(font-related) \caps \fontCaps and \smallCaps

[Xavier Scheuer]

Dear lilypond users, developers,

There is currently three different commands for small caps
(small capitals, to use inside a text markup) :
\caps ,  \fontCaps  and  \smallCaps .

If I understand correctly :

1. \smallCaps  is a command to make "FAKE" small capitals (by
transforming lowercases to smaller-than-normal-fontsize uppercases).
It does not support accented characters.

2. \fontCaps  is for "REAL" small capitals, provided by the font.
The font has to support the "caps" font-shape.  I'm not an expert in
fonts but is there an "official" way to support this "caps" font-shape?
I have read that usually these "small caps" characters of the font are
usually "stored" in a special "font-related" group of characters in the
Unicode characters table.
But is it only "implicit, advised conventions" or is it "official"?

3. \caps is simply a copy of the  \smallCaps  command.


Could we simplify that and use only ONE SAME COMMAND for small caps?
For example change the  \smallCaps  command so that it behaves like:

IF  ("real" caps are available with the selected font)
    THEN  use what we call currently  \fontCaps

ELSE
    use "fake" small caps (what we call currently  \smallCaps )


Is it possible to check real small caps are available within the font?
What do you think about that?

Cheers,
Xavier

-- 
Xavier Scheuer <address@hidden>