Re: measures per system

[David Nalesnik]

Hi Kieren,

> On 2012-Nov-26, at 12:34, Kieren MacMillan wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> One of my favourite snippets (thanks David!) is
>> <http://lsr.dsi.unimi.it/LSR/Item?u=1&id=838>

I'm glad you like it!

>>
>> Is there a way that this can be coded "arbitrarily", e.g.
>>
>> 1. The first 19 measures broken as '(4 5 4 6).
>> 2. The next 200 measures broken automagically by Lilypond.
>> 3. The next 32 measures broken as '(4) [repeated 8 times].
>> 4. The rest of the score (unknown number of measures) broken automagically 
>> by Lilypond.
>>
>> ??


On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 1:32 PM, Kieren MacMillan
<address@hidden> wrote:
> p.s. I guess in my exact example as given, one could use
>
> '(4 5 4 6 200 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 10000000000)
>
> But I think there is still a valid question in here [somewhere] about how to 
> give the greatest flexibility to this [wonderful!] Scheme engraver, with the 
> simplest user interface.
>

Basically (for those who are unfamiliar with the syntax), this list
specifies where to add forced breaks.  So, there will be one after
four measures, another after 5 more, etc.  During the expanse of 200
measures, no forced breaks will be added, but LilyPond will continue
to break as she sees fit because 200 measures is obviously too many to
put on a line.

But...if you include this:
\override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f

(in other words, insist that all breaks must be specified)

the program will fit 200 bars on a line, with the familiar result of
music running off the page.

I could change the engraver so that you could specify the list in your
example like so:

'(4 5 4 6 (200) 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 (10000000000))

with the meaning that elements in further parentheses have
'line-break-permission set to 'allow (the default, which lets LilyPond
make her aesthetic decisions), and the other elements have
'line-break-permission set to #f and 'force at the breakpoints.
Therefore, you would be assured of getting exactly 4, 5, 4, 6 bars,
with the understanding that you could leave the parentheses off of 200
and create something nasty.  But I suppose the point of a
bars-per-line-engraver is the freedom to do just that.

What do you think?

-David