>On Tue 28 Nov 2000 at 02:27PM +0000, Phil Taylor wrote:
>>
>> It's not all that incompatible. The problem is that a subfield like clef=
>> is needed both at the start of the tune to set an initial value, and within
>> the tune when its value changes. I put starting or global values which
>> apply to individual voices in V: fields in the header, but within the
>> tune itself the V: contains only music.
>
>I don't think there is really much of a problem since you can declare the
>clef= subfield at the first V: field in the tune body instead of in the
>header. This means that the V: in the header is never required.
>
>> the clef within the tune. If you can use V:1 clef=bass on the first
>> ocurrence of V:1 I think it will lead users to expect that they can put
>> clef=bass anywhere in the tune, rather than in a K: field.
>
>If you never allow music in the V: field, then users won't get this idea.
>
>> BarFly's syntax for V: is irregular only in the sense that it expects
>> a different syntax in the header to that in the tune (as is also
>> the case with the P: field).
>
>No, the main thing that makes it irregular in BarFly is that it isn't
>terminated by an end of line (as you go on to describe). By "irregular",
>I mean irregular in the sense of an irregular verb, which doesn't
>follow the normal rules and has to be learnt as a special case by the
>language student.
Not really; I think of it as being the same as the H: field, which
continues onto as many lines as is necessary. If you consider the
tune as being contained within the V: field (rather than using the
V: just as a label) then it's exactly the same as H:.
The other problem is that BarFly puts lots of stuff into the V:
header fields:
(stems) up, down, merge (voice onto previous staff), mute,
pan (stereo), clef, middle, playtransposed, brackets on and off
and probably a few more things that I've forgotten. I want, as
far as possible to keep all of this stuff out of the tune for the
sake of readability. Wherever it gets put, it has to be in a
numbered field, because it's all specific to one voice. You don't
have to look at it to read the abc, so it's best kept in the header
rather than in the tune itself.
Phil Taylor
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