Re: \lyricsto ruins sequential lyrics

[David Kastrup]

Dan Eble <address@hidden> writes:

> Simon wrote:
>> On 02.09.2017 23:11, Dan Eble wrote: 
>>> David wrote: 
>>>> Putting different lyrics in sequence to each other does not make a
>>>> lot of sense,
>>> Isn’t it fundamental to performing a multi-stanza song? 
>> 
>> Different lyrics _contexts_ in sequence don’t make a lot of sense.
>
> Yet they did what this user expected when lyrics with durations were used.
>
>
>>>> and a \lyricsto-governed context in particular has no well-defined
>>>> ending where another context could follow.
>>> OK, how would you classify that? A bug? A deficiency of the design?
>> 
>> A property of the design that will force you to find a solution
>> without \lyricsto, as in many non-standard cases.
>
> A property of the design that will not do the obvious thing, not
> provide a relevant diagnostic message, not be called a bug after a
> user spends a couple hours exploring and describing the behavior...
>
> I’m not trying to be nasty, and I don’t think you’re trying to be
> difficult, but there is something wrong here.

Good luck fixing it.  A \lyricsto-controlled expression can only end
once the _next_ note appears, and by that time it is too late to start
the next \lyricsto-controlled expression.  In addition, parallel
contexts in some situations need to be actively suicided to keep
\lyricsto contexts from running amok.  Search in the issue tracker for
"zombie" with some flowery language attached and then follow the
referenced issues and all issues referring to it.

And then find a "fix" that will not cause major regressions with all
that.  Good luck.  It was months of debugging and fiddling that lead to
the current state.  If you can do better, I'll not be the last one in
the line shaking your hand.

But it might prove not quite as easy as you seem to think.

> Assuming that “different lyrics contexts in sequence don’t make a lot
> of sense,” shouldn’t Lilypond issue a warning?

Try making it do so reliably in a sufficient number of cases where it's
warranted while not flagging uses considered valid.  Probably less
tricky than a "fix".

> Is there a broader category of things that don’t make sense in
> sequence that Lilypond should warn about?  (What about the fact that
> the result is actually reasonable in the case of lyrics with
> durations?)

> Having said that, I’m not sure that "different lyrics contexts in
> sequence don’t make a lot of sense.”  You wouldn’t say that about
> Voice contexts, would you?

Different \lyricsto-controlled contexts in sequence particularly don't
make a lot of sense.  Different Lyrics contexts in sequence don't make a
lot of sense in the same manner as different Staff contexts in sequence
don't make a lot of sense: they will start a new "line".  There may be
situations in connection with repeats where there is a point.

-- 
David Kastrup