Re: Help getting started

[Jim Sabatke]

donald_j_axel wrote:
> On Mon, 31 May 2004 19:48:40 -0500
> Jim Sabatke <address@hidden> wrote:
>
>
> > I'm researching "how do I make a note head smaller" because 
> > I need to fit a few more notes on a line to keep it from 
>
>
> Many techniques can be found in the documentation, this is one of them.
>
> [...]
>
>
> > place the commands.  I've tried searching the lilypond wiki 
> > site, but the searches returns mostly hits on how to setup 
> > the wiki.
>
>
> You hit a weak point here. Your criticism is a little over the
> target though. Some Lilypond writers think it is very nice that a
> lot of things defaults to sane values. So if you do not think that
> it should be so you could write notes with rosegarden or noteedit
> and think about what problems these two programs run into.

It was not meant to be harsh criticism.  I was only trying 
to point out the extent to which I've searched for answers.

> The wiki is still really young. Most people working with Lily or
> programming to the Lilypond project also have other things in
> their lives, be it jobs or families, and after hours trying to get
> the right lilypond output they tend to take up other tasks:-)
Again, I did not blame the coders.  They are doing wonderful 
work.  I wanted to point out that there is a need for 
documentation.  I am willing to help with this, although at 
this point I would have very little to contribute.

> > I'd like to see a wiki site setup for people to share 
> > solutions to problems, and to begin to document how to do 
> > things in lilypond.
>
>
> But that is how the wiki started! It was Ferenc Wagner (or so I
> think) who set it up because "Open Source is about collaboration :-)"
>
> You can find a link to the wiki at the bottom of each
> documentation page, including the examples page.
>
> http://afavant.elte.hu/lywiki/FrontPage
>
> You will soon find out that it is very difficult to write decent
> documentation and that many Lilyponders actually write useable but
> annoying (wrong) English.

If documentation is usable, then it is good.  Grammar and 
word choices can always be modified by others.  I don't find 
such language very disturbing anyway; it's the content that 
matters, and I'm grateful for any help there is.

> However, the subject on how to get started is by no means new. The
> discussion pops up every half year. The best answer is "don't get
> started :-) with criticism, but go ahead following some of the
> examples be it from Mutopia or from the collection going with
> the source" and use the source even if it is "involved".
>
> It is a couple of months ago I finished layouting a small 0.50"
> piece, Chopin's C-Major Prelude, it took me 1 month, and I have
> forgotten much about which contexts are default etc and what they
> do. Yes, we definitely have to explain this and keep up working
> with the wiki. It is different from writing parts for an orchestra
> or just copy/beautify a score, which I have been doing 30 years
> ago. With ink.

Again, I would be happy to help where I am able.

--
Jim Sabatke
Hire Me!! - See my resume at http://my.execpc.com/~jsabatke

Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy 
and good with ketchup.