beatStructure for 4/4 doesn't help

[Karl Hammar]

For the questions I ask, see last in mail.

I'm trying to set the automatic beams in \time 4/4 like
a8[ a] a[ a] ..., so I'm looking at the example in
Documentation/out-www/notation.pdf (it says for version 2.15.15 on
page 1), on the bottom of page 74 to the top of page 75, section
"Setting automatic beam behavior" under "1.2.4 Beams". I added one
8'th to see what it does (voice two is of no interest in this case):

\new Staff {
  \time 7/8
  \set Staff.beatStructure = #'(2 3 2)
%  \time 4/4
%  \set Staff.beatStructure = #'(1 1 1 1)
  <<
    \new Voice = one {
      \relative c'' {
        a8 a a a a a a
%       a
      }
    }
%{
    \new Voice = two {
      \relative c' {
        \voiceTwo
        \set Voice.beatStructure = #'(1 3 3)
        f8 f f f f f f
      }
    }
%}
  >>
}

In 7/8 it works as advertized, but when changing into 4/4 I get
no change from the default.

The first sentence of the section "Setting automatic beam behavior"
says:

[1] In most instances, automatic beams will end at the end of a beat.

This sentence is not true for one of the most common time sig. 4/4,
and it tricks me to believe

 \time 4/4
 \set Voice.beatStructure = #'(1 1 1 1)

will work for 8'ths, which it won't.

I do find:

(define-public default-time-signature-settings
  '(
...
    ((4 . 4) .
             ((beamExceptions . ((end . (((1 . 8) . (4 4))  ; 1/8 notes half 
measure
                                         ((1 . 12) . (3 3 3 3)))))))) ;Anything 
shorter by beat
...

in scm/time-signature-settings.scm

And after some false starts I found out I had to do:

 \set Timing.beamExceptions = #'((end . ( )))

Then I also found out I cannot set it like:

\score {
  \new ChoirStaff <<
    \set Timing.beamExceptions = #'((end . ( )))
...

I have to put it after every damn \time sig.

///

* If I set a beatStructure, why isn't the exceptions cleared?

* And why doesn't that sentence [1] say "In unusal time sigs. the
  beatStructure will solve your needs, but for the most common
  things, you will have to struggle through the section about
  beamExceptions below." ?

* How do I clear the default behaviour set in
  default-time-signature-settings?

Regards,
/Karl Hammar

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Aspö Data
Lilla Aspö 148
S-742 94 Östhammar
Sweden
+46 173 140 57