilyPond natively writes PostScript code and  
(usually) calls GhostScript to make a PDF. (Before it produced DVI,  
but they dropped it.)

Does this sound like an interesting job for someone? I'd even offer a  
small bounty to get it done.


Grüßlis vom Hraban!
---
http://www.fiee.net/texnique/
http://contextgarden.net

Re: music typesetting for ConTeXt

[Hans Hagen]

Henning Hraban Ramm wrote:

> Hi there!
>
> Here is another suggestion for something that I'd like to do with  
> ConTeXt but can't hack myself:
>
> There's a nice music typesetting program called GNU LilyPond  
> (www.lilypond.org); in opposite to some years before it now engraves  
> really beautiful music sheets. (MusiXTeX seems to be no alternative,  
> it seems to be stuck with bitmap fonts and other uglities.)
>
> LilyPond has also a nice integration with LaTeX to typeset songbooks,  
> educational material etc.
> Have a look at http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.6/Documentation/user/out- 
> www/lilypond/LilyPond_002dbook.html
>
> I'd like to see (and use) a similar integration with ConTeXt - I  
> guess it's similar to MetaPost integration:
> - support for inline code, i.e. \startLilyPond (LilyPond code)  
> \stopLilyPond or \LilyPond{short code sample}
> - support for complete files (there's \lilypondfile in the LaTeX  
> variant, like \import)
>
> For LaTeX the integration runs via a preprocessor (lilypond-book)  
> that typesets the LilyPond parts and replaces them with graphics (as  
> fas as I understand). I guess if one could use similar techniques  
> like for the MetaPost integration, the LP integration in ConTeXt  
> could be even tighter (and more comfortable) than for LaTeX.
>
> As far as I understand, LilyPond natively writes PostScript code and  
> (usually) calls GhostScript to make a PDF. (Before it produced DVI,  
> but they dropped it.)
>
> Does this sound like an interesting job for someone? I'd even offer a  
> small bounty to get it done.

actually the code for that kind of trickery is already presen tfor soem time, see m-pstric for an example; now, what we probably need is a small extension to page-app, i.e. the command you want to execute; 

can you give an example of a lilipond call? if you're lucky, then the patch needed is a brain dead few liner; 

the bounty you have to pay is ... writing a yourway document -) 

Hans 

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Re: music typesetting for ConTeXt

[Henning Hraban Ramm]

Am 2005-07-26 um 00:08 schrieb Hans Hagen:
> actually the code for that kind of trickery is already presen tfor  
> soem time, see m-pstric for an example; now, what we probably need  
> is a small extension to page-app, i.e. the command you want to  
> execute;
> can you give an example of a lilipond call? if you're lucky, then  
> the patch needed is a brain dead few liner;
> the bounty you have to pay is ... writing a yourway document -)

Great! I'll "call back" if I dug a bit deeper into LilyPond (their  
mailing list unfortunately is not very responsive, at least to my  
questions).

In general, a lilypond call is
lilypond myfile
but I didn't find out yet how to make a "notes only" PDF (not a whole  
page).

--- snip ---
GNU LilyPond 2.6.0
Usage: lilypond [OPTION]... FILE...

Typeset music and/or produce MIDI from FILE.

LilyPond produces beautiful music notation.
For more information, see http://lilypond.org

Options:
   -b, --backend=BACK               use backend BACK (gnome, ps  
[default], scm, svg, tex, texstr)
   -d, --define-default=SYM=VAL     set a Scheme program option. Uses  
#t if VAL is not specified
                                      Try -dhelp for help.
   -e, --evaluate=EXPR              evaluate scheme code
   -f, --formats=FORMATs            dump FORMAT,...  Also as separate  
options:
       --dvi                        generate DVI (tex backend only)
       --pdf                        generate PDF (default)
       --png                        generate PNG
       --ps                         generate PostScript
       --tex                        generate TeX (tex backend only)
   -h, --help                       print this help
   -H, --header=FIELD               dump a header field to file  
BASENAME.FIELD
   -I, --include=DIR                add DIR to search path
   -i, --init=FILE                  use FILE as init file
   -o, --output=FILE                write output to FILE (suffix will  
be added)
   -j, --jail=USER,GROUP,JAIL,DIR   chroot to JAIL, become USER:GROUP
                                      and cd into DIR
       --no-print                   do not generate printed output
   -p, --preview                    generate a preview of the first  
system
   -s, --safe-mode                  run in safe mode
   -v, --version                    print version number
   -V, --verbose                    be verbose
   -w, --warranty                   show warranty and copyright
--- snip --




Grüßlis vom Hraban!
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