Re: showLastLength

[David Kastrup]

David Sumbler <david@aeolia.co.uk> writes:

> I have never used 'showLastLength' or 'showFirstLength' until today.
>
> I inserted a line such as
>       showLastLength = R1*5
> exactly as shown in NR3.4.2, immediately before the first (and only)
> \score { } section.
>
> But every time I try to compile the file I get:
>
>       syntax error, unexpected SYMBOL
>
>       showLastLength = R1*5
>
> Why might this be?
>
> I am using Lilypond v2.19.82

Once you stop assuming that the manual writers are incompetent and/or
realise that almost all examples in the manual are actually run through
LilyPond while producing the manual, it should be obvious that the
principal problem will lie in the particular way you wrote your source,
making it different from what is done in the manual.

That means that it is absolutely essential to include a minimal example
<http://lilypond.org/tiny-examples> for diagnosis.

Lacking that information, it would be my guess that you have your \score
inside of a \book section, and those don't allow assignments inside.
But since you neither include an example nor even mention \book, this is
a mere guess.

-- 
David Kastrup