Re: [Lilypond-auto] Issue 2883 in lilypond: Patch: Make arguments like Context.GrobName accessible as symbol lists

[lilypond]

Updates:
        Labels: -Patch-new Patch-waiting

Comment #8 on issue 2883 by address@hidden: Patch: Make arguments like  
Context.GrobName accessible as symbol lists
http://code.google.com/p/lilypond/issues/detail?id=2883

It turns out that changing the footnote user interface is not just  
feasible, but actually makes sense.  Currently it has the form
\footnote [footnotemark] offset [Grobname] footnotetext [music]
This can be recast as
\footnote [footnotemark] offset footnotetext music-or-grobname
or alternatively
\footnote footnotetext [footnotemark] offset music-or-grobname

The optional footnotemark has to come before the offset since that is the  
only thing definitely distinguishable from a string.  I suppose the first  
form makes more sense since the footnote mark will appear before the text  
anyway.

In the rare case that one needs _both_ a grob specification as well as  
tweaking only particular music, one can employ
\single \footnote footnotetext [footnotemark] offset grobname music

The question which context should carry the footnote engraver can easily be  
answered: one uses a score level engraver, and grobname can really be  
Context.grobname so that one can make sure that only grobs at the desired  
context are caught.  That will imply that one needs to state  
Staff.TimeSignature as grob name rather than just TimeSignature, consistent  
with other commands like \omit.

Yes, another footnote interface change.  But one that simplifies things as  
now the thing to tweak comes always last, and behavior gets more in line  
with that of other commands.  I'll start working on that tomorrow.  It is,  
unfortunately, pretty much a prerequisite to get this change done with  
before doing the string/symbol autoconversion thing.