Re: Cut and paste from manual returns errors

[Thomas Morley]

2013/6/23 DW <address@hidden>:
[...]
> If I am looking for a way to separate a notehead from its stem, how would I
> go about finding this information?
>
> _________________________________________
>
> First step, according to the advice here is the manual index. But which
> manual do I choose? The obvious one (to someone who doesn't know anything
> else) is "Notation", because that's what I'm trying to do.
>
> Great! This looks promising. I scroll down the lefthand menu and find
> something that vaguely resmebles what I am trying to achieve:
> http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.16/Documentation/notation/note-head-styles.
>
> Nope.
>
> Spacing? Nope.
>
> Now I am starting to get worried, I try opening up a couple of ones that
> look promising. Nope.
>
> Back to http://lilypond.org/manuals.html. Try snippets.
>
> Scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll
> scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll. Nope.
>
> Open browser menu, type stem. Repeat step above. Nope.
>
> Back to homepage. Search for "moving stem away from notehead" and related
> terms, open 50 browser windows.
>
> Scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll
> scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll. Nope.
>
> Open browser menu, type stem. Repeat step above. Nope.
>
> Go to Google. Type in "move stem away from notehead lilypond help" and
> variations thereof.
>
> Find forums.
>
> Get told to go to http://lilypond.org/manuals.html.....
>
> ____________________________________________________
>
> You can understand why this would frustrate the average user, while the
> information I was looking for should have been filed under "stuff you can do
> to stems". Because stem (and notehead) is the music notation concept we are
> dealing with here.
>
> In fact, I still don't know how to find the answer to this particular
> question (although I am pretty sure I have seen that it can be done),
> perhaps you can enlighten as to the proper search procedure I should have
> followed?

Well, I'm not sure there's any "proper search procedure" which will
succeed _every_ time.
Though perhaps you'll find the two steps below helpful:

1) Getting the name.

The first step might be to get the knowledge how LilyPond names it
(and deals with it).
Therefore I'd look into the Internals Reference 3.1 All layout
objects: NoteHead and/or Stem.
Btw, the NR has several links to the Internals Reference. (For NoteHead, too.)
In 3.1.79 NoteHead you'll find:

 stem-attachment (pair of numbers):
    ly:note-head::calc-stem-attachment
    An (x . y) pair where the stem attaches to the notehead.

This looks promising.

2) How to use? Getting an example.

LM and NR will give you no real help.
Though looking in /Documentation/Snippets will give you at least one use-case.
You'll find more in the LSR
http://lsr.dsi.unimi.it/LSR/
Although the LSR currently runs 2.14.2, there are more working examples.
(The LSR is something like a LilyPond/scheme-cookbook and very useful.)
Perhaps
http://lsr.dsi.unimi.it/LSR/Snippet?id=859
might be of some help, there you'll find the command:
  \override NoteHead #'stem-attachment = #'(0.8 . 0.1)
and playing with the numeric values you should succeed.

____________________________________

In general, if I want to achieve something, the first thing I need to
know is "How is it named?"
Looking into the Internals Reference is the _first_ I try.

Second step is looking for examples.
Searching NR, Snippets (using the online .html-big-pages) and LSR is
often successful.
If not, I'd have a look in the /ly and /scm files.
(Using the search-functions of jEdit. my favorite editor)
If not, I'd search the archives, see
http://lilypond.org/contact.html
If not, I'd probably use a web-search (_last_ resort), though more
likely ask the list.


HTH,
  Harm